Trip Report: Tour du Mont Blanc: Part I

Jan 3, 2017

Introduction

In August of 2015, Stefan Pahulje and myself (David Tavernini) embarked on the awe-inspiring Tour du Mont Blanc. Although we were relieved to have completed such a feat, it was somewhat saddening to have these experiences come to an end as we climbed back onto the bus in Les Houches with only our memories to carry forward with us. To help us look back on these experiences, I assembled this trip report from my daily notes, photos, and some additional commentary from Stefan. I share this with you so you may enjoy our highlights and become inspired to partake in this experience of a lifetime. If you have any questions regarding logistics (or pure curiosity) send me an email. Enjoy!

Logistics:

Getting There

There are numerous ways to approach the main starting location (Les Houches, France). We arrived in Geneva on August 1st and took a bus from Gare Routière in Geneva to Les Houches with SAT Altibus. The trip only took an hour and a half and tickets were fairly affordable. We definitely recommend going this route. You can even book online: https://www.altibus.com/)

Accommodations

We planned our hike using Autour du Mont Blanc basing our main stops out of the Kev Reynolds guidebook published by Cicerone. All our accommodations were booked through this website or through telephone approximately one month in advance. Due to us planning the hike in the peak of the season, we discovered that it was nearly a requirement to book your accommodations in advance for this time of year. During the hike, we discussed with many of the other hikers who did not book in advance, and many of them did not have the same hiking consistency that we did. Some of their days would be an hour or less, whereas others are a gruelling >25km hike. It becomes even more of an apparent issue at accommodation bottlenecks such as the Rifugio Elisabetta, which is the only refuge in the area and acts as a hub for both directions of the hike. Because of this, it is the best stop for most of the hikers, no matter what flavour of hike they take.

All this advice can be ignored by camping the entire hike, which is either hardcore or masochistic (I haven’t figured that out yet). It does save you a good chunk of change, but you most definitely miss out on a lot of the culture and friendships formed at the refuges in the evening. Don’t forget about the meals either. It is very nice to come home to a well-cooked dinner and dessert after a good day in the Alps. The entire hike costed around CAD$3500 including airfare, which was booked rather late, and included all meals and demi-pension stays at 11 refuges.

The total length of the hike is around 170km with over 10km of elevation change which we completed in 11 days. For those who want to challenge themselves physically, many people we encountered were shooting for 8-9 days, with a few aiming for 6. If you train hard enough, you can even enter the UTMB (ultra marathon), with some runners completing the entire hike in approximately 22 hours. Yikes.

August 4/2015

Pre-hike preparation - Les Houches
Accommodations: Gite Michel Fagot
Price: Demi-pension 50€

In mid-afternoon we first arrived in Les Houches in search of our accommodations. The rows after rows of houses and shops neatly stacked on the hillside made us realize the work we had ahead of us to find our beds. We decided to first locate the Office de Tourisme, but through total fluke, we stumbled upon Gite Michel Fagot in the process. Given that we did not expect to arrive this early at our accommodations, we checked in and decided to grab a coffee down the street at Café Delicée where Stefan (once again) fell in love with another European waitress.

As we sipped our excellent coffee between bouts of banter, basking in the alpine sun, I could feel the anticipation of the trek ahead of us. The awesome nature of the alps invokes a special feeling. Although the alps are much more developed than the ranges we have in Canada, the symbiosis between the rural europeans and the alpine environment allows you to escape the hustle and bustle of city living and experience peacefulness of simple living.

We meandered back to the gite to prep our room and catch supper. The room was quite cosy, sleeping six in a room, but I will later find out that this place is considered rather spacious. After hikers started to pile in, stories were shared from people who had just completed the hike that day and ones that were starting—as we were—the following day. You can immediately tell the ones who had experienced the wrath of the TMB by the aromatic aroma that followed them. Good advice was shared by two friendly Irish men that we met, providing us insider info on what to see and what is not worth seeing as much.

Soon enough, it was time for supper. We were first served a a fresh caprese as an appetizer followed by lasagne, bread, and a meringue cookie and smoothie for desert. It felt like one of the best meals I have ever had. Little did I know what was coming up on the hike. During dinner, we had met a helpful Dutchman who earlier in the day had returned from a solo climb up Mont Blanc. Although I’d be the first to admit that my French is sub-par, I looked forward to the stores we would share with the people on the trail.

It was time for us to hit the sack, resulting in me receiving very little sleep due to the excitement for the following day. Or perhaps it was the lingering jetlag that I have yet to recover from.

August 5, 2015

Stage 1: Les Houches -> Les Contamines
Accommodations: Gite le Pontet
Price 20€ + supper
Route: Alternate stage to Col de Tricot
Distance: 18km
Elevation: 1478m up, 1318m down

After the brutal sleep I had received, I had at least started off with a lovely French breakfast (baguette, jam, nutella, and coffee), which will never get old. We were notified of some potentially inclement weather during the day, and given that we were planning to do the alternate stage over the col, we decided it was best not to dawdle. The first two hours of this hike are relatively straightforward climbing through the town of Les Houches and up through a mountain bike track to the top of the ski hill at Col de Voza. There is the possibility of taking the cable car, but Stefan and I were much too determined to “cheat” on the hike. We must walk the entire route. Weather stayed overcast throughout the morning, and given the conditions upon arriving at Col de Voza, we decided to continue on with the original plan of doing the alternate stage. The signs throughout the hike are a a godsend, but certain areas you must be careful on where you follow. We had reached a bit of a confusing section near the cable car, but after ignoring a confused Frenchman’s directions, we were back on track and maintaining a good pace. As the trail rose through the treeline into some alpine bowls, we had an initial taste of the views that were to come. Words are definitely not enough to describe the beauty in the Alps, and one must definitely be present to experience all the senses of the area. It is simply unreal.

We carried on throughout the bowl to reach a suspension bridge over a torrenting river. Although it may give some people uneasiness while crossing, due to the shakiness, but the cables looks very strong, and there is enough framing to maintain good balance throughout the walk. It really is worth experiencing the crossing of the river, and is not at all intimidating as it may sound to some. After the bridge begins the first of the many gruelling climbs of the hike, which was very taxing for the first day. As we climbed to Col de Tricot, weather started to set in. I was quite determined to avoid the storm and conserve heat by continuing to the top. I had the impression Stefan was maybe not as eager, but I ended up convincing him to push to the col so we could at least eat lunch before getting socked in by the potential storm. As we approached the top, there was definitely a bone-chilling wind, but we at least got to enjoy our classic lunch of baguette, salami, and the cheese of the day (today being gruyére). We continued down the opposite face of the col, preparing our knees by gently destroying them on the downhill. Moseying through the herds of sheep, we reached the Refuge de Miage. We did not want to stay long to avoid dusk setting in, as this is one of the longest and hardest days of the hike. After filling the water bottles, off we go to cross the next col and begin the final descent to Les Contamines. Being a gruelling day, we were excited to have arrived in Les Contamines, were we discovered that our accommodations were another 40 minutes down the road from the town. “At least we don’t have to do it tomorrow.” we tried to assure ourselves. Needless to say, we were rather excited to have supper and get comfortable in our next place. Unfortunately the food the below-par and the staff had an attitude, but at least the bed was comfortable!.

August 6/2015

Stage 2: Les Contamines -> Le Chapieux
Accommodations: Auberge de la Nova
Distance: 18km
Elevation: 1316m up, 929m down

The second stage of the TMB was expected to be another long day, but since the campground was 40 minutes down the road from Les Contamines, we were able to save that time for a more lazy morning. Unfortunately, since we were not expecting the campground to be so far out, we were unable to access a grocery store to purchase lunch for the upcoming day. We were forced to buy our lunch at one of the refuges along the way (…what a shame.)

The first two hours of the hike were nothing too amazing, but the amount of development in the alps still fascinates me. The people in the region have developed such a strong, basic connection with the environment around them and it fosters such a beautiful culture. As we meander up the hillside towards Col du Bonhommes, you pass by numerous farms, refuges, and even a local church.

As we exited the treeline into the alpine environment, we stumbled into the Refuge de la Balme where we decided it was time to grab lunch. The steak and potatoes were excellent, although I think it was the half-litre of beer that provided the energy to push through the next leg.

The next section leads you directly to the Col du Bonhommes. Don’t let the false summits fool you – what lies ahead is a fairly sustained hill, bench after bench. Although the sunny weather was pleasant, we definitely needed to take out time. It was quite the grind up to the Col du Bonhommes. Upon reaching the col, we decided to recharge. Unfortunately, I hadn’t stocked up on power pellets, so fresh baguette and peanut butter will have to do.

Following the col, you continue along the ridge towards Col de la Croix du Bonhommes, which is the highest point of the hike. After the long and sustained grind, you are finally rewarded with another wonderful view of the surrounding valleys and Lac de la Gittaz. The weather could not have been more cooperative for the stunning views.

Descending down to Le Chapieux was another relentless knee-breaker, and as I found out the hard way later in the hike, my pace was simply unsustainable for my knees. Jogging down is definitely not recommended. As we descended into the small hamlet of Le Chapieux, we were delightfully refreshed when we approached the Auberge de la Nova. The quaint little place tucked in the valley below, had some of the friendliest staff, nicest rooms, and best food so far. Definitely a step-up from the camping accommodations we had received the previous night. For supper we had a vegetable soup to start, a beef stew with roasted potatoes, and fromage blanc with a raspberry topping for dessert. At this point, we started to get to know other hikers that are on the same schedule as us. One of my favorite parts of the TMB is reconnecting with those people at the end of the day and sharing your experiences over dinner. It definitely makes you appreciate the trek even more.

August 7/2015

Stage 3: Le Chapieux -> Rifugio Elisabetta
Accomodations: Rifugio Elisabetta
Distance: 15km
Elevation: 1004m up, 258m dn

Knowing that the previous two days were the hardest days to expect on the trek brought great relief to us. After our typical French breakfast, we were off to the races. As we departed, we ran into the American girls a.k.a. “Lunchless in Seattle” (whom had forgotten to pack a lunch for the previous day’s 8 hour hike). They have yet to prepare for the upcoming day regarding accomodations. Surprise, surprise. We wished them the best of luck and set off to pick up some lunch for the road. The only grocery we had found was a very local deli run by a very friendly French fellow. He was quite patient when it came to my lack of French. Bless his heart.

The first length of this hike follows a road to an even smaller town several kilometers away. There is the option to take a shuttle to bypass this, but we are stubborn. We also would have also missed out on a good hike with nearly one-hundred goats. No regrets. Besides the goats and Stefan, I had not seen another hiker until we had arrived at the next town. After a solid hour of solitude and fresh air, we reached the next refuge to fill up water to prepare for the long ascent to Col de Seigne.

I found out that it is possible to hire a donkey to carry your gear up for you. I couldn’t help but feel a bit of resentment towards those types of people. Perhaps its the purist in me that can’t comprehend a single reason why you pay for that service, but I think it was because we spent the next hour walking at half pace because the donkey was as wide as the trail itself. It was awfully similar to that hotel episode of Mr. Bean where he is stuck behind an elderly lady on the staircase. Finally, upon reaching the Col, I felt some relief arriving in Italia. Buon giorno!

At the col, we had some lunch with a group of French people that Stefan could once again have a nice conversation with, whilst I smile and nod and attempt to follow along. As per usual, we descend the col into another knee-shattering descent where we arrived to Refugio Elisabetta. We also realized that the descent was rather pointless as we had to climb back up another hundred feet to reach the refuge. Nothing kills your motivation that a nice final, steep ascent to where you have to sleep for the night. Especially when the guide does not heed warning. Guidebook: 1 David: 0.

We could tell that we were in the Italian side as we could hear the echoing conversations from the refuge bellowing throughout the valley. Once we entered, I couldn’t help but instantly feel at home. It reminded me of a giant thanksgiving gathering at my Nonna’s. For supper we were served risotto, chicken, potatoes, and chocolate zucchini cake. You will never go to bed hungry in an Italian household. As people trickled away for sleep, it was time to return to our 24-bed sauna room. Perhaps it was the Canadian in us, but we desperately wanted the window open. I was in a secret battle with someone to keep the window open through the night. After getting up a number of times, I decided to give up and embrace the heat. You need some kind of suffering on adventures like this, right?

August 8/2015

Stage 4: Rifugio Elisabetta -> Courmayeur
Accommodations: Maison Vielle 48€ - Demi-pension
Distance: 18km
Elevation 460m up, 1560m dn

We started early today thanks to the human alarm clocks at 6:30 in the morning. Classic breakfast, yadda yadda yadda. As we started the walk, we had yet to see Lunchless in Seattle. It began as a very easy trek through the valley. As we got deeper in the valley, Mont Blanc came into view. How majestic. Just before a bridge leading to the road and alternate route, we broke off and climbed a moderate sustained hill always to a nearby rangeland where I managed to get some cow tongue action. Gross. As we reached the peak of our hike, we stopped for some lunch with the American couple we met at La Nova. Being such a leisurely day, (3 hour day) we took our time reaching our destination. As we approached Maison Vielle, we realized that it was much closer than expected. Unfortunately that meant another hour on our hike the following day. Oh well.

Maison Vielle. The place where the spaghetti dinners are fantastic, the service impeccable, and the place where you can pee and shower in the same spot if you wish. Just lift the shower mats and release. Our room reeking of dust, safety hazards, and picture of naked women and Native Americans left nothing to the imagination. At least our room had huge windows facing the valley and only four people occupying. Fresh air.

August 9/2015

Stage 5: Courmayeur -> Rifugio Bonatti
Accomodations: Rifugio Bonatti 59€ - Demi Pension
Distance: 12km
Elevation: 860m up, 698m dn

Awaking from the best sleep on the trip, I realized I had probably fully worked off my jet lag, finally. The beautiful view of the sunrise down the valley made it easy to wake up and grab breakfast. After a plethora of yogurt, we set off down the hill to Courmayeur. Record time! We managed to do the descent in about half the allotted time. My knees may regret our decision.

As we arrived in the town, it was a bit tough to get oriented correctly. The description in the book may leave a bit of confusion, but once we figured out the way, we made sure to complete errands. All the time we had made up on the descent quickly faded away as we ran up and down the same street several times to complete our errands. After we had eaten lunch, we were faced with some gnarly looking clouds approaching. Knowing that we had to pass over a col today, we decided to get on our way at a nice early departure of 12:30PM. Yikes. I could tell Stefan was a bit nervous with the approaching lightning. I tried to push us as quickly as possible to arrive at the next refuge, incase we got socked in. The climb was unrelenting, but fueled with our desire to meet our destination as quickly as possible. After an hour of the relentless slope, we have arrived at Refugio Bertone, the land of no H2O. Filling up our current stash with water cost a whopping 3€.

Again, nervous of the storm, we decided to keep pushing. Throughout the entire next leg, a beautiful view surrounding the valley allowed picturesque views no matter where I looked. After another steep ascent to the refuge, we took shelter minutes before the monsoon landed. Whew. Guess who we saw? ½ of Lunchless in Seattle. She-who-not-be-named ended up bailing on her partner, leaving Maria (dedicated to finishing the trek) to complete in on her own. Good for her.

The food was unreal and the service was impeccable. We also stayed in a room with several Israeli guys who were so fascinated by Canada. Little did we know how important Canada was to the rest of the world.

August 10/2015

Stage 6: Rifugio Bonatti -> La Fouly
Accommodations: Hotel Edelweiss 65CHF (!!!)
Distance: 20km
Elevation: 895m up 1410m dn

Its raining. Hard. Throughout the breakfast at Bonatti, every hiker was thinking to receive affirmation from others on whether or not they are hiking that day. Perhaps it was the machismo, or potentially the reservations that lay ahead in the trek, but eventually everyone decided to set off early, despite the pouring rain. Once we got started, it wasn’t so bad, although I do wish I had better boot tread. Hiking among the clouds was an amazing experience, but the guidebook claimed that it was one of the more scenic parts of the hike, so I was rather down about the weather. We descended into the valley to reach another climb up to Grand Col Ferret. We stopped to warm up at Rifugio Elena, where we said our good byes to the friendly english couple, and met up with ½ of Lunchless in Seattle. We climbed and climbed and climbed and climbed until we reached the col. (Also the Swiss border). Onto the land of the expensive!

Today was the day I wrecked my knee. I knew something was up as soon as I reached the col. Never have I experienced such pain in me knee. Thank goodness for the hiking poles. They became a life saver on the descent. Despite the sore knee, I knew I had to play it off, otherwise it would provide support for Stefan’s critique of my hiking pace. “I’m doing fine, it should work off by tomorrow” I would say. As we got closer to our refuge, more concerned I had become of my knee. I started to worry that I may not finish. Stairs were greuling, and I decided to start stretching religiously for any sort of hope in finishing. Dinner was nothing too special, and I decided to sleep early to try and recover well.