Day 4: Champex-Lac to Les Écuries de Charamillon
15.6 miles, 5680 ft gain, 7.5 hours
After another morning of yogurt and bread, we departed Champex-Lac amidst a parade of fellow backpackers. When we’d planned our trip months earlier, we’d initially intended to complete the Fenêtre d’Arpette variant – a steep, rocky route with boulder scrambling and high glacial views. With my healing ankle tendinitis, however, we made the decision to stick to the less uneven, standard route.
Many hikers ahead of us had started earlier in the day and were moving at a more relaxed pace, which meant that Daniel and I had a lot of passing to do. While the TMB attracts visitors from all over the world, most of the people on the trail give casual greetings in French or Italian, depending on which section of the hike you’re walking. The same greetings also serve as a way to announce your presence behind, when intending to pass someone in front of you. After passing multiple groups of hikers, giving each a brief ” bonjour,” as we scooted around them, Daniel and I started jokingly referring to passing others as “bonjouring.”
After roughly 1500 ft of ascent, we rounded a hillside to find Alpage de Bovine, a small mountain hut selling a variety of freshly baked pies. Tempted as we were to buy a slice, something from our hotdog and lentil meal the previous night wasn’t sitting quite right in my stomach, so we continued, sadly, sans-pie. As we passed through towns, various other opportunities for snacks came and went, passed up in favor of keeping the peace with my upset belly. Finally, confronted with the reality that I had to eat something or I’d certainly bonk on the final climb of the day, we purchased sandwiches from Refuge Le Peuty. As we hiked out of the valley and up nearly 2500 feet towards the Swiss-French border, beautiful views arose from our of the forest. Finally, we reached the Col de Balme, the mountain pass separating France from Switzerland and the high point of the day, complete with our first views of Mont Blanc and the Chamonix Valley! We took a break, snapping photos on the windy ridge as my stomachache lessened – thankfully – just in time to enjoy one of the Refuge de la Balme’s legendary brownies. A few hundred feet of descent later, we arrived at Les Écuries de Charamillon, a very small refuge located in the ski area just under the Col de Balme. We’d booked a tent for the evening, rather than a dorm room, and after a dinner of soup, chicken thighs, and local cheese, we fell asleep to the sound of the water fountain nearby.
Day 5: Les Écuries de Charamillon to Chamonix
12.75 miles, 3785 ft gain, 6.5 hours
We woke to a chilly morning, and I was glad I’d snagged some extra blankets the evening before. After breakfast, we packed our bags and returned to our route, which traversed along the east-facing slopes of the Chamonix Valley, capturing ever-broadening views of Mont Blanc and its neighboring peaks. Chamonix is widely celebrated as one of the world’s best destinations for outdoor recreation, so it’s no surprise that in addition to fellow TMB backpackers, we found trails occupied by mountain bikers, day hikers, trail runners, and rock climbers. The route meandered along ridge lines and down forested switchbacks, inspiring us to imagine days of future trail runs. After a brief stop to enjoy packed lunches from our previous night’s refuge, we climbed up towards TMB’s famous ladders, a series of metal ladders embedded into near-vertical rock faces. Daniel and I enjoyed the novelty of the section and found the ladders to be engaging, though they can be challenging for people unused to heights or fixed protection.
We continued traversing towards the ski lifts above Chamonix. Our original plan had been to reach Le Brévent, one of the area’s prominent peaks, and from there, descend via cable car the nearly 5000 foot drop to Chamonix. As the long day of walking on rocky, uneven ground caught up with us and my injured ankle began to ache. We opted to take an earlier cable car down into town instead. With a bit of unexpected extra time on our hands, we decided to take a ride on the Aiguille du Midi cable car to get a closer look at Mont Blanc. Starting from the valley floor, the tram ascends nearly 10,00 feet in just 20 minutes, bringing passengers to a surprisingly large summit station. Hosting a cafe, multiple viewing platforms, a small mountain museum, and of course a gift shop, the Aiguille du Midi is also the starting point for countless mountain adventures. Skiers, climbers, and mountaineers frequently use the cable car as a gateway to Mont Blanc’s glacial expanses and summit expeditions. Weather permitting, passengers on the Aiguille du Midi can also continue their journey across glaciers and to the Italian side of the Mont Blanc Massif via the Skyway Monte Bianco.
Despite ample clouds, we managed to sneak a few quick views of Mont Blanc before heading back down to Chamonix. We checked into our hostel room at Chamonix Lodge, showered, and walked into town to find some fondue and gelato.
Day 6: Chamonix to Les Contamines
16.75 miles, 5023 ft gain, 7.5 hours
For most hikers, this is their first section of the Tour du Mont Blanc. We took a short riverside path from Chamonix to Les Houches, where we found the classic TMB start point. The trail again turned up into the mountains, climbing over grassy ski resort slopes for over 2000 feet before reaching Col de Voza, a mountain pass and train station along the Tramway du Mont Blanc, France’s highest cog railway. The train runs between Le Fayet to its terminus at Nid D’Aigle station at the base of the Bionnassay glacier. The tram route also delivers mountaineers to the base of the most common ascent route of Mont Blanc, the Goûter Route.
At Col de Voza, we stopped for a quick plate of French fries and Coca Cola before turning to continue along the Col de Tricot variant. The variant adds on an extra ~2.5 kilometers and 1600 feet of gain, in return for a higher crossing and more scenic trails, and skips some of the road walking of the main route. It also brings hikers past Refuge de Miage and their famous blueberry pie. So, naturally, after many tedious switchbacks up and over the Col de Tricot, Daniel and I sat down for an afternoon slice of pie and ice cream. We had arranged to spend the evening at the nearby Auberge du Truc, which we reached a short while after our pie stop, only to be informed that no water was available at the refuge because of how dry the winter was. Already dehydrated and well past the last water source, we decided to continue on, rather than stopping there for the evening. A few phone calls to nearby hotels confirmed an available room in the town of Les Contamines, just 3-4 miles farther along our route. We arrived in time to enjoy hot showers with plentiful water before a dinner of roasted chicken and potatoes.
