The Tour du Mont Blanc, commonly referred to as the TMB, is one of the world’s most popular long-distance hikes. Crossing through France, Italy, and Switzerland, the trail loops around the iconic Mont Blanc massif, weaving through valley floors and mountain passes over a total of about 110 miles and 32000 ft of gain. During the popular Ultra Trail du Mont Blanc (UTMB) in August, top ultrarunners from around the world complete the loop in less than 24 hours. During the rest of the year, most choose a more leisurely approach, breaking up the journey over many days with overnight stops at established mountain huts (refuges) or campsites.
In July, Daniel and I decided to see it for ourselves. We had started our trip planning months earlier, as reservations for the mountain refuges fill up quickly as peak hiking season approaches. For those intending to carry a tent and camp, route planning is more flexible, but successfully booking sequential huts along the trail while accounting for days of appropriate mileage in between can be a bit more tricky. The TMB’s classic route begins and ends in the town of Les Houches, France. Due to availability in certain refuges, we ended up starting from the town of Courmayeur, Italy. Our plan was for an 8-night, 9-day itinerary, with the goal of moving efficiently, but also giving ourselves time to enjoy the scenery, take photos, and eat lots of snacks along the way. I’d also been suffering from a nagging posterior tibial tendinitis in my right foot throughout June, and was grateful we hadn’t set our sights on fast packing the trail.
Day 1: Courmayeur to Refuge Elena
12.26 miles, 5000ft gain, 5.5 hours
No easing into it! After watching a couple of YouTube videos on taping techniques to support my recovering tendonitis, Daniel and I headed right into one of the larger days of our hike. Our exit from Courmayeur involved an initial ascent of approximately 2500 feet in roughly 3 miles which, fortunately for us, was mostly shaded. As we gained altitude, trees gave way to rolling grassy hillsides with sweeping views of Val Ferret. As Courmayeur is one of the TMB’s larger towns, we’d expected the route to be packed with fellow hikers. To our surprise, however, the trails were hardly crowded, and there were many portions of the day when it was just us and the surrounding mountains.
Around midday, we took a brief rest at Rifugio Walter Bonatti, before continuing on towards our destination. Finally, after a demoralizing loss of 1000 feet and immediate re-gain of the same 1000 feet, we arrived at Refuge Elena around 2:00 pm. As check-in for the dorms wasn’t yet open, we grabbed a quick hot lunch and took a nap in the afternoon sun. A short while later, we grabbed our bunk beds for the evening and a token giving us 15 liters worth of a hot shower, which goes much faster than you’d like to think. Dinner was generous, consisting of a large plate of pasta, meat and vegetables, bread, fruit, and panna cotta. Despite sleeping in one of the refuge’s large, 30-person dorms, sleep came relatively quickly.
Day 2: Refuge Elena to La Fouly
8 miles, 1750 ft gain, 3.5 hours
Because of limited accommodation options while booking, our second refuge wasn’t too far away and we had a much easier day planned for us. We mobilized at a casual pace, leaving Refuge Elena after a standard breakfast of bread, jam, yogurt, and muesli. The bulk of the day’s ascent began as soon as we started moving, with a ~1650 ft climb toward the Grand Col Ferret – a mountain pass that defines the Italy-Switzerland border. In the shade of the mountains, things started out quite chilly, but we warmed up quickly as we hiked. After reaching the col, it was smooth sailing as we descended into the neighboring valley. Our first views of Switzerland were stunning – and inspiring – as we scoped potential ski lines for future adventures!
We stopped for an early lunch at Gîte Alpage de la Peule, a refuge/farm serving refreshments, where we met a group of Swiss bikers riding the TMB on their mountain bikes! After a very strange “milkshake” (milk and powdered vanilla flavoring) and a very delicious bread-covered-with-melted cheese item, we continued onward. We arrived in La Fouly, a small Swiss ski resort town with both downhill and cross country trails. Once again, we had time to spare before check in to our hotel. So, we bought ice cream from the small local grocery store and put our feet up in some shade. After settling into a private room (a luxury!), we joined fellow hikers for a family style dinner of chicken curry, rice, and salad, followed by chocolate mousse for dessert.
Day 3: La Fouly to Champex-Lac
11.75 miles, 2500 ft gain, 5 hours
Unlike preceding days, our third day of hiking started with a gradual descent, following the course of the Dranse de Ferret river for nearly 7 miles. Despite our hearty breakfast just hours earlier, we knew we couldn’t say no to a mid-morning banana nutella crepe and espresso at Les Crêpes de Lola. We followed the river as it wound through multiple small Swiss towns with unbusied streets, aside from the hikers passing through. Enthused by the future ski lines we’d spied the day before, we continued to scout our surroundings, taking notes on one very engaging looking rock slab for another day’s adventure.
Eventually, the path turned back into the mountains and we ascended up ~1500 ft to reach the small lake town of Champex-Lac. Nestled into a small valley, the town hosts a picturesque lake in the summer, and a ski resort in the winter. We stopped to enjoy a charcuterie-style lunch at a small restaurant near the water before continuing to climb towards our beds for the night at Relais D’Arpette, a refuge and campground accommodating over 100 guests per evening. We’d booked a “petite arpette,” a small wooden shelter with two cots. Situated in a field outside of the primary building, our small shelter was quickly surrounded by tens of tents and camper vans, as hikers and travelers piled in for the evening. After a quick shower, we headed to dinner. The evening meal was served buffet style to accommodate the number of campers, and was quite…underwhelming. Undercooked rice, lightly spiced lentils, and hot dogs were served as the main plate, with a selection of side salads which, even to my vegetable-loving palate, were lackluster. Daniel and I grabbed our dessert apples and headed to bed, sharing one of the chocolate chip granola bars in the bottom of my backpack before we nodded off.
