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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.

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.