Le Tour du Mont Blanc: Kickoff and Day 1

Date: le 23 juillet
Route: Les Houches - Les Contamines
Distance: 16 km (10 mi)
Start altitude: 1,007 m (3,304 ft)
Height gain: 646 m (2,119 ft)
Height loss: 633 m (2,077 ft)

The Tour of Mont Blanc is an approximately 170 km (105 mi) trail around the Mont Blanc massif which brings the hiker up and down peaks and valleys and across meadows, streams, mud, and rocks through France, Italy and Switzerland. There are refuges and towns along the way for shelter and supplies, and we've heard that some of the mountain huts are as much of an adventure as the hike itself.

We're following the Kev Reynold's highly recommended guide for the tour. We have ten days to complete the circuit and for some reason, the guide has the tour divided in eleven stages starting in Les Houches (convenient to Chamonix) going in the counter-clockwise direction toward Les Contamines and ten stages going in the clockwise direction. However, the guide discourages starting the clockwise direction in Les Houches as it would mean kicking off the tour with a 1,546 m (5,072 ft) climb off the bat.

We've been trying to decide whether it was better to just deal with the 1,546m (5,072 ft) climb and do the tour in a clockwise direction from Les Houches or to go counterclockwise and figure out how to squeeze eleven stages into ten days.

It turns out the weather in Chamonix made that decision for us. Part of the reward for the 1,546m (5,072 ft) climb from Les Houches to Le Brevent is the closeup view of Mont Blanc which is supposed to be the best of the entire tour. Given the rainy forecast for the day, we decided to head westward instead toward Les Contamines and figure out how to make up the time.

We took a bus from our hotel (the cute and centrally located La Croix Blache) in Chamonix to Les Houches (the rides are free if staying at a Chamonix area hotel) and started our journey in on-and-off rain.

Although we did spare ourselves the big ascent to Le Brevent, the first 4 km (2.5 mi) to was at a 16% incline. When we reached the top at Col de Voza there was a restaurant, which was very convenient as our first thunderstorm started just moments after we reached the top. We stayed at the restaurant until the thunder and lightening passed and got on our way. Not long into our descent, it started hailing. Fotunately that was short-lived, but the rain was steady for the rest of the trek. Our total walking time was approximately 6 hours.

One upside of the rain are their contributions to the torrential streams and rivers.

We also passed by the birthplace of Alexis Bouvard who discovered Neptune.

Les Contamines is a ski resort town and when we finally arrived at our hotel there and discovered the bathtub, we never left for the rest of the evening. Here's hoping that we don't have to end all ten days cold, tired and wet!