Le Tour du Mont Blanc: Days 8 - 10

Date: le 30 juillet
Route: Col de la Forclaz - Tré-le-Champ
Distance: 13 km (8.2 mi)
Start altitude: 1,526 m (5,087 ft)
Height gain: 1,069 m (3,563 ft)
Height loss: 1,178 m (3,927 ft)

Date: le 31 juillet (all distances approximate)
Route: Tré-le-Champ - La Flégère
Distance: 9 km (5.7 mi)
Start altitude: 1,417 m (4,723 ft)
Height gain: 953 m (3,177 ft)
Height loss: 477 m (1,590 ft)

Date: le 1er août
Route: La Flégère - Les Houches
Distance: 17 km (10.7 mi)
Start altitude: 1,875 m (6,250 ft)
Height gain: 772m (2,573 ft)
Height loss: 1,546m (5,153 ft)

With 130 km (82 mi) behind us and three days left to do three stages, we're feeling pretty good. We also look forward to crossing back into France and seeing Mont Blanc again which we haven't seen since Italy.

It's a bit of a climb out of the forest from Col de la Forclaz to the Swiss/French border (where the Refuge du Col de Balme is rumored to be run by an extremely stingy little old lady), but at the top we are rewarded with panoramic views of a valley pointing us back to the Mont Blanc massif. As we make our way toward the Aiguilette des Posettes (which at 2,191 m (7,303 ft) is the high point for this stage) we are treated to not just to the open views, but also to great photographic opportunities of the glaciers.

Our accommodation at Tré-le-Champ, is one of the few that happens to have a website. Check it out to get a sense of a dortoir. While our eigth day was not a particularly long or arduous day, the climbs to both the Swiss/French border and the aiguilette after a week of hiking left us very appreciative of the healthy portions served at Tré-le-Champ.

The ninth day (stage 10 in the Kev Reynolds guide) is supposed to be a short stage, but a slight diversion of the TMB route came highly recommended in good weather. The diversion is both longer and higher, but brings us to Lac Blanc. The route we chose also involves climbing a series of steep timber steps and ladders without which the route would become a technical climb up rock walls.

Interestingly enough, none of the nausea I experienced during the descent into Courmayeur during day three popped up while tackling the ladders. Perhaps it was because we were always facing into the mountain. Perhaps it was because it wasn't so windy. Perhaps it was because we were going up and not down. Whatever the reason, the ladders were a bit of adventurous fun and it shared some of the workout from the trek to the upper body.



Our penultimate day took much longer than we thought. Until today, we had kept a close pace to the time estimates provided in the guide. Perhaps a combination of the Lac Blanc detour and fatigue from the previous stages is taking its toll. Whatever the reason we are happy to reach La Flégère, but are daunted by the prospect of the massive descent into Les Houches for the last stage- it sounds like a knee breaker.


We are back in ski tourism country again and as majestic Mont Blanc is up close, the trails are ski scarred around La Flégère. The ski scarred trails make for rougher hiking as the boulders are both jarring and loose, not to mention somewhat unsightly.

It's unfortunate because Mont Blanc is simply magnificent here. Italy had the gorgeous valley views of Mont Blanc and the massif; in this part of France, Mont Blanc is right in front of you. It's truly striking and a photograph just can't capture the grandeur of the mountain at close range.

Pictures from the final decent




Towel looks a bit like a cairn


We finally tumbled down into Les Houches and congratulated ourselves on completing the hike. It was an amazing trek. After a rejuvenating bath back at our hotel in Chamonix, we treated ourselves to the very un-Alpine meal of sushi. We finished our final leg in good time too because the photogenically sunny skies had turned to strong, windy rainstorm by evening.