The Tour du Mont Blanc (TMB) is one of the most famous treks in the world, a 105-mile alpine circuit round the Mont Blanc massif, passing through three countries and ascending around 33,000 feet. It’s also listed in my 100 Hikes of a Lifetime, and I’m not getting any younger, you know.
Our cheery family expedition consists of Jude, Hayley, Rhys (for the second week) and myself. Hayley has done a wonderful job planning and organising the trip; aged parents happy to follow instructions.
We have a free day in pretty Chamonix, delightful despite the crowds. The glacial meltwater of the Arve, milky from suspended rock flour, swollen with overnight rain, thunders in a torrent through the town. Not a place to fall in, although intrepid rafters and riverboarders hurtle past at one point.
A large fresco on a central building features early guides and pioneers. I feel underdressed.
We take a dramatic cable car ride up through the clouds to the 8,300-foot alpine summit of Le Brévent, the finishing point for our 10-day hike. Mont Blanc itself, the highest mountain in Europe at over 15,000 feet, is hidden in the murk across the valley.
Lightning flashes behind the clouds, so we make for our hotel. A bright red and white train toots its way through the pedestrianised streets, carriages full of elderly passengers, presumably a tour party. A few minutes later it returns, sinisterly empty, which sets me off gibbering to Jude and Hayley:
“That’s not my train! I’m too young for the Underworld!”
It reminds me of that cart in Pinocchio that transports disobedient boys to Pleasure Island. You know what happened to them.
Day 1 (27 July): Les Houches to Les Contamines (7 miles, 900 feet ascent, 3,000 feet descent)
After the obligatory starting photo, given the hard days ahead, we make the collective decision to skip the initial ascent and take the cable car. I’ll miss this when I return to Scotland.
The trail is busy, as expected, but it soon feels as though we are hiking alone, enjoying the sun and alpine scenery.
I’m tail-end Charlie, voluntarily of course, to take the action shots.
The village of Les Contamines nestles in the valley, dominated by the Baroque Church of the Holy Trinity, replete with ostentatious eaves and intriguing symbols. The central Eye of Providence represents a god that sees and protects all.
We while away the evening on our balcony at the Hotel Gai Soleil, enjoying the dramatic view, and spotting an eagle on the peaks above.
Day 2 (28 July): Les Contamines to Les Chapieux (12 miles, 4,300 feet ascent, 3,000 feet descent)
The lovely church of Notre-Dame de la Gorge, which to my eyes looks very similar to the Church of the Holy Trinity, is surrounded by hikers preparing for the long climb into the mountains. One group are led through stretching exercises. Perhaps we should join them?
Hikers file like a column of ants on the winding trail through the alpine meadows, dwarfed by Aiguilles de la Pennaz — the Needles of Pennaz. What a magnificent view. This is going to be a great adventure.
It’s a long, sweaty climb to Col du Bonhomme (7,600 feet), made a little easier due to not carrying any food or camping gear. My pack is only 9 kg, including water. A woman has two goats resting at the pass. They appear to be equipped to carry a load, although I’m not sure for what purpose.
The col is a good place for lunch. Our days should follow a familiar pattern of climbing in the cooler morning and descending when the heat is greatest, Europe in the middle of a heatwave.
Grasshoppers leap everywhere, including this suicidal chap on the path.
After the second pass, we reach one of the mountain huts, Refuge du col de la Croix du Bonhomme (8,000 feet), offering accommodation and food. We are avoiding nights at the huts where possible as Jude, understandably, is not keen on shared dorms and communal showers. The terrace is crowded; several people are supping ice-cold draught beer from a glass. It takes formidable willpower to resist and begin the long descent to our destination hamlet. I suspect I would succumb if I were hiking alone.
Les Chambres du Soleil is a charming family hotel. There are tents in the nearby field, all crammed into the one corner shaded by trees. I would not want to be camping in this heat.
Free from WiFi or a phone signal, we enjoy dinner round a communal table, chatting to an Irish couple and their young daughter. One young woman is hiking alone with her tiny toddler slung in front of her. That takes some strength.
This is my first time in the Alps, and it’s everything I hoped it would be. We will all sleep soundly tonight.
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Great to hear you’re on the move! This will be great training for the rigours of Scotland to come. I wonder when they’ll build a refuge at the top of An Teallach serving foaming beer, with a bed and dinner too?
Haha! I’ll have to make do with my tent and a hip flask. 😉