Les Houche to Auberge du Truc, France, via the high route * 21 km, 1,600 meter elevation gain and 1,200 meter elevation descent 8hrs, one way, with many resting points...
The Tour of Mont Blanc, famously known as the TMB, is a 170km hike which circumvents a mountain that edges into three different countries, France, Italy and Switzerland. Traditionally, starting in Les Houche, France, this walk finishes in the majestic town of Chamonix, traversing counter clockwise in the span of about ten days. A glamorous multi-day hike where you walk from one mountain hut to the next, while following yellow signs, surrounded by glaciers, sheep and cattle.
I did this hike entirely solo. These blog posts are told from my unique perspective; a woman who had never done anything like this before. Having only completed local, yet challenging day hikes at home in British Columbia with friends, pursuing a multi-day, strenuous hike on the other side of the world, alone, was definitely ambitious. Being the defiant lioness that I am, I thought I could handle this all on my own without securing a spot with a professionally guided tour group, like most people do. I still made my way around the mountain, faced a white-out blizzard snow storm, met an incredible group of women who I walked a few days with and of course, I succumbed to a few mini-meltdown, sob cry moments, peppered throughout the adventure.
DAY 1 - The mid morning sun seared off the early morning fog to reveal the beginning of a warm day. I caught a bus from Les Bossons, just outside of Chamonix to take me to the official starting point of the hike I had been dreaming about all year. The Tour du Mont Blanc.
I asked an Aussie couple adorned with their 6 month old baby to take a photo of me at the start sign. With a grin of excitement I began to follow the yellow signage that led me up various paths carved out of the earth by the many feet that came before me on this trail.
For about two hours I kept to what would be very steep ski hills in the winter, to the Col du Voza where I thought I would be stopping for lunch but the outdoor tavern was already overcrowded and the server never acknowledged me as I was seated alone. I took out a baguette and a hard-boiled egg that my Airbnb hosts gave me on my way out this morning and sat in the shade to eat. I refreshed my water bladder and prepared myself for another few hours of ascent to the Col du Trico, where I stood at nearly 7,000 feet.
Along this path I chatted with a South African family of three, father Stephen and his two adult children, Rebecca and her brother. Acknowledging that my hut was about an hour farther away than theirs, the Auberge du Miage, I parted ways to gain some height and some significant descent. I would later see them again the following night at the Refuge du Col du Croix du Bohnomme.
From the top of the Col du Trico, I descended sharply into a valley below, enveloped by the towering Alps with the glaciers sitting silently above me.
Finally reaching the bottom of the valley, another 30 minutes and about 500 meters of climbing lay ahead of me until I reached my home for the night at the Auberge du Truc. A true Alp-ine oasis nestled into the side of a mountain.
No electricity, no hot water and no showers.
On my first night I learned quickly that relaxing after the days climb, is not really a thing. It was 6 pm when I arrived at the quaint Auberge du Truc, just outside of Les Contamines, France, I walked to the front of the hut and “checked in”. I didn’t really know what to say or do so I just asked someone who looked like they were involved with the Refugio* operations, if I could be checked off the attendance list. I was showed to my bunk bed and left to figure out how to change, clean up, prepare for bed and sit down. I wasn’t really able to any of those things. My bed for the night (top bunk):
*A Refugio is the Italian way of saying "mountain hut", which is equipped for sleeping, with hot food service and depending on which Gite (the same name for a Refugio, but in French), a 4 minute shower, hot water and electricity, if you're lucky.
Carrying my toiletree bag, I looked around for the bathroom to clean up in and change my tampon (yes, I had my period for this entire hike) and was promptly told "no douche" by a patron. No showers, no hot water and no electricity. No outlet to charge my phone. What I thought would be a burden, later, turned into a humbling experience illustrated by the luminous mountain peaks cloaked all around me.
Sounds of chimes rang out from the bells that hung around the thick necks of the plump, happy cows that grazed outside the Refuge.
The food that night at the hut was ample, but the energy was low, as I found most of the patrons to not be very friendly and I felt alone in this paradise but was grateful for a full belly.
As the sun sank down, exposing a vibrant alpine glow, everyone climbed into their bunk beds and I prepared for sleep in a room full of strangers.
Early to bed and early to rise are the people of the mountains and I am here as one of them.
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