TMB, France & Spain

September - October 2023

A 36-day adventure by Stephen Read more

68footprints
6countries
36days
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25.2kkilometers
56kilometers

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- Sep 2, 2023, 9:00pm
- 🌙 14 °C
- Altitude: 5 m
- Australia New South Wales Marrickville Tempe Alexandra Canal -33.9366, 151.16638233°56’12” S 151°9’59” E
Day 1
Sydney to Doha Sat & Sun 2 & 3 Sep 2023
September 2, 2023 in Australia ⋅ 🌙 14 °C
David drove us to Denistone station to meet Richard & Karen in the second carriage of the 5pm train. The Qatar airline airport check in took the best part of 2 hours including sorting out a seat allocation issue. When we were going through the final boarding check I had the wrong boarding pass. Yvonne who had gone on ahead had to race back from the doorway of the plane so l could get on. During the flight I watched a Canadian film about a ranger and geologist in a forest fire. Dinner arrived around 11.30pm Sydney time and we were all hungry. The plane flew west across Australia, the Indian Ocean and India during the 14 hour flight. After dinner I watched the film Hypnotic and dozed. Had a party pie and mini sausage roll with coffee in the dark. Then watched the Avatar water film. Breakfast was beef sausage and scrambled egg.Read more
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- Sep 3, 2023, 4:30am
- 🌙 32 °C
- Altitude: 9 m
- Qatar Baladīyat ad Dawḩah Kulayb Hamad International Airport 25.267174, 51.6115325°16’2” N 51°36’42” E
Day 2
Doha - Geneva - Chamonix Sun 3 Sep 2023
September 3, 2023 in Qatar ⋅ 🌙 32 °C
Arrived Hamad International airport Doha Qatar about 4.30am local time and split the Euro I brought with the group. The airport is large, beautifully made with very few planes considering its size. There was a 3 hour wait for the Qatar air flight to Geneva airport Swiss side. At Hamad International airport we were taken by airport bus to the plane. It was really hot and humid outside the airport buildings with a great deal of dust in the air. The flight to Geneva was about 5 hours, during which I watched a Canadian movie called Ice Road and a Sandra Bullock movie called Lost Island. Karen had booked a ride with a company called Mountain Transfers who drove us in a large van about 100km to the Vallee Blanche Hotel Chamonix in the French Alps.Read more
Traveler how funny is that statue!
9/11/23Reply
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- Sep 3, 2023, 5:00pm
- ☁️ 25 °C
- Altitude: 1,035 m
- France Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes Chamonix Chamonix Mont-Blanc Railway Station 45.924671, 6.87275145°55’29” N 6°52’22” E
Day 2
Chamonix French Alps Sun 3 Sep 2023
September 3, 2023 in France ⋅ ☁️ 25 °C
Arrived at Chamonix in the French Alps around 5pm and made our way to the Vallee Blanche Hotel. After a shower we walked around the town took photos and purchased dinner in a cafe/restaurant. After which we sorted out our packs for the TMB walk and the airline bags we would be leaving in the hotel while we were away walking the Tour du Mont Blanche.Read more
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- Sep 4, 2023, 10:00am
- ☁️ 21 °C
- Altitude: 1,037 m
- France Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes Chamonix Chamonix Mont-Blanc Railway Station 45.924, 6.87257445°55’26” N 6°52’21” E
Day 3
TMB Bellevue cable car Mon 4 Sep 2023
September 4, 2023 in France ⋅ ☁️ 21 °C
Got up at 7am. Great breakfast then some grocery shopping for the hike. Out of Vallee Blanche hotel Chamonix in the French Alps around 10am, but managed to miss the bus to Les Houches twice because we waiting on the incorrect side of the road. I was unable to use the internet on my phone despite the phone showing a network to connect to. Eventually, we arrived by bus at the bottom of the Bellevue cable car after 11.30am and rode the cable car to the top (1800 metres) after 12 noon. There were spectacular views and a cog railway (Tramway du Mont-Blanc) to photograph. Initially we walked to the Col de Voza and then walked downhill on dirt roads with little to no traffic. We had a picnic lunch in front of a new house being built in the shade.Read more
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- Sep 4, 2023, 1:30pm
- ☁️ 23 °C
- Altitude: 1,406 m
- France Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes Saint-Gervais-les-Bains Bionnassay 45.866701, 6.76019645°52’0” N 6°45’37” E
Day 3
TMB to Les Contamines France Mon 4 Sep
September 4, 2023 in France ⋅ ☁️ 23 °C
A little further down the road in the village of Bionnassay in the French Alps was a 400 year old church. There was lovely scenery as we descended down to the valley and on to the village of Les Contamines (1,100 metres) and our gite accommodation at La Ferme a Piron in the French Alps. We had our own small room with 2 bunks. Our packs were out in the hall as there was no space for them in the room.Read more
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- Sep 5, 2023, 8:15am
- ☀️ 15 °C
- Altitude: 1,169 m
- France Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes Les Contamines-Montjoie 45.815807, 6.72521145°48’57” N 6°43’31” E
Day 4
TMB to Refuge de la Balme Tue 5 Sep 2023
September 5, 2023 in France ⋅ ☀️ 15 °C
Up at 6.30am, breakfast and left La Ferme a Piron Gite in Les Contamines (1,100 metres) about 8.15am and walked up the valley to the Notre-Dame de la Gorge church before the days uphill began. The TMB route initially went up a steep dirt road. We had a coffee and toilet stop at the Refuge de Nant Borrant (1459m) which was the first refuge after the steep dirt road section. There were spectacular views with uphill track and dirt road walking to our picnic lunch spot just past Refuge de la Balme (1706m).Read more
Traveler wow! the accomodation sounds horrible!
9/11/23Reply
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- Sep 5, 2023, 12:00pm
- ☀️ 18 °C
- Altitude: 2,012 m
- France Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes Aime-la-Plagne Thiabord Mont Rosset 45.632202, 6.66914445°37’56” N 6°40’9” E
Day 4
TMB to Refuge de la Crox du Bonhomme Tue
September 5, 2023 in France ⋅ ☀️ 18 °C
After lunch we continued following the TMB route uphill to reach the Col de Bonhomme (2329 metres). We arrived at our accommodation at Refuge de la Crox du Bonhomme (2444 metres) about 4.15.pm. We shared a 6 bunk room with 3 others. Richard was on a trundle bed between two bunks on the floor. There were no showers, no inside toilets in daylight. Instead there were shocking home made pit toilets and there were files everywhere due to the state of the pit. But the place had location. Everything was carried in by people or donkey and the occasional helicopter. Paid 200 euro cash for the night for the four of us.Read more
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- Sep 6, 2023, 8:00am
- 🌙 10 °C
- Altitude: 2,449 m
- France Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes Bourg-Saint-Maurice Les Chapieux Col de la Croix du Bonhomme 45.722137, 6.71760945°43’20” N 6°43’3” E
Day 5
TMB to Refuge des Mottets Wed 6 Sep 2023
September 6, 2023 in France ⋅ 🌙 10 °C
Up at 6.15am, breakfast at 7am, before the flies got up. Breakfast of corn type flakes with chocolate, bread jam and coffee. Left Refuge de la Croix du Bonhomme (2444 metres) at 8am and commenced the TMB variant ascending a foot track to reach the Col des Fours (2665 metres) saddle in an area that was snow covered and and impassable a week or so before our trip. Now almost of the snow had gone. Immediately after Col des Fours Richard and I saw a goat sized deer like animal called a Chamonix which passed close in front of us as the path contoured across and down a very steep slope. Later at 10.30am we had morning tea further down the lengthy descent towards a valley. Lunch at Refuge des Mottets (1864 metres) before walking uphill towards the Col de la Seigne (2512 metres). There was a strong cold wind as we climbed higher.Read more
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- Sep 6, 2023, 3:15pm
- ☀️ 18 °C
- Altitude: 2,516 m
- Italy Aosta Valley La Thuile 45.751264, 6.80721345°45’5” N 6°48’26” E
Day 5
TMB Val Veny Italy Wed 6 Sep 2023
September 6, 2023 in Italy ⋅ ☀️ 18 °C
The Col de la Seigne (2512 metres) saddle is the border between France and Italy which we reached around 3.15pm. Richard was limping at this stage and the last three kilometres to Rifugio Elisabetta (2195 metres) in the Val Veny would have been particularly hard for him. Above the building at were two glaciers. We were set up to sleep in a huge dorm with people on 3 levels. However at 8pm we were offered a private 4 two bunk room for an extra 24 Euro due to a no show. the next day at breakfast we were told later by others in the dorm where we were going to sleep, there were bed bugs in the bedding we would have slept on.Read more
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- Sep 7, 2023, 6:53am
- 🌙 10 °C
- Altitude: 2,178 m
- Italy Aosta Valley La Thuile 45.767097, 6.83756645°46’2” N 6°50’15” E
Day 6
TMB Val Veny & Aosta Italy Thu 7 Sep
September 7, 2023 in Italy ⋅ 🌙 10 °C
Up at 6.30am. The unexpected upgrade to a private room was fantastic. Breakfast was black coffee, bread, jam and biscuits. Left Refugio Elizabetta (2195 metres) at 8.15am and walked down the scenic Val Veny towards the town Lac Combal. Close to the town Richard left us to catch a bus from Lac Combal to our accomodation at Courmayer so he could rest his feet. Karen, Yvonne and I walked up around 450 metres vertical ascent on a scenic path with views of a number of glaciers on the other side of the Aosta valley. We stopped beside the path for morning tea around 10am. Later after walking across ski runs of the Maison Vieille ski resort we arrived at the Rifugio Maison Vieille (1956 metres).Read more
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