TMB, France & Spain

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2. september 2023
TMB, France & Spain Rejsende
Sydney to Doha Sat & Sun 2 & 3 Sep 2023
2. september 2023, Australien ⋅ 🌙 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.Læs mere
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Doha - Geneva - Chamonix Sun 3 Sep 2023
3. september 2023, 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.Læs mere
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Rejsendehow funny is that statue!
11.09.2023SvarOversætte
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Chamonix French Alps Sun 3 Sep 2023
3. september 2023, Frankrig ⋅ ☁️ 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.Læs mere
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TMB Bellevue cable car Mon 4 Sep 2023
4. september 2023, Frankrig ⋅ ☁️ 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.Læs mere
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TMB to Les Contamines France Mon 4 Sep
4. september 2023, Frankrig ⋅ ☁️ 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.Læs mere
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TMB to Refuge de la Balme Tue 5 Sep 2023
5. september 2023, Frankrig ⋅ ☀️ 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).Læs mere
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Rejsendewow! the accomodation sounds horrible!
11.09.2023SvarOversætte
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TMB to Refuge de la Crox du Bonhomme Tue
5. september 2023, Frankrig ⋅ ☀️ 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.Læs mere
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TMB to Refuge des Mottets Wed 6 Sep 2023
6. september 2023, Frankrig ⋅ 🌙 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.Læs mere
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TMB Val Veny Italy Wed 6 Sep 2023
6. september 2023, Italien ⋅ ☀️ 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.Læs mere
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TMB Val Veny & Aosta Italy Thu 7 Sep
7. september 2023, Italien ⋅ 🌙 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).Læs mere
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TMB to Courmayeur Italy Thu 7 Sep 2023
7. september 2023, Italien ⋅ ☀️ 19 °C
We arrived at the Rifugio-Restaurante Maison Vieille around 12.45pm and had a long lunch. After lunch we walked through the Maison Vieille ski resort followed by a steep foot track descent to Dolonne in the Aosta valley. At the bottom Yvonne swapped her boots for thongs due to blisters. The marked TMB route through the town of Dolonne highlighted beautiful historic buildings and streets. When we reached Courmayeur (1224metres) across the river Yvonne purchased band aids for her toes at a chemist before we reached our accomodation. Yvonne and I had our own room in the Hotel Edelweiss Courmayeur. Richard who arrived earlier organised for our laundry to be washed and dried. Using the hotel wi-fi I contacted my data sim provider who responded with instructions which Karen could understand and get my phone data working. This required overwriting my phone’s APN. This is the Access Point Name of each SIM card provider to unlock the network connection. We had dinner at a restaurant in the town afterwards before returning to the Hotel Edelweiss Courmayeur.Læs mere
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TMB Val Ferret balcony path Fri 8 Sep
8. september 2023, Italien ⋅ ☀️ 16 °C
Up at 6.30am and breakfast at 7am. Left the Hotel Edelweiss in Courmayeur (1224 metres) and walked to the bus station. We caught the Val Ferret bus around 9am and Karen and I alighted at the Grand Jorass camping area while Richard and Yvonne continued on and alighted at Bivio Rifugio Bonatti bus stop. Karen and I found the start of the dirt road which later became a foot track to connect with the TMB track above us almost immediately. This was signposted as route 30. Having ascended route 30 to meet the main TMB balcony track, Karen and I then followed the TMB balcony track. This track contoured up the Val Ferret with spectacular views of the glaciers on the Mont Blanc massif opposite. At one point cows were drinking at stream and one was blocking the path. I climbed around the cow and got past but Karen had wait till it had finished. We then walked behind 7 cows that were also on the TMB path for a significant distance, gradually passing them one by one. When we reached the Rifugio Bonatti (2035 metres) around 12.30pm Karen and I met Richard and Yvonne for lunch.Læs mere
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TMB across Val Ferret Italy Fri 8 Sep
8. september 2023, Italien ⋅ ☀️ 19 °C
After lunch at the Rifugio Bonatti (2035 metres) Yvonne and I walked ahead of Richard and Karen to try and reach the accomodation for the night early enough before others arrived to get a room for us rather than be in a large dormitary. The TMB balcony path continued contouring uphill along the side of the Val Ferret before the path descended to the valley floor at 1780 metres to cross the river. For this descent I left Yvonne and ran down the hill. Having crossed the river the TMB foot track route initially climbed steeply in hot sun without a breeze. The foot track continued to climb for about 1 hours walking to reach our accommodation at Rifugio Elena (2061 metres).
Yvonne arrived later at the vallet floor and missed sign and the TMB foot track and instead took the quicker service road which led to Rifugio Elena (Route 25?). Richard and Karen were much further behind. I arrived at around 3.45pm. Yvonne arrived around 4.30pm and Richard and Karen arrived about 5.30pm. We were given 2 separate private rooms one of which had a shower.Læs mere
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TMB to Grand Col Ferret Sat 9 Sep 2023
9. september 2023, Italien ⋅ ☀️ 13 °C
Up at 6am, breakfast 7am, started walking at 8.30am from the Rifugio Elena (2061 metres) in Italy. Morning tea at Grand Col Ferret (2537 metres) around 10.20am which is the border between Italy and Switzerland. On the Italian side is the Italian Val Ferret and on the Swiss side there is the Swiss Val Ferret.Læs mere
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TMB to La Fouly Switzerland Sat 9 Sep
9. september 2023, Schweiz ⋅ ☀️ 14 °C
Soon after beginning the descent into the Swiss Val Ferret we saw marmot and later a kite in flight hunting. Yvonne swapped her boots for crocs which she wore for the rest of the day. Lunch at Gite Alpage de La Peule (2100 metres) around 12.30pm. We walked down pleasant farm roads with both valley and mountain views till we reached Ferret (2071 metres) where Richard caught the bus to La Fouly while Karen, Yvonne and I walked for about half an hour on the sign posted TMB route. We arrived at our accommodation at Maya-Joie in La Fouly (1600 metres) in the Swiss Val Ferret about 4.15pm. We were in a 4 person, 2 double bunk room with a view of a glacier across the valley. Dinner of pizza, local rose wine and excellent dessert pies.Læs mere
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TMB to Champex Sun 10 Sep 2023
10. september 2023, Schweiz ⋅ 🌙 12 °C
Up around 6am as people were taking their gear downstairs for tour operators. Breakfast at 7am. Left our accommodation at Maya-Jolie in La Fouly (1600 metres) at 8.30am and Richard stayed at the bus stop. Yvonne , Karen and I followed the TMB path down the Val Ferret. Yvonne swapped her socks for a pair of mine trying to find the best combination for her blistered toe and her boots. Morning tea around 10.45am at a spot in the forest with a natural sleeping overhang as well as a constructed shelter with a moss roof. After a steep rough service road descent Yvonne was in a lot of pain and swapped boots for crocs for the rest of the day. Walked through the Swiss village of Saleinaz (1204 metres) and photographed some of the buildings. Later stopped at a cafe/restaurant in Orsieres (887 metres) around 12.30pm. Walked uphill for over 450 metres vertical to leave the Swiss Val Ferret to reach the plateau containing Champex-Lac at the base of Mont Blanche. We passed a rock climbing area around the highest point of the track with a ladder in the rock face. There were also a number of carvings on the side of the track. Karen, Yvonne and I reached Champex-Lac (1470 metres) around 2.30pm with enough time to have coffee and cake before walking on to our accommodation for the night. Richard joined us for coffee having travelled from La Fouly by bus earlier. From the cafe there was about half an hour walk to the gite and Karen and Yvonne bought apples and nectarines on the way. We arrived at the Gite Bon Abri in Champex about 4.15pm. Karen and Richard paid in cash for our accommodation in a 3 double bunk room without any extra people.Læs mere
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TMB Swiss bovine farm route Mon 11 Sep
11. september 2023, Schweiz ⋅ 🌙 12 °C
Noisy Gite during the night. Someone’s alarm went off at 5am. Up 6am, breakfast 7am. Karen, Yvonne and I left the Gite Bon Abri in Champex (1470 metres) about 8.15am and followed a lovely valley road before commencing the 800 metres TMB Bovine route climb. Richard took public transport from Champex to reach our accommodation for the night. We had morning tea around 10.15am before the foot track reached high pasture to take advantage of shade under trees. Just after morning tea we were passed by a guy with a mountain bike on his back carrying it uphill. After the Collet Portalo (2040m) pass a woman was carrying a girl in a child carrier on her front. We stopped for lunch of Skippy peanut butter and honey at about 12.15pm in a flattish sheltered and shaded pasture area which was part of the Bovine farm (1987 metres). After lunch walked downhill for about 1 hour and 15 minutes to reach the Hotel Col de la Forclaz (1526m) around 1.30pm for coffee and cake while waiting for Richard to turn up and to book into our accommodation. Yvonne managed to wear her boots with a change of socks all day but the chest strap of her pack broke. We were able to obtain 2 rooms one with bunk beds with a sink and one with a double bed. Washed clothes and hung out to dry on the hotel clothes line. We also made a repair of Yvonne’s pack strap which lasted the trip. Richard arrived at 5.30pm having travelled to a different hotel with a similar name in another location. Dinner of soup, chicken, ratatouille with fries in the Hotel Col de la Forclaz.Læs mere
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TMB to Col de Balme Tue 12 Sep 2023
12. september 2023, Schweiz ⋅ ☁️ 15 °C
Up at 6.30am. Breakfast at 7am. First cloudy day. Started walking around 8.15am from Hotel Col de la Forclaz (1526 metres). Richard stayed and caught a bus at noon, then a train to our accommodation for the night. Walk initially followed a beautifully constructed path which was originally a tramway for shipping glacial ice to Paris and other places. There was a channel taking water down the hill beside the path as well as wooden aqueducts in places to keep the water slope constant. When the tramway path ended we crossed the river coming off the glacier above and began a steep lengthy climb up a rough foot track. Morning tea was about 10.20am. Rain sprinkles at a closed refuge Les Grands (2113 metres). Arrived at Col de Balme (2204 metres) which is the border between Switzerland and France around 1pm.Læs mere
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TMB to Argentiere France Tue 12 Sep 2023
12. september 2023, Frankrig ⋅ ⛅ 16 °C
Lunch at a refuge on the Swiss side of the border at Col de Balme (2204 metres) between Switzerland and France around 1pm. After lunch descended through ski slopes to Col des Posettes (1992 metres) before climbing the rough TMB path up a ridge with views to reach Aiguillette des Posttes (2201 metres) at 3.45pm. Long rough descent followed on the TMB path which was particularly hard on Yvonne’s knee as well as her damaged toes. We arrived at our Air B & B apartment accomodation in Argentiere in the valley of Chamonix France around 7pm (1230 metres). Richard arrived with groceries almost at the same time. Richard cooked dinner while we had showers. It rained during the night.Læs mere
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Travel to Chamonix France Wed 13 Sep
13. september 2023, Frankrig ⋅ ☁️ 13 °C
Up at 6am out of habit while others slept. Walked to a bakery/café in Argentiere with Richard just after 7am and bought bread and 3 coffees. Breakfast around 8am. Steady light rain at 8.45am. Left our 2 bedroom Argentiere B & B apartment accommodation in the valley of Chamonix France and caught the 10.30am Monte Blanc Express train to Chamonix. At Chamonix we left left our bags at the Hotel Vallee Blanche and then returned to the station and caught the cog train up to the Montenvers train station so we could visit the Leschaux mer de Glacé.Læs mere
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Leschaux ice tunnels Wed Sep 13 2023
13. september 2023, Frankrig ⋅ 🌧 11 °C
From the Montenvers cog train station we needed to use a gondola cable car to travel down to where the glacier once was. From this point there were 500 steps to walk in the rain down to the valley floor to reach the glacier and the man made ice tunnels (ice cave) into the Leschaux glacier. On the way down there were signs showing where the Leschaux glacier had been in recent years. Within the ice tunnels there were interesting ice carvings plus moraine suspended in the ice. It was good that we were wearing our Goretex as there was a lot of water dripping in the ice tunnels. After returning up the 500 steps and gondola cable car to the Montenvers train station level we purchased coffee with a shared roll and some food left over from last nights dinner for lunch. We then returned to Chamonix by the cog train and had more coffee at Richard's Cafe before booking into Hotel Vallee Blanch at 3pm. Then we went to a laundromat to wash clothes which took a couple of hours. Dinner at a restaurant near the hotel which was very nice. Back to the Hotel Vallee Blanche Chamonix France to pack.Læs mere
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Pick up French hire car Thu 14 Sep 2023
14. september 2023, Frankrig ⋅ ☀️ 16 °C
Up at 6.45am. Breakfast at 7.10am. Packed and left the Hotel Vallee Blanch in Chamonix and caught the bus at 10am that Karen had previously booked to Geneva airport. There was impressive road engineering after Chamonix as we descended from the mountains. The bus dropped us at the Swiss side of Geneva airport. We planned to walk to the French side of the airport to pick up our hire car, but could not as we did not have a boarding pass for a plane trip. Airport staff advised to get an Uber however, we did not think to walk to the arrivals exit of Geneva airport. Uber charged us for a no show as we were outside airport departures and the car was at arrivals. We then tried to use a French taxi whose driver informed us we were required to use a Swiss taxi as we were in Switzerland. Then we walked to Genva Airport arrivals and packed into a Swiss taxi Prius which drove on a torturous route around the airport, then under the airport to the French hire car garage which was under an airport runway. This cost 50 euros. We were then able to pick up the hire car. Richard drove the Hybrid Ford Kuga to Annecy where we had lunch and walked down to the lake. More motorway tollway driving after lunch at 110 to 130 kilometres per hour. We had 3 GPS navigation systems to guide us. Karen’s phone and Google Maps, the Tom Tom I brought and the car GPS. Passed a nuclear power station as well as a truck carrying radioactive material. 2 nights at the Hotel West at Le Pont just north of Avignon. Dinner at a local pub in Le Pont with wine and excellent hamburgers with staff who spoke little or no English. The French menus were a challenge. Back at the Face West Hotel before 9pm for a shower and bed.Læs mere
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Orange Provence France Fri 15 Sep 2023
15. september 2023, Frankrig ⋅ ☀️ 21 °C
Up at 6.30am. Breakfast around 7am. Left the Face West Hotel in Le Pont around 8.30am. Parked at Orange around 9.30am visited the Orange Roman amphitheatre for about 1 hour which was built in the first century AD. It has the best preserved stage wall of any Roman amphitheatre in the world. There is a statue of Augustus in a niche within the stage wall. This wall provides the acoustics to allow this restored amphitheater to be used for opera performances today. There were interesting mosaics, statues and other relics in the museum. We then drove to Carpentras Friday markets.Læs mere
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Carpentras & Gordes Provence Fri 15 Sep
15. september 2023, Frankrig ⋅ ☀️ 25 °C
Arrived at the Friday markets at Carpentras around 11am. I purchased a bum bag and sun glasses. Yvonne got shorts. We also purchased and ate lunch. This was shared cheese, sausage and bread eaten in the shade as the day was hot. Left Carpentras around 1pm to drive to the Gordes hilltop village and arrived about 2.25pm. We had coffee under the Le Chateau De Gordes around 2.30pm and then visited the Château which was bare and being used as a art gallery. The castle existed in 1031 and was rebuild in 1525. The building combines architecture from the middle ages and the renaissance era. The ground floor or cellar was used as a prison, The first floor was a dining room, the second floor was a lodge for troops and the third floor lofts was used as barracks. Left around 3.40pm.Læs mere
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Des Bories & Avignon Provence Fri 15 Sep
15. september 2023, Frankrig ⋅ ☁️ 27 °C
We drove to the nearby Le village Des Bories which is a open air museum of dry stone huts along a narrow challenging stone walled road. We arrived around 4pm. This UNESCO site consists of restored stone huts which were once agricultural outhouses used on a seasonal basis. After this visit we drove back to the Face West Hotel in Le Pont for a shower. After which we drove to Avignon arriving around 7pm. We viewed the Pont Saint-Benezet which is the ruins of a medieval bridge that once spanned the Rhone river. We then had a nice dinner in the old town before returning to the Face West Hotel in Le Pont.Læs mere
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