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TMB, France & Spain

September - October 2023
A 36-day adventure by Stephen Read more
  • 68footprints
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  • 36days
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  • TravelerTMB, France & Spain
    Day 6

    TMB to Courmayeur Italy Thu 7 Sep 2023

    September 7, 2023 in Italy ⋅ ☀️ 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.Read more

  • TravelerTMB, France & Spain
    Day 7

    TMB Val Ferret balcony path Fri 8 Sep

    September 8, 2023 in Italy ⋅ ☀️ 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.Read more

  • TravelerTMB, France & Spain
    Day 7

    TMB across Val Ferret Italy Fri 8 Sep

    September 8, 2023 in Italy ⋅ ☀️ 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.    Read more

  • TravelerTMB, France & Spain
    Day 8

    TMB to Grand Col Ferret Sat 9 Sep 2023

    September 9, 2023 in Italy ⋅ ☀️ 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.Read more

  • TravelerTMB, France & Spain
    Day 8

    TMB to La Fouly Switzerland Sat 9 Sep

    September 9, 2023 in Switzerland ⋅ ☀️ 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.Read more

  • TravelerTMB, France & Spain
    Day 9

    TMB to Champex Sun 10 Sep 2023

    September 10, 2023 in Switzerland ⋅ 🌙 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.Read more

  • TravelerTMB, France & Spain
    Day 10

    TMB Swiss bovine farm route Mon 11 Sep

    September 11, 2023 in Switzerland ⋅ 🌙 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.Read more

  • TravelerTMB, France & Spain
    Day 11

    TMB to Col de Balme Tue 12 Sep 2023

    September 12, 2023 in Switzerland ⋅ ☁️ 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.Read more

  • TravelerTMB, France & Spain
    Day 11

    TMB to Argentiere France Tue 12 Sep 2023

    September 12, 2023 in France ⋅ ⛅ 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.Read more

  • TravelerTMB, France & Spain
    Day 12

    Travel to Chamonix France Wed 13 Sep

    September 13, 2023 in France ⋅ ☁️ 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.Read more

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