Cowbells became a regular sound from the cattle that roamed the land through the valleys.Making good time, we reached the commune of Les Contamines-Montjoie, a cute little town with a church square and row of boulangeries and cafes that were dwarfed by the giant, snow-capped backdrop of the Mont Blanc ranges. Demi Tour du Mont Blanc. The lure of crossing into Italy on foot was too great an appeal for me, so at the very least I decided we should give it a go.The majority of the Summer hikers had chosen to have their tour bus pick them up and take them around to Courmayeur by road, so the steady climb towards the col was devoid of the ‘click-clicking’ of their sticks and clatter of their boots.
It was a strange feeling of being so small and insignificant in the world, yet completely alive and free at the same time. We had to resort to the ‘bad weather’ route to get into Courmayeur and most of the running was now on road. This was supposed to be one of the best parts of the TMB with the However, the heavy snowfall masked any of these magnificent views but the stillness of the trail made the initial climb magical and other-worldly.But as we rounded each corner and climbed higher, the snow became thicker and visibility started toying with me, like a magician playing tricks on his audience. As we were winding down the narrow road, a car which had zipped past us, came to a stop and in very broken English, the Italian driver — a little old lady with the kindest of smiles — offered us a lift.
The start of the 600m ascent to the col is directly behind an old Cowshed-turned-dormintory building.
6 day Tour du Mont Blanc itinerary . The Tour du Mont Blanc (TMB) takes trekkers through France, Italy, and Switzerland on one of the most spectacular trails in the world. After a slow, hilly 17km start, a hot shower and glass of red lulled me to sleep, full of anticipation for what lay ahead for the rest of this epic Alpine journey.We left the warm comfort of our gite at Le Pontet and started the steady climb up towards the Col de la Croix. Alors même s'il y parfois trop de monde, même s'il est quand même compliqué de bivouaquer et même si la météo a empêché certaines portions, l'expérience a été merveilleuse. This would be our final stop on the TMB running journey, but we agreed that we would still complete the section from Courmayeur to the infamous Refuge Bonnati, named after Italian climber Fill in your details below or click an icon to log in: If you’ve haven’t got time to do the whole 11 day TMB route, then this 6 day Tour du Mont Blanc itinerary is perfect. I was surrounded by mountains at 1,800m, completely lost to the wilderness, yet I also slicing into a creamy brie and sipping on a smooth, velvety red. The tour follows well maintained trails through France, Italy and Switzerland as it leads hikers around the Mont Blanc Massif. Unfortunately, the unseasonably bad weather meant any views were blanketed by the thick fog, making the trail look eerie by the time we reached 2,400m at the col. Underfoot was a mixture of scree and rocks and the only thing I could make out was Refuge de la Croix du Bohomme; it was like warm beacon standing high in the distance, offering a safe haven against the cold and exposed land. The race was the Lesson one; running around a mountain unsupported for five days means your bag will be heavy.Once we reached the Col, the route became a steady, slightly undulating trail; peppered with some fun, open downhill sections where you could really stretch the legs. As you trek the Tour du Mont Blanc, you’ll experience the culture, the rich history of the Alps along with the stories of how this massive mountain has beckoned hikers and mountaineers for over 250 years. The gite was set beside a lake, which was shrouded by low cloud and surrounded by lush forest. TMB Interactive map . However, qualifying for the race is almost as tough as …