Saturday, November 26, 2022

Itinerary Created and Booking Begins

 On November 25 we began booking places. We were having trouble booking some of the refuges. We used Booking.com, Expedia.com, and a TMB site (https://www.autourdumontblanc.com/en/). The TMB site had a list of over 40 refugees covering France, Italy, and Switzerland.  We also used TripAdvisor to look at reviews of each place.  We then took a look at each place on Google Maps and Google Earth to check for distances.

We have chosen to do the trip over 12 days, 11 days of actual hiking, and a day of rest near the middle of the trip. We will be taking the hike in the traditional route, by traveling counterclockwise. 


I found this map of the traditional route, which is pretty spot on how we are traveling.






Monday, November 21, 2022

Beth Contacts Susie

 OK, it's real, Beth contacted a friend Susie Halloway who has hiked the TMB three times. She has begun corresponding. Let the trip begin! 

Sunday, November 13, 2022

Tour Du Mont Blanc (TMB)

This trip has been on my wife's bucket list for some time. We are hoping to make it a reality next summer, 2023! Tour Du Mont Blanc. Link TMB

The earliest we would begin the hike would be mid-August. We hope to make the trip during a 10-week period beginning in mid-August, take two weeks to make the hike, stay an additional week or two, and travel throughout parts of Europe.




Tour Companies

Mac Adventures

Alpenwild


Types of places to Stay

Huts

Gites

Auberges 

Refuges

Rifugios

2 Star Hotels

3 & 4 Star Hotels

5 Star Hotels

Classic TMB Time Line  Link of Tour


Classic TMB – 11 days


Start point: Les Houches, France           
End point: Les Houches, France          
Length: 11 days

  • Day 1 – Les Houches – Refuge Miage (7.2km – 4-5hr via cable car or 13.2km 6-7hrs)
  • Day 2 Refuge Miage – Refuge Croix du Bonhomme (18km – 7-8.5hrs)
  • Day 3 Refuge Croix du Bonhomme – Refugio Elisabetta (19.5km – 7-9hrs or 14.9km 6-7hrs)
  • Day 4 Refugio Elisabetta – Courmayeur (15.4km – 5.5 – 7.5hrs)
  • Day 5 Courmayeur – Chalet Val Ferret (17km 7-8hrs)
  • Day 6 – Chalet Val Ferret – La Fouly (14.3km 5.5 – 7hrs)
  • Day 7 – La Fouly – Champex-Lac (15.7km 4.5-6hrs)
  • Day 8 – Champex-Lac – La Peuty/Trient (15.7km 6-7.5hrs)
  • Day 9 – La Peuty/Trient – Tré-le-Champ (13.1km 6-7.5km)
  • Day 10 – Tré-le-Champ – Refuge de la Flégère (8.4km 4.5 – 6hrs)
  • Day 11 – Refuge de la Flégère – Les Houches (17.1km 6.5 – 8.5hrs)

Possible Time Line

Day 1 – Arrive Geneva. Transfer to Chamonix

Day 2 – Depart Chamonix. Les Houches to Les Contamines-Montjoie

Day 3 – Contamines to Les Chapieux, Bourg-Saint-Maurice

Day 4 – Ville des Glaciers to Courmayeur

Day 5 – Courmayeur Rest Day

Day 6 – Courmayeur to Lavachey

Day 7 – Lavachey to Champex-Lac

Day 8 – Champex-Lac to Trient (Argentiere)

Day 9 – Trient to Argentiere

Day 10 – Argentiere to Chamonix

Day 11 – Day in Chamonix

Day 12 – Depart Chamonix