On The Tour du Mont Blanc

It’s July 8^th and day six on the Tour du Mont Blanc. I’m in Champex, Switzerland and once again the weather is horrible. I’ve got a nice wet tent pitched in the village campground as Swiss prices dictate I do so. It’s about a 3 day hike to complete the Tour but the forecast is bad for the next few days. Deb and I are contemplating the option of not hiking for a couple of days. I have not had the time nor much of an opportunity to update the blog but I did get a bit of writing done in a hut one night. Aside of one hut it’s been a camping trip. Up until now we have negotiated the weather well with most of the bad stuff coming in late in the day. So, let me bring you up to where I am now.

The weather on July 2 was pure crap with no sign of clearing so by early afternoon Deb made the executive decision to go to Chamonix for the rest of the day.

It was a short ride by train to the main station. Chamonix is a jacked up mountain resort town with plenty of ego in one heck of an impressive valley. It’s set at the base of a long line of glaciated peaks including Mont Blanc and is considered the birthplace of mountaineering. It’s not uncommon to see people walking around in climbing gear, late in the afternoon, after descending via a number of trams that offer easy access to the upper slopes of many mountains. Chamonix is a blend of classic alpine France and plain ‘ol mountain town tourism. Prices are high, very high, but the mountains command a visit. It’s a damn beautiful place.

The following day, July 3, the weather was perfect. It was a great day to start a 100 mile hike around Mont Blanc that will take us through 3 countries. We started out with a steep climb up and out of the valley through a ski area to Col de Voza. From there we had a choice of taking a variant high route towards the slopes of Mont Blanc where we would skirt around the bottom of a glacier and climb over another col. Since the weather was so good and appeared stable we went for it.

With large hanging glaciers above in the distance backed by blue skies and meadows full of flowers the hiking was absolutely beautiful. We walked up past Bellevue then across and over Col de Tricot for a steep descent into a valley with chalet selling Tarts and beers to hikers passing by. We stopped for a small beer before continuing up a short climb out of the valley and long descent to Les Contamines where we camped for the night.

Whereas day 1 was the best weather one could hope for day 2 presented the potential for heavy weather. The forecast was for decent weather in the morning with strong winds developing and the potential for heavy thunderstorms late in the afternoon. Since most all day would be spent hiking in exposed high country with two passes we got an early start to beat the thunderstorms.

By 6:30 am we were walking. The skies looked pretty bad but not terrible. Surprisingly, as we ascended, it got a little better. That’s when the winds picked up. I had a limited conversation with a French hiker who told me in the Alps if it’s windy you don’t get thunderstorms. It’s when it’s cloudy and still that you have to worry. After 4 hours of steady climbing we reached the second and highest pass at Col de la Croix du Bonhomme. By that time the winds were really kicking up. It was the kind of wind that wants to knock you down. The good thing was that the ceiling was staying high and the views of the peaks were magnificent. At times the gray would give way to a little blue sky. We descended deep into an open valley and to village of Les Chapieux.

We had planned to stay in Les Chapieux but the weather was still very questionable. Mostly it was the wind. You can camp in the village for free if you don’t mind pitching a tent in a totally exposed wind tunnel. Deb dove inside a lodge for something to eat. Quite frankly, I was kind of tired from the morning push and wanted to stop for the day. Deb informed me that she ordered me a beer and was ordering an omelet for herself. She asked if I wanted to order one to. I asked how much is cost. She said it was 9 euros ($12.50 usd), reasonable for France I suppose.

The beer came first then two wonderful plates with nice sized omelets cooked in a perfect French fashion with a nice fresh salad and bread. We dug in, it was fantastic, and worth every penny. I topped it off with and espresso.

After the feast we talked about what to do for the night. At first we inquired if the lodge had any dorm bunks but they were completely booked. We got out the map and Deb searched for camping possibilities. Our map showed a mountain hut about an hour and a half further. The weather was holding and I was feeling much better, especially with the espresso, so I asked an English speaking person at the restaurant if he could call and see if they had room. He called and they had room so I made sure to make a reservation.

From Les Chapieux it’s a straight walk up a road and trail to the hut. After an hour and a half of blasting wind we arrived at Les Mottets. It’s 16 euros (22 usd) for a cozy bunk, shower, and a warm common space. If you want dinner and breakfast it’s an extra 25 euros (35 usd). We passed on food since we had our own.

By 8 pm it was pretty darned awful outside. Thunder and cold rain set in. I am quite impressed with the beauty of the Alps and the quality of hiking. However, the one issue I see is with the weather. It can be a little touch and go at times.

July 5

The clouds were low from last night’s thunderstorms but I suspected we would be ok and could look for some clearing in the afternoon. Deb and I hiked up into the cloud where we topped out at a cold socked in Col Ferret. We descended below the cloud and out of France into Italy. The skies began to clear revealing spectacular views that would not let up until the steep knee wrenching descent to Italian alpine village of Courmayeur.

Before you reach Courmayeur you pass the village of Dolonne. Just as you reach the village there’s a large grassy area behind a bar. It looked perfect for camping. To the right of the grassy area there’s a daytime privately run recreation area with tourist info. I had already thought of asking the bar if we could camp there and the woman at the recreation area said she had seen tents pitched there off and on all week.

The bar turned out to be a classically run Italian family affair. Momma was keeping watch of everything while I talked to her daughter who spoke just enough English mixed with Italian that I could understand. She showed me where I could camp and at first said 8 euros per tent. I had already told her we had two tents but I guess I gave her a discouraged look when she said 8 euros per tent. She then said 8 euros total and then went onto say something about eating and drinking. I took it to mean that we could both camp there for 8 euros (4 euros each) if we ate and drank at her establishment. We were going to do that anyway. Happily, we had a deal! We set up our tents under sunny skies and an incredible mountain backdrop.

As we were setting up camp a group of 3 polish hikers, understandably traveling on a very tight budget, walked up seeming a bit tired and desperate for a place to camp. I told them it was 4 euros and to talk with the lady. They wound up paying a bit more. I think price in Italy is a little ambiguous and relative at times.

In the evening I had a pipe dream about doing laundry and buying a new can of stove fuel. We somewhat wasted time finding am un-attended launderette with a new fangled system, all explained in Italian with not enough time to get wash done before closing anyway.  Nonetheless, in the process we got in a good tour of the village. It only seemed fitting that we have dinner at a Pizzeria.

The prices in Italy are slightly cheaper than France. The house wine is cheap and we ordered two pizza’s at a reasonably priced simple pizzeria restaurante. The service, wine, and pizza were good. The total price was 23 euros for two pizza’s and a half litre of wine. The bill said 29 euros. It was a pay at the register kind of place. I asked what the extra 6 euro charge was for. The man at the register said something in Italian and called for the waiter. The waiter said, “Cover Charge”. I gave him a what the hell kind of look and said, “Service charge?” He said, “Yes”.

In Europe sometimes a service charge is automatic but the general rule is 10 percent. It goes for tipping as well. If a service charge is included, you don't have to tip. I guess they thought 25% was better. Since they were a little aggressive when I addressed the issue I didn’t fight it and just paid. After all, I don’t really know what the current custom in that area is but I do know, when traveling Italy in the past, short change and problems with a bill were almost a daily occurrence. Nine times out of ten, when the issue is addressed, it’s corrected with a smile. Other times it’s just not worth fighting over a couple of euros.

From Courmayeur it was a lovely hike half way up a ridge for a long traverse and down to a river at the head of a glacial valley to a spot known as Arp Nuova. The views of peaks and glaciers on the other side of the valley are incredible.

In Arp Nuova there is family run lodge, bar, and restaurant. The setting is lovely with a relatively remote feel. I had spotted, from the hike, a great area to camp near a river amidst pines. The weather had been good all day but clouds were building and dispersing. I sensed the potential for thunderstorms and knew the area I spotted would be great for camping. I inquired at the lodge. The old man, who I assumed was the father, spoke enough English to communicate ok. He asked how many people, how many tents, and said for one night it was ok. Just cross the bridge to the trees by the river.

We passed a private property sign to find idyllic camping near a river and set up camp. Afterwards we returned to the lodge for a beer and made arrangements to have dinner. It was during dinner that the first of several strong thunderstorms rolled through.

July 7

Although we had camped at a safe idyllic campsite the thunder, lightning, and rain kept us up all night. It was a little less than an hour hike up to the first mountain hut where I took advantage of one of the few remaining bargains in Italy, coffee. One or two euros will get you the best damn cappuccino anywhere. Italian coffee, hands down, is the best!

After coffee it was an easy yet grinding climb to the top of Col Ferret and the border of Switzerland. Whereas the morning started off mostly clear by time I reached the col it was totally socked in.

While waiting for Deb to catch up a family of 5 Swiss topped the pass with their mountain bikes. I couldn’t believe it! This was a hiking trail. Maybe it was ok for some mountain biking but well advanced at the very least. They were on a week long family vacation from Switzerland across Italy to the Adriatic sea. The family was comprised of a mother, father, and three daughters, 15, 16, 17. I assumed they were supported or staying in accommodation along the way because they had very little gear. The 15 year old seemed to be the sharpest of the bunch which just impressed me more.

From the col it was a pleasant hike into the village of La Fouly with the weather slowly deteriorating. At one point Deb and I got separated. I arrived in La Fouly along with lightning cracking overhead. Deb somehow got lost along the way but eventually we found each other in La Fouly only to get separated again. Later, we met up again in the village campground. The weather had turned to crap.

In La Fouly I found myself exhausted and traumatized by the high prices of Switzerland. I very inefficiently got myself situated as Deb and I seemed to be on a separate program for the day. The cold wet weather was not helping. The saving grace was a nice campground common space/lodge with wood burning stove.

July 8

The weather was totally filthy all night. Cold wet rain fell steadily but I stayed remarkably dry and comfortable in my tent. Amazingly, I slept fantastic and awoke feeling quite good. With the weather being so bad Deb suggested taking a bus for the day’s section but I told her I wanted to walk the entire route. She understood. Actually, for really bad weather the walk between La Fouly and Champex is perfect. You may miss some views but you pass through a few charming little storybook villages and lots of nice forests. It’s a valley hike. Despite the rainy cold wet weather I still enjoyed the day.

In Champex Deb and I considered finding accommodation but couldn’t quite get ourselves to give into the Swiss pricing. Again, it’s another night in the village campground where we set up soaked tents and dried them the best we could with newspaper.

It’s wet, the temp is in the 40’s and the forecast looks bad for the next couple of days. With two really good days of weather and lots of hiking it’s possible to complete the Tour du Mont Blanc from Champex in two days. Three is reasonable.  However, there is a lot of high hiking ahead with spectacular views and a snow level at around 2100 meters. We are considering taking a couple of days off. We’ll see how we feel in the morning.