Author Archives: marimbathepangolin

Today I had one more hike I was determined to do, one that I’d been unable, due to time and weather, to walk on my last visit to Chamonix in 2013: the Great Balcon Nord. One of the big advantages of this particular hike is that a lot of the heavy lifting is done byContinue reading “Tour du Mont Blanc: thoughts and reflections”

Back in Les Contamines about ten days ago, I’d first met Austin and Anastasia from Florida at the breakfast table. We’d bumped into each a number of times since, including in the dorm at Bourg St Maurice, and they had now finished the trail and were heading off home via Geneva later that day. AustinContinue reading “Day 10: Chamonix to Les Houches”

Ladders up rocks have earned Day 9 of the Tour du Mont Blanc something of a fearsome reputation. But, as they say, other options are available, and it was always my plan to make use of one of these. Originally my plan had been to follow the alternative route back up the hill via ColContinue reading “Day 9: Argentiere to Chamonix”

Hotel de la Grand Ourse was a sociable place- dinner was at big tables with allocated seats, and I chatted with a young couple from Seattle and another from New Zealand, who were spending three months travelling. In the morning, I met a couple from Vancouver island and and as I was leaving I metContinue reading “Day 8: Trient to Argentiere”

Tuesday was a rest day, after six days on the trail. Exhausted, I needed to recharge and relax: Champex in the sunshine was a perfect place for just that. On Wednesday, the following day, however, all the weather apps I could find forecast it was likely to be wet: heavy rain was forecast for allContinue reading “Day 7: Champex to Trient (sort of)”

What an amazing lady. You may recall that right at the end of the first day’s hike, as I approached Les Contamines, I met a woman who’d been unfortunate enough to slip and had her arm in a sling, walking pole in her other hand. Well today there she was again, still going strong! HerContinue reading “Day 6: La Fouly to Champex”

The hotel last night was in a perfect spot, at Lavachey, on a fast moving river in the Val Ferret, with the mountains and forest all around. Although not actually on the Tour du Mont Blanc itself, it was in a valley beneath where I’d walked on Day 4. Facilities were a bit basic ,Continue reading “Day 5: Arnouva to La Fouly”

What a day. The grandest scenery imaginable accompanied me almost all day after another almighty climb, luckily mainly through shaded forest. So far every day has simply improved on the last. First logistics caused one or two issues. After a ‘lie in’- daring to get up at 715- and finishing breakfast by 815, I foundContinue reading “Day 4: Courmayeur to Lavenchy”

Les Chapieux, where I finished yesterday, is a pinch point on the Tour du Mont Blanc and not only are many guests ferried by taxi to Bourg St Maurice, 12 miles away, but even there space is at a premium. So when I booked up 11 months ago, I had to accept a dorm roomContinue reading “Day 3: Refuge Des Mottets to La Visaille”

Brutal. That’s how I’d describe today. But nonetheless an amazing hike and a dramatically scenic route. Today was very much an exercise in stamina and timing. An ascent of 1444 metres- probably the most I’ve ever done in a day, and more than Ben Nevis- a long, winding descent, conscious that I had to makeContinue reading “Day 2: Les Contamines to Les Chapieux”