The hotel we stayed at was just a stone's throw away from the meeting point for the La Flégère Cable Car, where our hiking adventure would begin. After having breakfast, we arrived at the meeting point and encountered a group of hikers eagerly awaiting their guide. These were the fellow travelers we would spend time with for the next nine days.
The guide arrived, a slender man in his thirties, and asked everyone for a brief self-introduction. To our surprise, among the fourteen team members, only my friend and I came from the United States, along with a young lady from Brazil. Everyone else in the group, whom we initially thought to be exclusively from Quebec, were French speakers. We only discovered on the last day that one of them was actually from France. Among our Quebecois teammates, there was a married couple, a father and daughter, three close friends and neighbors, and two ladies, like my friend and me, embarking on a girls' trip.
Initially, we had concerns that if our team consisted entirely of physically fit individuals, my friend and I might struggle to keep up with the rest. However, seeing the diversity in terms of age within our group, with a majority being middle-aged, and everyone appearing calm and kind, we felt much more at ease.
After signing the contract, we received a detailed hiking itinerary in the documents. However, our guide had some flexibility to make adjustments. He might choose alternative, more scenic paths or opt for slightly easier routes, taking into consideration the physical condition of the team. Our guide, Nickolas, was a young and cheerful man with a touch of humor and playfulness. Sometimes, when asked how many kilometers we would be hiking that day, he would keep us in suspense, saying, "we'll see!"
The image below shows our itinerary for the next nine days. Although the straight-line distances on some days may not seem long, we soon realized that there were challenging ascents and knee-testing descents hidden within those seemingly short distances.
My friend and I were excited to capture the moments: we made it a daily ritual to take at least one selfie. Since we stumbled upon online information about the TMB hike last year, we initially tried to organize a group trip with our friends at the beginning of this year. However, due to scheduling conflicts and other reasons, some friends couldn't join. In the end, my friend and I decided to join a guided tour. We quickly booked our flights and accommodations. We were both determined and resolute, with a shared commitment to fully experience and enjoy this extraordinary hiking journey!
Since we were part of a guided tour, the travel company took responsibility for transporting our larger luggage every day. We handed our luggage over to the company's bus, which meant each of us only needed to carry our essential items in a small to medium-sized backpack. Our journey began by taking a cable car to La Flégère, located at an elevation of 1894 meters on the mountainside.
From the map, it appears that we are currently located to the north of Mont Blanc, and from this vantage point, we have a clear view of the snowy Mont Blanc.
The French word "Blanc" translates to "white," and indeed, Mont Blanc lives up to its name. It stands grand, majestic, and treacherously spectacular, perpetually shrouded in snow, making it a truly snow-covered mountain.
The trails in the Alps are quite different from most of the ones we hiked on the East Coast of the United States. Trails on the East Coast are generally not very high in elevation, often winding through dense forests, so most of the time is spent walking through wooded areas. However, the trail in front of us now is relentless, starting with a steep ascent. The September sun is not as scorching, but there are no tall trees on the mountain, only low bushes, so there is no shade at all. The UV radiation can be intense, so sun protection is a must.
After ascending more than 500 meters, we didn't walk much farther before reaching a refuge. "Refuge" is typically translated as a mountain hut, which is a simple accommodation and restaurant located in the mountains. Some refuges provide their overnight guests with complimentary dinner and breakfast. These refuges are generally closed from late October to March or April of the following year.
I never expected that the highlight of our day's hike would arrive so quickly: Lac Blanc, situated at an altitude of 2,352 meters.
Although "Lac Blanc" is translated as "White Lake," in reality, Lac Blanc is a crystal-clear mountain lake with a pine-green hue, gently cradled by rugged, serrated mountain peaks. Since human beings originally develop in a watery environment, it's believed that most people have an inherent connection to water. To stumble upon such a pristine lake amidst the rugged and wild mountains is truly a sight to behold, as if it were a tear dropped from the heavens by God.
The lake's surface mirrored the surrounding beauty, with its tranquil shades of blue and green, while in the distance, towering mountain peaks and distant snow-covered summits created a truly breathtaking alpine vista!
Lac Blanc indeed resembles an infinity pool, where the boundary seamlessly merges with the skyline, creating the illusion that the lake's end is a cliff's edge.
In a place of such breathtaking beauty, with a panoramic view of snow-capped peaks and rugged canyons, soaring with the wind, feeling as free as the breeze, and as graceful as an eagle must be an incredibly exquisite experience!
As mentioned in the previous travelogue, Chamonix offers several day hikes, and our first-day itinerary included one of these trails. On a section of the path featuring a steep descent with a vertical ladder, we encountered a "traffic jam." This spot was perhaps the most crowded area we encountered during the hike. The trail designers had great foresight, as they had installed two separate sets of iron ladders for both uphill and downhill hikers.
Although the team members came from diverse backgrounds and age groups, we all came together with a shared goal. Whether they were fluent in English or had some difficulties with the language, every person was polite, warm, and friendly. It embodied the ideal image I had of Canadians (although Quebecois sometimes like to distinguish themselves from the rest of Canada). Those who spoke French quickly bonded, feeling like one big family. And those of us who spoke English (my friend, myself, and Luiza from Brazil) engaged in positive communication, so the group members quickly became familiar with one another.
Genevieve, from Quebec, had a deep passion for travel and sports. She was hiking with her good friend Monique, and after completing the TMB, she planned to continue traveling in France with her husband for another month. With her boundless energy and outgoing personality, she was already retired and spent most of her time either hiking or cycling. She shared many interesting stories about her bicycle trips abroad. She patiently educated someone like me, who was an outsider when it came to cycling, and explained how when they traveled with their bicycles in places like Europe, they had to dismantle and carefully pack their bikes to send to a specialized company for transportation. This was because their bikes were custom-fitted, and renting bikes for extended periods was costly, making it more cost-effective to pay for bike transport.
On this flat terrain, we all enjoyed a simple lunch provided by the travel company, which included bread, cheese, smoked meat, fruit, and nuts. It's not an exaggeration to say that the bread and cheese were truly delicious!
As we ventured further away from Chamonix, the number of day hikers dwindled. Beneath the vast expanse of the sky, our hiking group appeared so tiny amidst the endless mountain ranges.
Entering early autumn, the first red wild berries and leaves of shrubs adorned the mountains with a charming autumnal attire.
Chamonix is indeed a renowned skiing destination, but it's often suggested that Chamonix is more suitable for experienced skiers due to its challenging slopes. On the other hand, Le Tour, where we're staying tonight, is better suited for beginners and intermediate skiers and snowboarders. Le Tour is a quiet village nestled in the embrace of the mountains. Along the way, you pass by charming, rustic houses adorned with flowers, which brings a sense of joy to the heart!
Chalet Alpin du Tour served as our inn for the first day of the TMB. Before entering the house, everyone had to leave their hiking boots and poles in the hallway's shoe cabinet, and we could only enter the inn's lobby wearing flip-flops. The rooms were quite small, with two bunk beds to accommodate four people. In addition, there was an extremely thin canvas bunk bed, and Nicolas willingly took this simple bed. The first night's sleep was challenging due to snoring, trips to the restroom, and various other disruptions...
I believe that every hiker who embarks on the TMB is mentally prepared for a challenging journey, and therefore, they didn't scrutinize the accommodation conditions. While the inns may offer simple dinners and breakfasts, they are filling, with soup, protein, and desserts. With such nourishment, nothing to complain about.
On the second day, we started from the inn and continued to ascend, quickly reaching above the treeline. We continued along the impressive mountain ridge, crossing slopes that were embracing the autumn season. During our brief breaks on a hillside, it felt as if we could almost touch the distant glaciers!
This is part of the Balcony Trail Les Posettes, with a close-up view of Col de Balme peak (2200m), which marks the border between France and Switzerland. Crossing national borders in Europe can be as casual as going to the grocery store, and without any heads-up you would find yourself in the midst of the Swiss landscape!
Nicolas mentioned that for the next four days, we wouldn't have a view of Mont Blanc, so everyone hurried to capture a memory on this golden terrain. Behind us was the Mont Blanc, the highest mountain in Europe.
Here is a great example of nature and humanity, greatness and smallness, majesty and humility.
The hiking trails along the Alpine region are well-marked, and unlike the distance-based systems often used in North America, the trails in this region are marked by estimated time. Because people have different levels of physical fitness, these time estimates serve as a useful guideline to adjust your itinerary according to your own capabilities. When saw multiple trail markings like this, we couldn't help but appreciate the time saved when hiking with a guided group. Otherwise we would ahve to rely on GPS, or constantly read maps to find your way. When I asked several team members what they found most challenging if traveling alone, they unanimously agreed that deciphering maps, finding the right trails, and interpreting trail markers would be the most challeging thing for them, which I couldn't agree more.
We arrived at our accommodation for the night in Trient, Switzerland. Trient is a small town located on the southwestern border of Switzerland. In 2020, the permanent population was 163 people. The majority of residents speak French, and most of them are Catholic.
Every small town like this typically has detailed hiking and mountain maps, as well as information on nearby peaks and glaciers. In the vicinity of Trient, there are well-known glaciers such as Glacier du Trient and Glacier des Grands, among others.
The phrase "Toilettes avec vue" in French translates to "toilet with a view" in English. With a backdrop of mountains, a nearby stream, and distant ancient glaciers, it truly is a restroom with an incredibly beautiful view!
Tonight's hotel seemed to offer good accomodation with spacious, clean and tidy double rooms, along with Wi-Fi available downstairs. Plus, a delicious plate of Italian pasta for dinner certainly was enjoyable as we could wish for.
In the past two days we didn't have any signals or Wi-Fi so I didn't hear anything from my family till today. Unfortunately a sad news came to my inbox and I was shocked to hear about the tragic news of my son's friend and his father, who were involved in an terrible accident and both passed away tragically. Knowing my son's friend, who was a bright, talented, and kind-hearted young man, it was incredibly heartbreaking and I couldn't find words to express my grief and pain while talking to my son over the phone, who was crying on the other end of the continent. I could only send my condolences and prayers from my heart and hoping their family could stay strong and take care...
