Tour Du Mont Blanc 2016

by Rob Ward

I did a few stages of the GRS by myself in 2015, and came back full of enthusiasm for GR treks, so much so that my wife and two of our grown-up children were tempted.

Over the winter we decided that the four of us would do the Tour du Mont Blanc the following summer. Dates were agreed, we bought the Cicerone guidebook and two maps, and booked each hut by email (with help from Google Translate), and that was that. (And, of course, we also made sure our AAC(UK) subscriptions were paid up.)

With four of us it made sense to drive, but once we got there we were unsure where to park. We finally parked by the lake at Les Houches. When we returned two weeks later the car was fine, but a large sign had appeared saying that long term parking was not allowed! I do not know what the situation is now - the local tourist office can probably advise.

It felt very committing packing for a two-week trip, although not having to worry about food made things simpler. To our credit, I think none of us packed anything we did not use in the following two weeks. Getting started was tough: the initial track is very steep, it was very hot and we were very unfit! But our packs weren't too heavy and we took it steadily, arriving at the Col de Voza in good order before the leisurely descent to our first stop at Les Contamines-Montjoie. We had two tense moments there: the first was when we arrived at the refuge and wondered whether our internet bookings had worked (they had!). The second was when the guardian asked where we were from - 'Pays de Galles' we said, and he raised an eyebrow: 'Brexit?' - it was a day or two after the result. We weren't at all sure how to respond, so we shrugged our shoulders. ‘Quel dommage,’ he said. And that was that.

The next day was another tough start, up the steep cobbled Roman road towards the Col du Bonhomme. It was not improved by what was to be the worst weather of the trip, high winds and lashing, icy rain, for which our gear was only just adequate. We were relieved to arrive at Refuge de la Balme (1706m) after a few hours, but we did wonder how they were responding to waves of bedraggled, soaking, clumsy hikers. The answer? They could not have been more hospitable. They had even opened up a separate annexe, and had no issues letting people sit there to eat their own pique-niques. They were equally happy to struggle through the rucsacs and waterproofs to serve coffee and cake to those that wanted them, which we did.

The rest of the morning was a wet and windy struggle up to the Col de Bonhomme; there's a small shelter there but it was already fully occupied, so the best we could do was shelter outside in the lee. We had taken a stove so were able to brew up. Then we went down to the large and modern refuge, which was crowded but friendly. As the storm abated, all the external balustrades, and nearby boulders, were covered with drying clothes and boots, gently steaming in the evening sunshine.

The next morning was the first of the Big Decisions: the guidebook indicated there was a high but short route, or a lower but much longer way round. The weather was misty, the ground was steep, there was still plenty of snow around (and we had no ice axes) ... Discretion overcame valour and we made the long descent to Les Chapieux, then the long climb back up to the Refugio Elisabetta (2195m). In fact, we did not take any longer than a Dutch team who had set out on the high route at the same time, so the decision was fully vindicated. Our next decision was, too - we had decided to go beyond the well-known but crowded Elisabetta hut to the unknown Cabane du Combal (1968m). This was another good call - a new refuge which could not have been more friendly, efficient or comfortable. We had a room to ourselves, which we took full advantage of to thoroughly dry all our belongings.

The weather became more settled, and the next few days were dominated by the stunning scenery - the huge, almost Himalayan wall created aeons ago when the tectonic plate of Italy had crashed into the rest of Europe. For days the scenery on our left-hand side was dominated by the soaring granite walls and hanging glaciers of some of Europe's highest peaks, while we walked through the meadows and gentler hills, ablaze with wild flowers, that form the south-west sides of Val Veni and Val Ferret.

The length of each day's trek was just right, so that we arrived at each day's destination satisfyingly tired but never exhausted. The food at each refuge was variable, varying from 'good' to 'excellent'. We had a rest day in Courmayeur, but even then took a busman's holiday and went for a walk in the afternoon.

A few days later, having followed the beautiful, pastoral Swiss Val Ferret, we reached Champex. There was time for rowing on the lake in afternoon sunshine. The next morning, we had to make another big decision on whether to take the high mountain route over the Fenetre D'Arpette, or the lower level, more traditional path? We were all fitter by now, and the weather was good, so we braced ourselves and took the harder option, over awkward boulder fields and snow patches to the top. The extra effort was repaid by dramatic views of the Trient glacier and surrounding peaks. At the top (2665m) we found a German a capella choir, complete with sheet music and a conductor, giving a recital, an unexpected sight. The descent was long and rough but we had a pleasant surprise when we got to the bottom - an open snack bar that hadn't been mentioned in the guidebook.

The last few days were in the familiar territory of the Chamonix valley, over the Col de Balme (2191m), then across the valley, up to Lac Blanc and through the Aiguille Rouge.

We had our last night in the mountains in the Refuge de la Flégère. Although less than 1OOm from the ski station, the refuge has a 'traditional feel', and once the ski station has closed for the evening it still feels remote. And then it was the final day: firstly, a steep climb to the summit of Le Brevent, at 2525m a suitable climax, and then a long, 1500m descent back down endless hairpins to Les Houches and the car. This was a wearying stage that we didn't linger on because of a spectacular thunder and lightning storm on the way.

The Tour is popular, but wasn't overcrowded when we did it, starting in early July. It's an almost perfect objective - it follows a logical route, it's just the right length for a 2-week trip, the scenery is spectacular and the logistics are straightforward. We all remember it as one of our best family trips, and thoroughly recommend it.

We have walked round that

Refuge du Bonhomme

Le Brévent on the last day

Descent from the Col du Bonhomme

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