Hiking the Tour du Mont Blanc [Part II]

Notes from the other side

In the end, most things turned out as I’d planned for my thru-hike of the Tour du Mont Blanc. We had fabulous weather, the people we met were friendly, and the food was delicious (definitely try the raclette in Switzerland). If you want to see more pictures and my daily blog posts, you can find them here. However, there were definitely some things I wished I’d known before heading out on the trail.

Mont Blanc, as seen from the Aiguille du Midi

1: Overall

F****ing Kev

The guidebook “The Tour of Mont Blanc: a complete two-way trekking guide” by Kev Reynolds leaves much to be desired. Kev doesn’t understand what ‘technical hiking’ means; he doesn’t specify when a variente is a very technical hike and thus much slower. He would also provide intimately detailed instructions at some obvious points, but leave out anything about places where it was hard to figure out where the trail went (this was particularly true in and around towns, where signage was often scarce). And for what it’s worth, as a 2.3-MPH-average AT hiker, I sometimes had trouble making his “book time.” He provided no reasoning for his given time estimates (like, ‘my grandma hiked it in 5 hours’ versus ‘my ultramarathon friend ran it in 5 hours’), which irritated me to no end. For what it’s worth, while the number I saw thrown around was 30,000′, the elevation gain and loss totals from my GPS tracks equaled ~46,000 feet of elevation gain, with the same in subsequent loss; my hiking partner’s total was ~44,000′, as he took the main route one day and not the more difficult variente (specifically, the variente pictured below). In any case, it was a LOT more than 30,000′.

TMB variente on the way up to Fenêtre d’Arpette

The guidebook also does not delineate what is included in the all-encompassing “refreshments” icon. There’s nothing specific like “bathroom” or “free water.” Many places fiercely restricted bathroom access to customers only, and many places had very limited hours or were closed on particular days. This might not be an issue on a more isolated trail or on trails with lots of tree cover, but on the TMB, it was extremely difficult to find a place to dig a cat hole or even pee without being within eyeshot of someone (or many someones…). We saw 100+ people almost every day. The terrain was predominantly above treeline, so there was little soil to be had for digging holes. And the few places there was soil to dig, it had frequently been used by past hikers, many of whom didn’t dig catholes at all… On a completely unrelated side note, I’d highly recommend working on your French skills for “where is the bathroom, please?”

Mont Blanc reflected in a shallow trailside pool

And f****ing Kev doesn’t talk about water. Which seems completely asinine, given that we’re thru-hiking this trail and can’t afford to pay 5 euros for every half liter of water we need at the very occasional hostel/restaurant we passed by. Going counter-clockwise, there is fairly frequent potable water at nearly every hostel, town, and restaurant, in the form of a pipe emptying into a trough (unless stated as not potable, it’s potable). However, for the last few days of the trail, from Col de la Forclaz to Les Houches (pronounced “le zush“, as it turns out) (~25-30 miles), there was no potable water at all, unless you wanted to pay for bottled water. If I hadn’t brought water treatment drops and used the few water sources we passed by and treated the non-potable tap water at the hostel, we’d have been horrifically dehydrated.

Aiguilles de Trélatête reflected in a trailside pool

Money

Everything costs a LOT. Some of it is being in Europe; some of it is being in predominantly small towns that rely on tourism to survive. Italy is the cheapest, France is next, and Switzerland is by far the most expensive. Be sure to camel up on your groceries in Italy before crossing the border.

Champex, Switzerland on a busy Sunday

Know that Switzerland wants Francs (CHF). While you can get away with just using credit cards for the most part, if you want to buy something small at hostels or shops, they’ll take a 1-to-1 cash conversion between Francs and Euros. As of now, Euros are worth 14% more than Francs so it’s a total rip-off, but we’re a captive audience. If at all possible, just use plastic while in Switzerland.

TMB variente on the way up to Fenêtre d’Arpette

2: Lodging

Hostels

So there’s something to be said for picking places to stay that are not the first ones listed in the Kev Reynolds book, and for picking places that are a little bit of a walk off-trail and thus less convenient to the masses. The quiet is worth the extra walk. Also, look at how many beds and dormitory spaces they have; the larger the place, the more people you’ll have to contend with. The earlier you reserve, the smaller the room will be, most likely. For example, at Refuge Bonhomme, we were in a 4-person bunk room; I saw 6- and 8- person bunkrooms and they also had two large dormitories, with maybe 30-40 beds in each. I didn’t pay more than anyone else in a bunk, but we reserved very early, so we got a lot more privacy.

Refuge de la Croix du Bonhomme

Keep in mind that many of these places are mountain huts, where helicopters regularly deliver supplies (like beer!), so luxury is relative. That being said, they were all luxurious compared with the White Mountain huts. Every single one had showers; a blanket and pillow on every bunk; and beer, wine, and hot lunch to buy. They were all decently comfortable, and we never spent more than 70 euros a night per person for dinner, bed, and breakfast. The food was sometimes simple, but it was tasty and you were almost always offered seconds. However, I don’t think some of the travel guide companies warned people about what the conditions would be like. We saw a couple lose their shit at Elisabetta – there was a line for the shower, there was no soap, and the bunk room held 24 people on a huge 3-high bunk bed. Granted, if I’d paid $5,000+, I would expect more too!

View of spectacular glacial run-off from Aiguille des Glaciers and Aiguille de Tré la Tête, as seen from Refugio Elisabetta

Laundry

You’ll only have access to a washing machine in larger towns that are occupied year-round, like Courmayeur, Les Houches, and Chamonix. No hostels we stayed at had laundry machines, though almost all had a place to hang clothes to dry. Some places had designated sinks where you could wash clothes. Thankfully, the air there is much more dry than the northeast US; clothes would dry fairly quickly, especially if it was windy (there was almost always a breeze). We only washed our clothes in a washing machine once, in Courmayeur. Other than that, we hand-washed our clothes every few days and made sure they dried out each night, even if not washed. Between that, the dry air, and showering daily, our clothes only got to mildly stinky.

Chamonix and Mont Blanc, as viewed from the TMB near Refuge La Flágère

Bathrooms

Just step on the footprints and do your business

Expect some squat toilets. It’s easier than digging a hole and it was surprising how quickly I became blasé about it. Interestingly, around half of the bathrooms and showers on the TMB weren’t separated by gender, and the places that separated by gender had much longer lines. At the same time, European bathroom stalls have full walls all the way to the ceiling and floor, and a substantial door. Almost all showers are set up in the same way, with full walls and a full door that locked, so I was never uncomfortable.

3: Food

Happy alpine cow

Hostels and restaurants

For food restrictions, it’s best if you speak French well. Many places won’t understand you in English. They often struggled with providing basic ovo-lacto vegetarian dinners. One dinner, we were served broth soup with some vegetables, bread, white rice, and creamed spinach… It’s worth noting that if you’re not okay with mostly raw eggs (like liquid yolks and whites), you should never order ‘fried eggs;’ go with an omelet instead. We did inform each hostel that we were vegetarians when we contacted them for a reservation, and confirmed it when we checked in. Know that eating out in Europe is different than in the US – you will have to ask for the check; as it turns out, telling them you’re done with your meal will not prompt them to bring you the check.

Col de Tricot from Chalets de Miage

Also, breakfast in France and Italy tends to be fairly light; we’re talking a (fresh baked) croissant and some bread, with jam, butter, and nutella available as spreads, and OJ and coffee to drink (Italy also provides breakfast cookies). Switzerland had a heartier breakfast, adding in muesli, corn flakes, yogurt, and very occasionally boiled eggs. We traveled with a jar of peanut butter from home to supplement breakfast, as my partner requires protein with breakfast to maintain his blood sugar.

Rifugio Bertone

Groceries

So for the entire 110 miles, there’re really only 5 places to get groceries and they’re more stacked towards the beginning: Les Houches (beginning/end), Les Contamines (stage 1), Courmayeur (stage 4), La Fouly (stage 6), and Champex (stage 7, in Switzerland and expensive). Col de la Forclaz (stage 8) did have a small, very expensive tourist shop with ice cream (think 5 euros for an ice cream sandwich) and a few snacks, but it didn’t really count. Of course, there are hostels/mountain huts along the way, and most of them sell small (expensive) snacks, like Pringles and candy bars, in addition to hot food. If you need anything beyond food, Courmayeur is your best bet, since it’s the largest town you pass through that isn’t Les Houches.

In Europe, grocery stories are a lot smaller and mainly carry food. We did manage to find sunscreen at one, but they only had two options to choose from. As a rule, you need to go to a pharmacy to get anything vaguely medical. And we also found out, if you need anything for contact lenses, you’ll need to go to an optical shop, as pharmacies don’t carry those products.

Courmayeur, Italy

4: Environment and navigation

Sun (and rain)

On the TMB, the sun is a harsh presence. The trail is almost exclusively above treeline and the sun can do some serious damage. Unlike the AT, you’ll need to pack a good stash of sunscreen, enough to be applying it 3-5 times a day. We ended up buying more sunscreen when we were in Courmayeur, but the cheapest sunscreen we could find was 14 euros, so it’s a good idea to bring enough of your own if you can. Sunglasses and a big hat that covers your ears and neck, and possibly a long-sleeve sun shirt, would be helpful. Additionally, in July and August, thunderheads tend to form around the highest mountains in the afternoon, bringing early evening storms. We were only out in these twice, and on both occasions, we were hiking past 5pm. There’s not a lot of options for shelter in a storm, so we just hoofed it down the trail as quickly as we could to get to lower elevation.

Refuge des Mottets from the TMB, hiking towards Col de la Seigne

Signage

As a general rule, the signage on the TMB is sufficient to navigate the trail. However, I found it very helpful to have GPS tracks (I used GaiaGPS as it’s free and functional), particularly in town as well as in Switzerland where the signage was often non-existent (signs would often be ‘hikers this way, mountain bikers that way,’ with no information about which way anyone was going). Most signage does not differentiate between the main TMB and its many varientes, so signage can lead you astray from your desired path if you aren’t reading the guide book every step of the way. I took to taking pictures of the day’s guide book pages so I could quickly reference it, without pulling out the book itself.

Tête aux Vents

Language

French is the language of the TMB, full stop. While there were places that speak predominantly Italian, like Courmayeur, most places’ go-to was French. And due to many different factors, many French speakers did not speak or understand English well. Be prepared for most conversations in English to have limited levels of comprehension. Be sure to use simpler words, avoid colloquialisms and metaphors, and speak slower than you might otherwise. And in the end, despite any frustrations, I reminded myself that I was in their country and their English was way better than my French!

The refurbished barn of Auberge Maya-Joie in La Fouly

 

Sunset over Mont Blanc, viewed from Refuge La Flágère

Affiliate Disclosure

This website contains affiliate links, which means The Trek may receive a percentage of any product or service you purchase using the links in the articles or advertisements. The buyer pays the same price as they would otherwise, and your purchase helps to support The Trek's ongoing goal to serve you quality backpacking advice and information. Thanks for your support!

To learn more, please visit the About This Site page.

Comments 9

  • S A Brotherton : Aug 24th

    Aubri – I appreciate the post…I am guessing you have not been to Europe (or at least to those areas which are predominantly not English speaking) ?
    A couple of things for you and perhaps others. First off, Fodors is an excellent source for most anything when traveling (esp. abroad). They have a huge network of very active travelers that give sound, sage advice for mostly anywhere on the planet. 2nd – Most anyplace that French is the primary language they most probably know some English….however, they will not attempt English until you, first, embarrass yourself w/your probably less than adequate French. It is just how the French are AND they may well pretend they don’t know a lick of English until you at least attempt their language…that’s just how it is.
    Lastly I am curious as to gear, temps, did you take all your gear w/you etc. for the trip…?
    Happy travels and Thanks !

    Reply
  • Chuy : Oct 12th

    Nice blog man. Very informative. I hiked TMB this past summer; no guidebook, not very prepared and I survived. Honestly you don’t need much other than wanting to do it. The people I encounter on the trail were amazing and friendly. I started solo and finished with a group of 4 solo hikers. Just do it people.

    Reply
  • Matt : Nov 12th

    Thank you for your whole series on TMB. I’m planning a trip there next Sept and your posts have been by far the most informative.

    In your post on planning, you gave hard numbers on the lodging, flights and transportation costs. Besides saying that things were expensive, you don’t give much here now.

    About how much did lunch/groceries/snacks/drinks cost per day? Should I expect most places to take credit, or will I need enough cash to cover everything? What other expenses should I keep in mind?

    Reply
    • Aubri Drake : Nov 13th

      Hi Matt,

      You’re very welcome. I hope you have a fabulous time!

      So, based on memory, things were maybe 25-50% more expensive than the US. A particularly salient memory was paying 5 euros for an Oreo ice cream sandwich that I never would have paid more than $5 for at the most expensive venue I could think of. The cost of a hot lunch entree at hostels/mountain huts depended on the location (mountain hut where they had to helicopter things in vs. hostel on a bus route), but in general, was ~20-30 euros. It was expensive enough that we carried lunch groceries from town and only ate 3-4 hot lunches on trail. We found similar prices in Courmayeur and Chamonix. Wine/beer was cheaper than water, which was cheaper than soda. A 250mL can of soda (American cans are 330mL) (most commonly available: Coke, orange Fanta, Lemon Soda, and Oran Soda [last two made with 10-15% fruit juice]) was typically 5-8 euros. A bonus is that all of their sodas are made with cane sugar. ‘Diet’ soda isn’t a thing; they have ‘light Coke.’ Groceries were, as a whole, ~25-50% more expensive than the US, but your mileage may vary. Alcohol wasn’t too expensive, but you’ll need to budget for it if you’re drinking regularly.

      You should expect that unless they state they take cards, everywhere will be cash only. Based on my memory, only places in Switzerland and in big towns took plastic. There are ATMs located in different towns you’ll pass through (locations and more details noted in my first post).

      Reply
  • Matt : Jun 6th

    Agree with the Cicerone guide book (Kev). There is a new guide out by Knife edge outdoor with accurate maps and easier to understand format by Andrew McCluggage.

    Reply
  • stephanie : Jun 10th

    Thank you for all the info, very interesting!

    Reply
  • Nicole : Aug 11th

    Great info, thank you for the write-up. I am planning on hiking bites of Mont-Blanc from Sept, 14-Sept.19 solo. I do not want to pre-book any lodges, as I don’t know how far I will get during the days I will be hiking. Is it wise/safe to book as I go? Or does everything need to be pre-planned? Thanks for the advise!

    Reply
    • Aubri Drake : Sep 10th

      Hi Nicole, thanks for reading. Sorry for the delayed response; I was out hiking for all of August and just catching up now. In July and August, when the trail is at its most popular, not having reservations wouldn’t work, at least not well. I saw people on the trail in July who had to take extra zero days or hike really long days, all at the whim of when reservations were available, because they hadn’t reserved more than a few weeks in advance. Given that you’re hiking in mid-September, you might have better luck with being able to reserve as you go, though it’s worth checking on which hostels will be open. As I recall reading, many of the hostels and mountain huts begin to close in early September. Best of luck on your hike and enjoy!

      Reply

What Do You Think?