Tour du Mont Blanc July 2022

Well a great last night congratulating each other and one final day to get back to Bristol. After breakfast in the Hotel Croux we make our way to the front of the convention centre and the Coeurmayeur bus station to wait for the 9.35 bus to Geneva. We wait. It is late we check we are where we should be, countless Arriva local buses come and go. The hotel confirms Flixbus are often late. About 10.30 the 10.35 Flixbus arrives we put the luggage on and we take the luggage off as the 09.35 Flixbus arrives and the driver wants us on the right bus with our luggage in the right compartment. We set off for Mont blanc tunnel only 1.10hr late and a quick panic over.
At the tunnel us Non Schengen people have their passports taken for checking. Damn Brexit! The bus waits the seats are comfortable the air con functions and we have a late flight in Geneva due to the cancellation of multiple flights. The possible visit to CERN is receding into the background.

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The whole team near the end with Mont Blanc in the background (many thanks to our new Korean friend), and an extraneous marmot photo just to show that we did actually see some. Well done team!

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Back in Coeurmayeur for 2.30.
Team Dyson-one-veggie as we have become known around the circuit has completed the Tour de Mont Blanc. Still hot but clouds gathering slowly for thunder this afternoon.
The dawn at Elizabetta refuge was lovely with cloud in the valley bottom and above but sun’s rays creeping through. The descent into the valley was easy and good. And then the steep up over to the Coeurmayeur valley with views of various mountains and glaciers around the Mont Blanc Massive on the way down to our well earned
beers beers.

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Today we descend, with a little bit of up. Back into Coeurmayeur. The dawn from the hut looking down our route was fantastic with the low mist in the valley lit by the rising sun.

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Over Col de Seigne 2,516m. We start to the sounds of whistling marmots but it is a while until some are spotted. The walk up the valley to Refuge de Mottets is very pleasant and cool with many unidentified small birds. We get coffee and Tim and Tony work out how to put the table parasols up until the boss lady comes and puts up all the rest.
The long slow ascent of the Col of Infinite False summits AKA col de seinge takes a while but views from the top are stunning. Including Mont Blanc which we could not see yesterday afternoon being down in the valley of les Chappieux one of the few places in Europe without internet, unless you buy a pizza.
The descent to Refuge Elizabetta is relatively easy and perched as it is under the Glacier de la Lee Blanche a sight though severely shrunken since the IGN map was revised.

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A long day with plenty of ascent and descent. Up to the Col of the good man and then the col of the good man on the cross. But fairly gentle gradients, by local standards.
We start by briefly visiting the church of our lady of the gorge and since there is a Roman bridge a little way further up our route its seems possible this is quite an ancient name all travellers up this route requiring a blessing.
The route passes over a deep gorge with an old Roman bridge quite an impressive original build and on up to la Balme another hut/refuge where some manage coffee. Onwards slowly and steadily through meadows with bongling cows and whistling marmots to the first good man’s col which has a pleasant breeze and many different flowers.
Lunch is eaten and a stretch of rocky paths generally but not steeply upward to the second good chap on a cross col. We then descend to the Refuge de col du Croix de bon homme where the loo leaves much to be desired. Noleen thought it not as bad as some Himalayan ones she and Andy had used. The long descent to the Refuge de la Nova in Les Chappieux is. neither as long or rough as indicated in the instructions. Or maybe we are tougher!

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Every alpine valley has two ridges, old Confusian saying. But it seems as if some have more. Billed as an easier day and some forecasts say cooler. However! It really didn’t seem like it. Even though we started with a cable car ascent of about 800m there is still a lot of up and down. Including a very swaying bridge across a glacier melt torrent. We ascend partially through wood and scrub and the descend steeply down a near vertical butterfly meadow. Tim finds one attracted to his sweat! No accounting for taste.
A quick beer in the refuge de Miage and we climb 100m to the tree line for lunch in some shade then continue a quite short ascent before down again into Les Contmines- Montjoie for a welcome beer in a bar just below the impressive old church.
The hotel has an outside pool at a perfect temperature. Some indulge

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Here are some pics from last night… jollifications at the chalet, storm clouds over mint blanc andthe mist on the river Arve on the way back to les praz. Followed by glimpses of mont blanc and the bleak ascent to the Brevent.

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Last night’s meal was courtesy of Ann Paul’s partner who is staying in the delightful chalet house of her friend Jan. Some great local art and s super meal. Thanks Ann.
The sting in the tail was when we tried to get home. Paul had carefully checked bus time tables and we got to the stop on time back to the hotel. A bus arrived and told us the timetable was wrong and the night bus would be half hour or so. A quick yomp up the side of the glacier fed l’Arve with mist from humidity from earlier shower. Home and bed to rise to a good breakfast amused by the barely adequate hot water egg boiler. Then off to the 1,000m telepherique back to the Hotel Flegere. Where we finished yesterday. A brilliant if exhausting walk ensued along the Grand Balcon du Sud and up to Le Brevent. The clouds lifting of the surrounding mountains at intervals offering super photo ops.
After lunch just below the summit we walk down a long long long way into Les Houches and the after crossing the river a climb of maybe 25m is the last straw for many. The hotel has a pool and Tim, eager to prove he can swim but often chooses not too, is in it like a beaver, though not gnawing any supporting structures.
A grand if rather tiring day even with help fro the Telepherique. Over 1600m of descent But on Tracklog of 2,300m descent.

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A cunning plan to get the bus outside Hotel Couronne back up the valley to the first bar yesterday saving us a couple of hundred metres of ascent. Then it’s up through the woods and out on to the balcon above Chamonix valley before ascending the ladders that may have been the reason our group is depleted today and only six battle with the very polite walker’s up the ladders. Most impressive were the Dutch family with two children 6and 9years coping better than some in our group. Eventually we reach Lac Blanc where the refuge charges 4euros for a small plastic bottle of water and claims the lake is non potable. Tim filtered and drank it and is not dead yet. After lunch we proceed MOSTLY down hill to the telecabine and rapidly descend a 1000m or so to our lodging for the night Les Launchers in Chamonix Les Praz
Paul’s partner Ann has invited us for a meal this evening and Paul has been dispatched to buy wine and maybe beer for Andy.
Paul is reorganising the bus services to suit our needs.

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