|
Refresh the page if audio does not function promptly:
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...
|
It’s hard to find the right words to describe this trip. It was a 14-day journey that combined beauty, challenge, culture, and an unexpected sense of freedom. I don’t think I’ll ever be able to top this experience. What truly set the tone was Dan’s declaration at the start: he would seize every opportunity to indulge, and we all followed suit. No holding back, no regrets. Normally, guilt-free spending wouldn’t sit well with me, but despite potential tourist tax in the form of unasked-for larger portions, the food and beer were incredibly cheap. This trip was an adventure in every sense—stress-free and drama-free, with memories that will last a lifetime.
How the Trip Came Together
I suggested trekking the Tour du Mont Blanc (TMB), seeing it as an already mapped trail on FarOut (previously known as Guthook, a GPS trail mapping app known for its detailed trail information such as water sources and community updates). I was fortunate to have a friend like Dan who shares my passion for hiking such incredible trails. Later, during a hiking MeetUp, I crossed paths with Dillon, who had completed the Appalachian Trail a year after my own thru-hike. Given our shared interests and my confidence in his backpacking abilities, I shared my plans with him and invited him to join us, pending Dan’s approval. Dillon turned out to be a solid addition and proved to be a reliable and dependable companion.
Planning Phases
I aim to outline the planning process for this trip so that you have a clear understanding of what to anticipate if you choose to embark on a similar adventure. It’s important to note that planning everything yourself isn’t mandatory. You have the option to hire a tour guide company to handle all the bookings along your route, although this is typically the most expensive choice. From my research, I found that a guided trek, excluding flights, could cost between $3,000 and $6,000, whereas a self-guided trek ranges from $1,000 to $2,000 (which is true).
1. Selling the Trip to Friends
The first phase involves convincing friends who are not only interested but also capable of joining. This task is easier now because I’ve proven my planning skills and can communicate them clearly. Additionally, I’m recognized for taking exceptional photos, especially highlighting my fellow hikers, which I compile into a Google Photos album they can freely share with others. I realize this involves getting into the nitty-gritty, but if you’re committed to having a memorable vacation with more than just yourself, you’ll need to put in the necessary effort. The question isn’t just about what you want, but what you’re willing to contribute to achieve it.
As an example of this skill set, consider hikes like the 2023 Fall Backpacking Trip, which cleanly showcases trip details:
This includes presenting information not just through a captivating photo but also in a quick-access, readable format that can be easily shared via a web link, independent of any specific platform. Picture it as a hub of links, with this one at the center, where you can access tabulated details such as the map profile, timing, location, meeting point, packing list, and any additional notes. You can even interact and comment on this live link. By sharing this link, I aim to demonstrate that I’ve meticulously considered the details, providing reassurance of my capability to handle the responsibility.
2. Selecting the Route and When
Once I have at least one person on board, I begin researching route options and ideal timing to determine when we should book our flights. In this instance, I didn’t select the route myself; I was indecisive, so Dan found an article with a recommended route that I then used to plan the trip.
3. Booking Plane Tickets
Once we know the number of days needed, we book our plane tickets, typically as early as a year out. This step is crucial because it signals commitment, allowing me to move on to the next phase of planning. I avoid getting into the details of the trip until the flights are booked, unless I already planned to go solo if no one joined.
4. Responsibility of Trip Logistics
After discussing the expectations for the trip, I have typically taken on full control and responsibility for planning. The group has entrusted me with authority to handle all bookings, with reasonable limits of course. Generally, we aim to stay budget without compromising comfort or resorting to questionable cheap options. This autonomy allows me to execute plans efficiently without needing permission for every detail. Moreover, it’s become clear that most people prefer not to be as involved in the planning process as I am.
5. Researching Accommodations
In this next phase, I rely heavily on Reddit and Google Maps Street View to familiarize myself with the lay of the land. While travel blogs are useful, they often have entry barriers that limit contributions from a wider audience. Reddit serves as a more direct and current information hub, facilitating interactions not only with fellow travelers but also with locals who offer insights beyond what traditional travel blogs provide. Despite running my own travel blog, I recognize Reddit’s efficiency in accessing prompt and updated information.
6. Choosing Accommodations
Once I determine available accommodations, I prioritize options offering the best value for money. For solo travelers, hostels are ideal due to their per-bed pricing. Conversely, for larger groups, hotels make more economic sense, as they charge per room.
Planning for towns along the TMB route on this trip was straightforward with plenty of options, but when there was only one option, reserving hostels exclusively posed a challenge. Without knowing when bookings would open, I checked intermittently. In October 2023, upon checking again, I discovered bookings had opened, yet some refuges we planned to stay at were already fully booked.
This surprise led to a slight alteration in our route. I found through discussions on Reddit that although it’s illegal to camp in undesignated campsites, enforcement is rare. Therefore, we chose to camp discreetly for the two refuges that were full. I do not recommend breaking local laws, especially in a foreign country. However, due to the practical challenges of enforcement and the option to camp away from main trails, we perceived the risk as minimal. Nevertheless, it’s crucial to verify local regulations as some areas may enforce camping restrictions more rigorously. To clarify, our decision to camp in undesignated areas was not to avoid payment but because it seemed like the only feasible option given the circumstances.
8. Transportation
Transportation is typically easy with a rental car, as it offers flexibility without the need to conform to a schedule. However, for most backpacking trips, renting a car doesn’t make economic sense since you’d be paying for it to sit idle while you’re on the trail. For this trek, we had three options: train, bus, and shuttle transportation. We opted for the bus as it was the cheapest in combination to reducing additional steps. The bus took us directly from the airport to Chamonix, France, near where the trail starts. The best part about this bus route was that on the return trip, we had the option to get off in the city center, which minimized the steps needed to reach our hotel in Geneva, where we stayed for two nights. I suspect the convenient transportation between Chamonix and the Geneva airport exists because of the popularity of this trail.
After sorting out transportation from the airport to the trail, we needed to figure out how to get to and from our hotel. I expected this to be simple, but when we arrived on a Sunday, Chamonix’s bus lines weren’t running, and the hotel couldn’t provide us with a ride. We managed to get an Uber, but I wouldn’t rely on this option. On July 12, when we tried to get an Uber from our hotel in Les Houches back to the bus station, none were available. Fortunately, the hotel attendant gave us a free pass to use the train. So, if there’s one key takeaway from this experience, it’s to avoid arriving or ending your journey in Chamonix on a Sunday.
7. Organize an Interactive Trip Itinerary for a Seamless Navigation Experience
| Note: I’d like to highlight that this represents an earlier approach to how I plan backpacking trips. It may seem extensive, but I aimed for thoroughness, especially since this was my first time planning an international trip. |
Tap the image to explore and interact
In the linked image above, I structured the trip layout to share with everyone in my party. This allowed them to track my progress and refer to it during our hike. The layout included essential details such as timing, the sequence of destinations, an interactive map accessible via QR code for real-time navigation, daily mileage goals setting the pace, accommodations with direct Google links, cost per person, meal expectations for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, information on resupply points, and attached PDFs used for reservations (since removed due to personal information concerns).
I didn’t have to print everything out, but I did so for reassurance. Having physical copies allowed me to provide proof if needed. While it may not always be necessary, I foresee myself continuing to carry paper copies for my party in the future. If I were hiking a long trail solo, I might not find it essential (nor want to carry the weight 😂😉😁), as I’d have ample time to resolve any miscommunications. However, with limited vacation time and others relying on me, carrying the paper copy provides peace of mind.
For further clarification, the QR codes link to a GPS map that displays the route for each day, as shown below. Each day is represented by a different color:
9. Simplifying Group Expense Management
In response to past complications, I’ve now taken full control over managing group expenses.
I prioritize fairness when managing group expenses, which is why I prefer using my credit cards to ensure equal splitting. This decision stems from a problematic experience with Splitwise following our Olympic National Park trip. The platform notified everyone in the group whenever an expense was added, leading to confusion and frustration due to different levels of commitment and receipt-keeping practices. This chaotic process often resulted in unfair splits, which I found unacceptable.
To avoid such issues in the future, I take full responsibility for group expenses where possible and document receipts with photos for clarity. I understand this approach might challenge egos, but I prioritize efficiency and fairness in financial matters.
Dan, who still recounts the previous Splitwise experience unfavorably, requested that I keep things simple by sending only one Venmo request. He insisted that any subsequent requests would be denied. Initially, this seemed harsh, considering the challenges I faced managing expenses alone amidst the unfavorable Splitwise experience. However, it underscored the importance of simplicity.
To illustrate my attention to detail, here’s the breakdown of our group expenses during the trip, which allowed me to send only one Venmo request at the end, keeping everything simple.
10. Additional Considerations for Planning
- Bag Storage: The hotel we stayed at at the start of the trail, provided a place to store our bags so we didn’t have to carry our nice clothes throughout the trek. Thankfully at no additional cost.
- Permits: No permits were required for this trek.
- Bear Bag Policy: There was no specific policy for bear bags. I don’t recall exactly what we did, but I think we slept with our food.
- GPS Maps: I downloaded FarOut maps for the trek, and used GaiaGPS for daily metrics in my personal planning. FarOut proved essential because it includes trail water sources.
- Checking for Oddities: Conducted a general Google search to identify any unusual considerations like if we need to do anything when we cross the border between France, Italy, and Switzerland on trail, which was thankfully a no.
- International Travel Tips: I personally recommend obtaining Global Entry as it significantly reduces wait times at U.S. customs. I was able to get through in 15 minutes, while my other party members took 60 minutes.
- Fuel Pickup? Determine your pickup location as you cannot transport these items by air. In our situation, there was an outdoor shop conveniently located across the street from the bus station in Chamonix.
- Dangerous environment? There were a few instances where people fell through the snow into gullies or encountered icy sections of the trail. We were extra careful in these areas and wished we had brought micro spikes, but we managed with our trekking poles. Additionally, there are sections of the trail at higher elevations with ladders on our last two days. We were fortunate to pass through these sections in good weather, but attempting them in rainy or stormy conditions could be very dangerous.
- Dangerous animals? Fortunately, no dangerous animals near the trail.
- Do we need cash? Fortunately, Euros were sufficient for the trail. I carried 500€ but only used 300€ during the trip, likely relying more on my card. In Switzerland, where Euros aren’t used, card payments were accepted throughout all sections of our journey.
- I learned from my Dad’s friend Dennis, but important to note that it’s best to pay your bill in the local currency so that the credit card company handles the conversion. If you pay in USD, the merchant usually performs the conversion, often at an unfavorable rate.
- I learned from my Dad’s friend Dennis, but important to note that it’s best to pay your bill in the local currency so that the credit card company handles the conversion. If you pay in USD, the merchant usually performs the conversion, often at an unfavorable rate.
- Unwarranted Changes to Itinerary: Keep an eye out for flight and bus itinerary changes. Stay updated with emails about flight changes to ensure they don’t affect your trip. It’s important to note that with most airlines, you are entitled to a free flight change if the scheduled time has changed from the original booking, no matter how small the adjustment.
Lastly, before diving into the trip, I’d like to address a few things I wish I had done differently, as a means to keep all of the planning insights together.
Reflections on Planning and Preparation
- We rushed our last day to make our bus at 5:15PM in arguably the trail’s toughest section, navigating challenging terrain and icy conditions. If we just planned to stay at the hotel where we started our trip, we wouldn’t have needed to put ourselves in this potentially dangerous situation.
- I didn’t fully grasp the concept until I saw it firsthand, but there’s an alternative route that doesn’t cut the trail at all. Starting in Chamonix, you can take a lift up to begin and then descend back to finish the trail. The operating hours are from 8 AM to 5 PM, with lifts running every 15 minutes. I marked this route in red so you can easily see where it is. When researching how to trek the TMB, I didn’t look into it more because I thought it skipped parts of the trail. While I don’t regret our chosen route, this option would eliminate the need for transportation between Les Houches (the official start of the trail) and Chamonix (where the bus station is located for the trip back to Geneva and the airport).
- We should have brought micro spikes. They were listed as recommended gear, but I dismissed them, thinking they wouldn’t be necessary for the time of year we were trekking. While trekking poles helped, micro spikes would have provided much more security.
- I should have been more proactive about exercising before the trip. I know I have the determination to accomplish anything I set my mind to, but it would have been better not to have to exert myself so much due to not fully preparing for these treks.
- To secure your reservation reliably, opt for hotels over Airbnb for better booking security. I’m unsure why, but both of my Airbnb bookings made in advance were not honored. One host deleted their Airbnb listing and re-listed it without notifying me on another account, while another host claimed they needed to adjust their prices because I booked too early. I’m not sure what the lesson is here, but now I always make sure to get confirmation from the host to ensure that the reservation will be available for the entire duration before finalizing it.
- Avoid setting firm expectations around pricing until you’ve made all necessary payments. I recommend overestimating by double to prevent disappointing anyone with a lower initial estimation. While I don’t recall making any poor judgments on this trip, I recently encountered a surprise while booking campsites for Torres del Paine. I wasn’t familiar with what single occupancy supplement was until booking, and this unexpected charge nearly doubled the anticipated cost for our stays, even for some campsites, which felt absurd. Sure, by definition, it’s a single occupancy arrangement, but I’m bringing my own tent.
Alas the Trip!
July 1-2 – Travel
| July 1-2 Travel |
This was my first trip to Europe. I’d wanted to go for a long time but kept putting it off because I didn’t want to go alone. Now that I’ve experienced it, I realize it’s similar to domestic travel with a few extra steps: having the right currency, a passport, notifying your credit card companies, packing your Global Entry Card, checking tap water drinkability, checking for vaccine requirements, and choosing an international phone plan.
The flight felt like a really long day but surprisingly included a meal. TAP Air Portugal, known as the Spirit of Europe, is a budget airline, yet their flights from the US were quite comfortable. However, their website is extremely slow in the US. Additionally, the information plugins are buggy; when entering my birth date, it changed by +2, requiring a lot of finicking to solidify the reservations. Despite the online user experience, the in-person experience was great. I mostly want to give a heads-up that it’s them, not you, if you decide to commit to the budget route like we did.
The layover was an interesting experience. We had to go through customs and weren’t sure how long it would take or if we were in the correct terminal for our gate. Initially, we were pretty anxious but managed to figure it out. The gate wasn’t released until our boarding time, which freaked me out a bit, but we were reassured this was normal. If you stay calm and can figure things out, it’s a no-stress situation as long as you have at least an hour layover. However, for first-timers, the signs in Portuguese were overwhelming. If you need reassurance, the photo feature in the Translate app on iPhones can convert your pre-downloaded language of choice into English in real time.
The bus was also stressful. While Dan and Dillon seemed to relax, I couldn’t sit still until I knew where our bus was arriving. Even though I checked beforehand, the multiple levels of the airport made me unsure if the bus would arrive on the top or lower level from the provided location. Thankfully, the trail was popular enough that others were looking for the same thing.
On the bus, I knew the bus line didn’t run on Sundays in Chamonix, so I tried to see if the hotel could pick us up, but they couldn’t. Then I looked into taking the train, but I didn’t quite understand it. When we arrived, we were still trying to figure out how to get from Chamonix to our hotel in Les Houches, where the trail starts. Thankfully, we could walk the 4.5 miles as a last resort, but considering how tired we were, that wasn’t appealing. Fortunately, Dan had Uber on his phone and got us a ride, which I didn’t think was possible based on the Reddit threads I read. With my mind freed, I remembered we needed to pick up fuel. While waiting for the Uber, we noticed an outdoor store right across the street, where I quickly picked up the fuel. For those of you who don’t know, you cannot fly with fuel canisters.
I can’t recall what we did once we arrived at the hotel, but look at this view from our room!
We chose this hotel primarily for its location just steps from the trail. Additionally, the hotel offered complimentary bag storage for the entire loop at no extra cost, along with transport of train pass for returning to the bus station post trip.
At some point we did go explore – for instance, here is the herd of sheep we past on the way to town:
And the official start of the trail…
Despite our limited dinner options due to the hotel being fully booked for dinner, the restaurant we found in town was phenomenal. If Le Délice is open when you visit, I highly recommend it! It was, in my opinion, the best meal I had on this trip. I particularly liked the cocktails and steak.
The weather was delightful for most of our trip, similar to what we experienced during our Olympic Trip in Seattle, WA. It’s hard to put into words, but the absence of the usual discomfort from humidity, unlike what we typically experience in the DMV, was notable.
July 3
| July 3 |
Quick Pic of us Starting 👍🏻
First noticeable thing about the trail is that the distances were measured in time:
Another thing that was noticeable was that I was out of shape, or at least it felt like it. The placement of my camera in my bag was really slowing me down. As soon as I clipped it to my shoulder about halfway up on our first up up up (intense uphill), I felt fine again. I was though really in my head for a moment, thinking I had messed up by not training before this trip.
First view of the tops of the large mountains in the background
Probably 3/4 of the way up the up up up, we encountered a café, which I urged us to stop at because I never got a chance to get caffeine during our hotel breakfast.
Let me shed some light on what was so amusing. Essentially, I didn’t realize that ordering syrups with espresso outside of the United States was uncommon. So, when I asked for my cappuccino with strawberry syrup, I received a cappuccino and a strawberry soda because “sirop” in French refers to a type of soda as you can see on the menu in my hand after the fact. They found it humorous mainly due to my ignorance and the coincidence of word’s similarity to something actually on the menu, or at least that’s how I interpreted it.
Aside from my confusion in general on the planet Earth, this café had quite the view!
Onwards and upwards and then some downwards as you can see in the map profile above…
I believe this might have been my first time seeing glacier water. I don’t remember encountering it anywhere else before.
Since this trek is kind of fussy on the memory in great detail occurring almost a year ago to this date, I’m going to for the most part just let the photos and your imagination tell the story…
This was definitely our most luxurious night; the hotel felt more like a resort and was conveniently closer to the trail than the fully booked hostel in town. From the photos, I had a feeling it would be nice, but given its affordability, I never expected it to be this impressive. It looked like the kind of place honeymooners might choose, which was a pleasant surprise, especially since it coincided well with Dan’s birthday the next day—hopefully adding a special touch to his stay.
If it ever seems like I’m not fully present, especially when taking candid photos, understand that I am mindful not to detract from being in the moment. I naturally feel compelled to capture photos whenever I see a good opportunity, without additional contemplation. Similarly, now that I manage the documentation process and credit card payments, I ensure they don’t distract anyone else from experiencing the trip in the present moment.
July 4
| July 4 |
As you might expect, we mentally prepared for the up up up, but it was still rough, at least for me.
Water was actually that color
Me slowing down the fam
Another False Summit
Zarubia 🤦🏻♂️
Basically the Top
I vaguely remember there being a refuge (hostel) at the top where we re-filled water, but I don’t seem to have any photos so who knows if it happened. 🤷🏻♂️ I do remember getting stuck in the out house so I am pretty sure it was real.
The descent was absolutely stunning 😍
Settled into what happened to be a very luxurious camping experience. 🤩🍝⛺
While getting ready for the night, we quickly discovered a snorer nearby. Dan promptly moved, but I decided to use headphones. They eventually fell out, waking me up. This turned out to be a blessing in disguise as I woke to a clear sky. Instead of going back to sleep, I took the opportunity to capture some photos with my ultra-wide, low-aperture lens, which has been excellent for astrophotography landscape shots when I’m brave enough to venture out at night.
My tent
Dan’s tent
I’m really happy with how these photos turned out and grateful for the chance to witness such beauty on the trail, with perfectly clear skies. 🤩✨
July 5
| July 5 |
This was another uphill day, but not as challenging as the previous one. As we started out, we noticed loads of people taking buses to another trailhead further up, skipping what looked like 2-3 miles of the trail, bypassing sections like this:
Sure we did some road walking, but there was also some trail in the mix.
Not an ad, but these snacks are fantastic. They taste like dense cocoa puffs when mixed in your mouth with water. They are currently my favorite high-calorie snack for getting through tough times. The only downside is that I’m always having tough times, so I went through them quickly within the first quarter of this trip.
To be fair, we probably commit to more challenging backpacking trips than most. I just happen to be the slowest in the group and was also carrying a pretty heavy camera.
Exiting France → Entering Italy
Cool Research Hut
This photo was taken at Rifugio Elisabetta, a hostel highly recommended probably because of this view, as I’ve heard the living quarters are quite drab. The hostel was fully booked, which made sense given the crowd of people all trying to have lunch at the same time. In fact, we waited 90 minutes to be served food after sitting down. The delay was understandable for the first 45 minutes, but then we had to escalate the issue twice because people who arrived and ordered after us were receiving their food ahead of us.
After lunch, we stopped to refill our water bottles at the spring located near the fork between the trail and Rifugio Elisabetta.
These were actually real clutch. Off hand, I think we only filtered our water twice the entirety of the trail, thanks to these wonderful springs scattered throughout trail.
Initially, I thought this spot would be out of view, but it turned out to be right next to the trail, visible to people at the refuge above. Everyone who passed by and commented on the spot mentioned that the refuge staff are known to report campers to the authorities if they are seen there. We experienced hail followed by heavy rain that evening, which forced us to set up our tents before dark, making it very apparent that we were camping there. However, despite our visibility, we did not receive any fines or consequences from the refuge staff. Nevertheless, we decided to pack up and leave at first light the next morning.
We got really lucky with the weather. It only rained during our trip, while we were already in our tent.
Our campsite
Honestly photos don’t do a justice…here are some videos:
This place looks like something you’d dream up.
Dan should really consider turning this into an album cover
July 6
| July 6 |
As the profile of the trail suggests, this was an easy day with a little up in the morning and majority downhill to town. Aside from the eagerness to get to town to relax, this day felt pristine in a nostalgic childhood way. In fact, I still get the feeling of “awe” from the photos so I at least hope they translate to you the same way.
It was getting to a point where I was stopping almost every 5-minutes to take a photo and had to get back to focusing on the trail so I could also live it in the present. You know those moments where you tell yourself you need to start recording with your eyes because this is gold? Well, that is what I was telling myself.
Walking through Courmayeur was charming:
For the value we got out of our stay, I’d say we got lucky again with our hotel. I mean look at this view:
With plenty of time, arriving around 11 AM, we decided to do our laundry. However, finding coins and figuring out the correct settings proved to be a challenge. In hindsight, I should have gone to the hotel check-in first for coins. It was evident that the drug store next to the laundry facility was reluctant to provide coins. Fortunately, there was someone inside the laundry room, working on their computer and doing laundry, who had some knowledge of how the machine operated.
After figuring out laundry, we were going to head out and get lunch, however Dillon realized he didn’t have town clothes and because most of Europe takes a siesta mid-day, we couldn’t find any suitable clothes for him. Dillon was fine, settling for trail food, but certainly not the desired outcome.
Eventually dinner rolled around..
I won’t mention the location because it wasn’t particularly great. There was a long wait, and despite us pointing directly at what we wanted on the menu, the waiter still got our orders wrong, leading the manager to eventually take over our table. Another issue was the portions; we received numerous extra sides that we hadn’t ordered. While it could be chalked up to a language barrier, I suspect it was intentional, which was fine. In the end, we ended up splitting all those extra sides we received.
I did get to try snails for the first time. It might not have been the ideal place for it, but I wanted to give it a try, and it was alright. Similar to mussels and scallops, I found that they mostly take on the flavors of the ingredients they are cooked with.
We explored a bit more before and after dinner, but nothing particularly noteworthy. Courmayeur exuded a posh atmosphere, and overall, I think we had a good time despite the initial confusion with laundry and the surplus of sides at dinner.
For the remainder of the day, I focused on editing and posting photos, while Dan and Dillon caught up with their families.
I remember studying the map and realizing we were less than halfway through our journey, which made me contemplate the trip’s duration. Despite the trip being incredible so far, I couldn’t help but wonder how it could continue to be so amazing.
July 7
| July 7 |
Considering how steep the down hill was the previous day coming into town, we knew we could expect a pretty substantial up up up today, though, to be honest it wasn’t too bad looking back.
I think this hotel had the best breakfast on the trail, which is something to mentally prepare for because everywhere we went, typically only offered jam, cold cuts, cheese, and bread. This place went a step further with additional items like fruit, eggs, bacon, various juices, croissants, and more. I’m not sure why breakfast is generally like this, but it’s something to be aware of and possibly adjust your expectations if you’re accustomed to American breakfasts.
Coming up on the up up up…
Near the toppish:
The remainder of the day was quite pleasant…although I did start to experience some bad chafing. Dealing with chafing can really put a damper on a trip, and the best solution I’ve found is using Burt’s Bees original lip balm, which is also lightweight and easy to carry with you. Just be sure to remember what you are using it for. 😅
Left: Dillon | Right: Dan
Anyway, I think I blamed the chafing on washing our clothes, which both Dan and Dillon joked about in the way that they joke. Long story short, I probably washed my clothes a total of three times on the Appalachian Trail, which surprised Dillon, who also hiked the AT. But to me, it didn’t matter much because you’re always going to smell bad no matter what. So, I saw washing clothes as unnecessary. I understand a bit better that when on vacation with others, it’s important to consider the group’s comfort. However, it’s not something that naturally comes to mind when I’m backpacking.
This section also offered some stunning views. Honestly, I think Italy was my favorite part of the three countries this trail passes through—France, Italy, and Switzerland, in case I hadn’t mentioned it before.
Probably my best photo on the trip
We stopped at Rifugio Bonatti to eat and refill water. Great selection of food – I think this photo was taken immediately after eating and captures our group really well.
Immediately after that, we had to walk through some cows, which, in my opinion, was the most challenging part of the trail up to this point. I sort of wish I wasn’t the slowest, leading at this point of the hike. I feel like if I understood animal behavior better, I’d have an easier time understanding what is required to pass by them with ease.
At this point, I remember wondering where the next pass was. As you looked out, you’d ponder whether it would be a challenging or straightforward pass.
The wildflowers truly enhanced the beauty of this landscape, making it one of the most stunning places I’ve ever visited.
We were in a bit of a rush to reach our campsite as a storm was brewing. The field behind another fully booked refuge seemed perfect, although it wasn’t our intended discreet campsite—a mile further up the trail. About 10 others had the same idea. Fortunately, the refuge staff were understanding and allowed us to stay. They did caution us that police had shown up unannounced in the past. Despite the risk, staying there turned out to be enjoyable because we could order drinks from the bar, fill up water, use the bathrooms, cook our dinner, and stay dry from storms rolling through.
July 8
| July 8 |
I see it too. I’m not sure why I used similar colors for the map side by side either. 🤷🏻♂️
Foggy Morrow
The pass ended up probably being the easiest one for only a bit more than a mile of up hill. Kind of sucks we couldn’t see the view of the mountains or frankly anything more than 10 feet, but it was kind of cool to have the experience of different weather, relatively harmless considering the alternatives.
Exiting Italy → Entering Switzerland
I seem to have misunderstood the information about the refuge we stayed at this night, or I got my details mixed up. I read that the breakfast at Hotel Edelweiss was not to be missed, but it turned out to be the dinner that was amazing. Thankfully, we signed up for both, but it’s definitely the dinner you should prioritize. This was by far the nicest refuge we stayed at (the bed was so comfortable), though it felt more like a hotel with the top floors set up like a refuge. I need to remember that I owe Dillon a bed. Luckily, I have one in mind for our next big trip to hopefully make it up to him. When booking, I think there was only one room left, so someone had to stay in the bunk, and Dillon volunteered with his actions. Usually, I try to keep us together, but I thought having at least one private bathroom for the group would be ideal.
I think I left my phone charging in the room, so I don’t have any photos of the food. The place was fully booked, with each seat reserved. At our four-seat table, one spot was initially empty but was eventually occupied by someone who had hiked 20 miles that day, mainly because she went the wrong way and had to backtrack. She mentioned she grew up in Shanghai but lived in Sydney. Trained in finance, she switched to tech despite having no experience because it offered more freedoms, like ample PTO for traveling the world. She was interesting to talk to. I could tell she was impressed by how seasoned we were at backpacking, though that quickly shifted to concern when I said I lived out of my Jeep. She had to ask for clarification to make sure she heard correctly from the probable disbelief, which I bet made Dan’s trip. 😅 We ended up talking with her for quite a while into the evening, moving to the bar after dinner. She sounded quite adventurous, trekking the Tour du Mont Blanc quickly so she could move on to her next travel destination. Honestly, a very interesting person.
July 9
| July 9 |
As I mentioned, breakfast was kind of meh. It might have been the worst breakfast out of the bunch, but I think that had more to do with my expectation being high.
I don’t remember today being particularly interesting view-wise. I do recall it being extremely hot because a heat wave was rolling through. When we got to town at noon, we mostly spent our time trying to stay out of the sun. I sort of wished we had gotten a place in town so we could have gone for a swim in the lake.
We decided to get fondue given where we were and its origins, but I kind of regretted it afterward. It might be a bit bad to say, but the fondue at the Melting Pot in the States is so much better. Then, I felt like I overstuffed myself, which was pretty lame. I’m not sure if you remember the last time you overstuffed yourself, but when it happens to me, I usually don’t want to be seen in public.
I believe we stayed in Champex-Lac until around 6 PM to avoid cooking dinner that night, spending some time grazing and lounging around before then. Afterwards, we hiked up the mountain to a discreet campsite, which might have provided us with the best sleep we had on the trail. For those curious, these discreet campsites are marked on FarOut, where we found this information.
The campsite resembled the foundation of an old structure, which somewhat concealed us from the trail—if someone were approaching, they wouldn’t be able to see us. It could accommodate only three tents, as seen above, so be mindful if you plan to visit. Along the way to this campsite, we passed several refuges that offered camping for those seeking more secure accommodations.
July 10
| July 10 |
| Expectation will never match reality perfectly |
Looking back, we should have combined today and the previous day to avoid rushing on our last day, especially given how much time we spent idly in Champex with just okay food.
I need to remember that our group usually can handle more than the average backpacker. However, to be fair to myself, I expected the pass to be harder due to the online warnings.
We completed our day’s journey by 11 AM, which was becoming a trend.
Looking back at these photos of the descent, I am now recalling how steep it was. I bet the online warnings about this section might have been referring to going in the opposite direction over the pass.
For the rest of the day, we lounged around. I had my first European blonde beer and loved it! 🙌🏻
Only decent photo I have of this place to help describe the atmosphere
I enjoyed our outing here, sheltering from the sun under big umbrellas. They had nice seating, and we stayed at this spot for 3-4 hours because we arrived at the refuge long before it opened.
Refuge Le Peuty is well-regarded for its food, but because we had pre-arranged their dinner, we missed out on trying their recommended burger. Fortunately, the packed lunch we opted for made up for it, though it was a bit disappointing to have to choose between the two, especially since the burgers were served shortly before dinner.
Dinner
This was the first night, we all were in the bunk house of the hostel together, which was thankfully great for us getting there early as we go first dibs on which area we wanted to sleep, which was thankfully near the window so we could keep it open.
This night was my most comfortable, except for the moment I thought checking my email was a good idea. I discovered that one of my credit card payments didn’t go through, despite having sufficient funds. Since I couldn’t sign into the app overseas, I had to coordinate with my Mom, who graciously resolved it for me—thank you so much if you’re reading this! For those curious, the payment was declined because the scheduled amount exceeded my balance before a refund was credited to my account.
July 11
| July 11 |
Today felt like the final stretch, and I pushed myself harder than I should have, running up the first climb. My ego got the best of me, and by the time we reached the ladders, I was drained and upset, realizing the terrain was tougher than expected. I worried we had taken on too much for the last day, concerned that the plans I had meticulously crafted for almost a year might fall short—an unsettling thought.
Despite this, we hiked through some of the most breathtaking trails, where we caught our first glimpse of Mont Blanc.
Exiting Switzerland → Entering France
The packed lunch was absolutely perfect—a chef’s kiss. I don’t think I’ll ever have a better sandwich for the rest of my days. It hit the spot perfectly.
We ate lunch in the only patch of shade available
I remember accidentally taking the wrong trail in this section, where there were many junctions. It wasn’t critical, but it was a bit annoying.
Today was scorching hot due to the ongoing heat wave, and it started to affect me. Unfortunately, when I struggle, I tend to complain—a habit you can ignore, as it’s just me being critical of myself aloud. Fortunately, I hike with companions who handle it better, often teasing me in a lighthearted manner. I’m pretty sure this was the section where Dan joked that it was as strenuous as walking to his mailbox.
Just when I thought things couldn’t get worse, I saw the ladders and immediately understood why many people choose to skip this part of their Tour du Mont Blanc experience.
Dillon and Dan enjoying themselves immensely
🤯☠👻
Even in my delirious state, I surprisingly managed to still take photos. I believe the perfect shot can happen at any time, so I pushed through momentarily to capture those moments. However, there was a great photo opportunity with Dillon on the ladders that I missed. If only I had held on a little longer, I bet I could have gotten a better shot. My apologies, Dillon. 🙇🏻♂️
Moments like these make me realize I need to maintain better fitness consistently for the group’s morale. To be fair, we tackle some challenging climbs, and my fitness level is probably better than most backpackers. What I’m trying to say is, I need to improve my mental toughness when I’m exhausted. With this group, I don’t think I’ll ever not be tired, so the only way to strengthen my mental state is to do what I’ve been neglecting—exercise more. I want to be at my best for the people who deserve it the most, for as long as possible.
Anyway, I digress. We pressed on and eventually reached the top to savor the moment.
Oh, right! I didn’t capture a good photo, but we spotted an ibex mountain goat up here.
Unfortunately, I also missed capturing footage of a helicopter dropping off a crate of food, which was a cool sight to witness. 🚁
This refuge wasn’t directly on the trail, but it was one of the two options I found the most appealing. Knowing this section would be exposed, which can be risky in storms at high altitudes, discrete camping was off the table.
Making reservations for this refuge was an interesting process; it required wiring a deposit to them, which felt as sketchy as it sounds, but it turned out to be legitimate.
Assigned Bunk Room
Sleep was the worst we had on the trail, mainly because it was too hot. As we were drifting off, one of our bunkmates closed the window without consulting the other four people in the room. I understand not wanting to wake us, but it was quite rude. I overheard her say that it was storming outside, so the window shouldn’t be open, which wasn’t appropriate given the environment. I think no one spoke up because we didn’t want to confront her. Also, the window was above her sleeping friend. Perhaps if we had known our bunkmates better, we would have felt more comfortable speaking up. However, based on our earlier interactions, this person seemed like someone I wouldn’t want to engage with again. I know this may sound harsh, but imagine dealing with a spoiled child in an adult’s body. So instead of reopening the window, we lay awake in silence all night, contemplating it.
July 12
| July 12 |
Morning finally came after many sleepless hours.
This was our hardest day, and for the most part, I powered through it, knowing we would be done by the end of it. However, as the terrain became sketchier with packed snow and steeper sections, including more ladders, I grew increasingly concerned that we were rushing. It’s important to remember we only had our trekking poles, lacking micro-spikes so we needed to slow down significantly to navigate safely.
Since we needed to retrieve our belongings from our hotel in Les Houches and catch our bus in Chamonix, and with the terrain becoming increasingly unpredictable and unsafe for descending without proper gear, we made the executive decision to take the cable car down. For those unfamiliar, this decision was made at our 8-mile marker, the highest elevation of the day, with another 5 miles yet to go.
I blame myself for not being adequately prepared despite having ample time to plan this trek. Nevertheless, we opted to take the cable car down, retrieved our belongings from the hotel, and managed to catch our bus with about 90 minutes to spare for some lunch.
So while we did not complete the circuit, hiking 98 out of the 103 miles, we actually did more than most people do when trekking the Tour du Mont Blanc. Certainly not the desired outcome, but we made the most of what we had and had a fantastic adventure!
July 12-13 – Geneva
| July 12-13 Geneva |
Geneva was a blast. People ride their bikes, play in public courts, swim in the lake, and aren’t glued to their phones. It felt like stepping back in time before smartphones, when people actually engaged with each other. Being in Geneva made me understand why people say to earn money in the States and spend it in Europe—the quality of life difference is stark. Dining out was also a pleasure; there was no pressure to tip because everyone is fairly compensated, and the prices were reasonable. City travel isn’t my usual preference, but our itinerary was flexible, allowing us to go with the flow, which I appreciated. For this section, I’ll let the photos speak for themselves and tell the story.
Hôtel Rousseau top room view on the edge of Geneva Old Town
July 14 – Travel
| July 14 Travel |
There isn’t much more to say except that traveling back was much easier now that we knew the process for international travel in Europe.
Closing Thoughts
I’m really proud of us for being able to do something as grand as this, and I’m eagerly looking forward to many more adventures ahead. 😁🤠🔥 Speaking of which, everything has been booked for our Torres Del Paine trip, and I believe it might rival the beauty of this trek, albeit in a more remote setting. If you’d like to see those photos before they make it to my blog, I’ll be sharing & pinning them on my Instagram stories, where everyone is welcome to enjoy them.
