Tour du Mont Blanc // July 2022

Johnnie & Piper go hiking again. We make mistakes, so you don’t have to.

LET’S GET STARTED

If you’re new here— Johnnie is my best hiking pal. We met at Pilates over a decade ago, but it was only this year that we realized that we both like getting a big ol’ dose of fresh air probiotics, and decided to give backpacking a try. We hiked Tour du Mont Blanc in July 2022. 100+ glorious miles all around the Mont Blanc Massif, staying in some pretty gorgeous mountain huts and quaint 3-star hotels in small towns around France, Italy, and Switzerland. With only one mulit-trek adventure under our belts [Torres del Paine, O-Circuit, Feb 2022], and this being our first time on our own [self-guided], we got to learn a lot, and hope you get to learn from what we learned. I really appreciate how many of you reached out to me as I was posting each stage, and loved how many of you expressed interest in wanting to do this on your own too. Here’s my wish-I-knew and how-to on everything Tour du Mont Blanc. Xx. -Pips

GUIDEBOOK  // We used Cicerone’s The Tour of Mont Blanc to help plan our route. Other than planning, you’ll use the guidebook mostly when you’re on the trail. Just before the trek, I chopped mine up down to the Anti-Clockwise Route Section, so the book would be significantly lighter in my pack. [This will absolutely make a huge difference as you’re lugging your pack and all of it’s contents around all day.]

As you’re making your plans, keep in mind that this hike is best performed June through Sept, with the peak season being July and August. We had unseasonably warm weather for July, and only one day with a little bit of rain, so all-in-all, successful timing.

GETTING THERE  // We started in Chamonix. It’s super easy to get to via bus from Geneva or Milan. After a few shopping days in Milan we then took the Flixbus from Milan to Chamonix. [Tickets are inexpensive and easy to book online. And the bus station is right off the Lampugnano Metro Station. The Metro in Milan is also super easy to use now too, cause you can just tap your credit card at the turnstile instead of messing with subway tickets.]  We got to Chamonix a day and a half before the trek to settle in and really sort out our packing. While you’re in Chamonix, I highly recommend taking the cable car up the Aiguille du Midi to see what you’re about to walk yourself all around.

CHAMONIX ACCOM & EATS  // We stayed at Le Genepy [Booked on Expedia] which was a really nice spacious hotel, though not super close to the Chamonix Sud Bus Station, where the inbound buses from Milan and Geneva would drop you off. To get there from Chamonix Sud Bus Station, hop on the local bus, right at that same station, so you don’t have to haul the 15 minutes up the hill with all your luggage. [Don’t bother buying tickets for the local bus, Red Line #1, Le Tour. Just get on, get off.]

That said, the entire town of Chamonix is walkable, so pick an accommodation that looks best for your budget. After you book your accommodations in Chamonix, check that they can store your non-trekking baggage for the duration of your trek and remember to book your nights for when you’re back from the hike.

For food, my favorite lunch was at Le Comptoir des Alpes. [You can make reservations on The Fork App. Lunch has a fixed main course, but they’ll accommodate dietary restrictions.] John’s favorite restaurant was Le Fer a Cheval. We had dinner there twice— The foie gras was incredible if that’s your thing. And I had some awesome escargots. Runner up from those two is La Tablee. We literally ate there three times– Why mess with a good thing.

On one more note, we started our trek on Saturday, July 23– But I’d actually recommend starting on an early weekday so you’ll only hit one weekend during the day trek. The trails are noticeably more busy during the weekend, chock full of day-hikers and lolligaggers.

 

LET’S GO HIKING

STAGE 1A • LES HOUCHES TO LES CONTAMINES // Following the Cicerone Guidebook, we started with Stage 1a– Overall, we took nearly every variant for the better views and challenge. The guidebook says Stage 1a it takes 7.5 hrs, but that’s without any stops. It took us in total about 9 hours for the first day. Part of it is getting your mountain legs together, and of course lots of picture and snack breaks. Based on the guidebook, you might just want to go ahead and add an hour, or two from the estimated time.

To get to the official start in Les Houches from Chamonix, take the local bus, Red Line #1, Le Tour to Les Houches to find the starting arch for TdMB. Once you start the walk, some people take the Bellevue Cable Car to go up the first bit, but we just walked the whole thing. I think the views and fresh air was nice. You’ll walk right past the Cable Car Station anyway, so you can make it a game time decision if you need to.

The trail is, for-the-most part well marked, and I found the estimated times on the sign posts to be pretty accurate point-to-point. The guidebook is really nice to have handy to give you the extra reassurance of what’s next. The only confusing part today was just before the Himalayan Bridge [Pg. 48]--  You’ll be descending towards the bridge, and the path marks both left and right: You’ll go right.

The hike down into Les Contamines seems like an endless downhill and if you don’t have a save-your-toes downhill strategy, you’ll have to learn fast. John ended up getting little rubberized toe caps and blister bandages in the town of Les Contamines, which saved him and all his toenails for the rest of the trek. And on the trek down, I turned my phone back on to map to the hotel.

LES CONTAMINES ACCOM & EATS  // We stayed at Chalet-Hotel Gai Soleil. [Booked on Expedia] I thought the room was super cute and they are very used to trekkers. The breakfast was plenty sufficient to get us going for Stage 2.

That evening we ate at La Table d’Hotes Savoie. They had an awesome (and generously portioned) mixed salad. The rest of the meal was fine– Small town expectations met.

If you’re following our route, you’ll want to stock up at the grocery here for the next two days, because tomorrow night, at Refuge des Mottets, you will not have any shopping options for snacks.

STAGE 2 •  LES CONTAMINES TO REFUGE DES MOTTETS  // For Stage 2, we took the Col des Fours Variant [Pg. 59], for the views, and to start the process of combining Stages 2-4 into two days. I thought this day was by far the toughest day of the trek. Give yourself more time. The signs shortly outside of Les Contamines can be a little confusing, but if you just head towards the Parc de Loisirs du Pontet, you’ll be fine. (There’s also a restroom there, which um… was really helpful in the AM after some short walking.) You’ll start with a super steep climb up Nant Borrant, which was also extra busy because it happened to be Sunday for us, and chock full of day hikers [hence again my recc to start during the week]. Lifesaver, we had an awesome snack and coffee break at Refuge de la Balme. Not all the mountain huts (and in fact I’d say fewer than more) were open for food when we’d walk by them during the day, but this being only Day 2, I think we thought we’d come across more on-the-trek food options that we actually did. You’re mostly best off starting your day with your snacks and lunch for the afternoon than relying on the huts.

With the Col des Fours Variant, it’s a lot of climbing today– Also you’re at the highest elevation of the trek! Tied for the same elevation as Stage 8a when you climb the Fenetre d’Arpette. Though there were water options during the first half of the day, by the 2nd half, John needed to collect, filter, and refill his water from the Tufs stream after running out after the pass. It was a seemingly endless trek into Refuge des Mottets, but we made it. And with the perfect amount of time to check-in and shower before 7 pm dinner.

REFUGE DES MOTTETS ACCOM & EATS  // Well, this accommodation is the only thing around [Booked via TMB website] if you’re taking this variant. We got a private room with a private bathroom, which was really comfortable and really nice to sprawl out. We were so cooked from the day, we actually didn’t even notice we had a private bathroom initially, and used the showers down the hall. But those were actually pretty nice! And TBH, I got a little creepy sensation when I used our bathroom in the middle of the night, so I don’t think I would have felt very comfortable in our shower.

Dinner was so cute here and we loved it. There was plenty of hot food to eat [soup, salad, stew, rice] served family style at an assigned group table. The owner also came out and played a really interesting music machine and brightened up the whole night. As for breakfast though, it was just bread and cereal. Luckily, they had the important part: Coffee. So we downed our coffees and ate some of our snacks. Again, hope you brought extra food from Les Contamines for your hike today. Mottets does have a sack-lunch you can order for the next morning (11€), but I opted out of that one, and was satisfied with the food I brought along, knowing we’d be in Courmayeur that evening.

STAGE 3-4 •  REFUGE DES MOTTETS TO COURMAYEUR  // If you follow the typical Stage 2 route, you’d be starting in Les Chapieux and start with a 2 hr walk to Refuge des Mottets. Since we were already there, we combined Stage 3 and 4. You’ll start with a climb up to the Col de la Seigne and venture into Italy. I liked this day as one of the best. Really incredible views on the Italy side. I think we had expected Rifugio Elisabetta to be open for food, especially with the lackluster brekkie at Mottets, but no luck. We did stop up there for our snacks, views, and water refills though. 

The TMB high route into Courmayeur was beautiful and although long, not as tasking as Stage 2. [Pg. 69]  TBH it feels very long after you take the turn right up the hillside just before Cabane du Combal until Lac Checrouit. I couldn’t seem to track any of the waypoints between the Alp inferieur de l’Arp Vielle and Lac Chercrouit. You won’t and literally can’t get lost, but the duration of time might have you wondering if you’re on the right track. Just before 3 pm, we made it to Rifugio Maison Vielle, where I had a very rewarding plate of spaghetti, and watched John nosh on his sardines.

From here, if you’re not into the downhill trek down into Courmayeur, the ski lifts are at Maison Vielle which you can take down to Dolonne, and then the cable car into Courmayeur. [One-way ticket can be bought at the station at the top and it works at both the ski lift and cable car to get you all the way to the bottom.]

COURMAYEUR ACCOM & EATS  // We stayed at the Hotel Bouton d’Or. [Booked on Expedia] They’re really used to trekkers and was a comfortable place to spend the next two nights. I recommend getting the breakfast included, as they had meats, eggs, fruit, and yummy pastries. Easily walkable to the main part of Courmayeur where you can stock-up on groceries again. The town of Courmayeur also has a self-service laundromat, which was very welcome already at this point. [The next town that had a self-service laundromat wasn’t until the end of Stage 9 in Argentiere]

We also planned a rest day too, which was much needed after pushing through the first three days. The must try restaurant while you’re here is Ristorante Chalet Plan Gorret. [Make a reservation. Lunch or dinner.] It’s a little more pricey, but was worth every penny– Everything was so delicious, and had we been able to get another reservation, would have eaten there twice. We also ate at La Terreza. The meal was quite good, but the service was abysmal. And also, needs a reservation.

STAGE 5 • COURMAYEUR TO RIFUGIO BONATTI  // After such a nice rest day and a super long first 3 days, it was really tough putting on our packs again. That said, the rest of the days flew by! All the days are significantly easier than the first three, and by the time you do Stage 8a, your mountain legs are ready for it. You are hiking to another rifugio tonight, so make sure you have your lunch food for today and tomorrow, just in case you don’t like Rifugio Bonatti’s sack-lunch. 

I got us a little lost on the way out of Courmayeur– I think I just wanted to take the path up to Plan Gorret again. But follow the book / signs. Fill up your water again when you get to Rifugio Bertone and then keep on climbing, taking the variant to Col Sapin [Pg 78]. As a note, we hit some really bad flies through here– I think the livestock that goes up these hills leave some real treats for the bugs, so a little bug spray actually goes a long way here. I loved the walk through the meadow from Pas entre deux Sauts to Rifugio Bonatti. Italy really had the best views.

RIFUGIO ALPINO WALTER BONATTI ACCOM & EATS  // This rifugio gets such high reccs on the must-do places to stay and the location and views make it immediately obvious. [Booked via Bonatti website / e-mail] but I felt like it actually lacked compared to Mottets in every other way. We originally had a two beds in the dormitory, but a private room opened up when we checked the night before and changed– This is definitely the move. This place is a well-oiled machine for trekkers, and they can handle a lot of them. Having a private room was very comfortable, even though the WC and showers are communal (No private restroom options here). And with that said, the showers. Oof. They give you a token to take one hot shower, which is meant to last 4 minutes of hot water (and then as long as you like for freezing cold). Both John and I agreed that it was 2 minutes. Tops. Get chilly and lather up ya’ll before you coin up and rinse.

Oh. And the food. Oof again. Dinner was a set meal at a communal table, but the food, unlike Mottets, was not unlimited or family style. A choice of soup or pasta to start and an unusual salisbury steak patty with a few green beans for the main. It was unappetizing enough that a few of our French neighbors refused to eat theirs, but we needed the protein and calories, so happily took their partially eaten dinners from them. Breakfast, like Mottets, was just cold items, but to make matters worse, the coffee came from a machine that was barely drinkable. On the upside, I did order the pack-lunch and it had a super yummy egg sandwich, piece of fruit, and they have their own Rifugio Bonatti stamped chocolate bar too. I actually wish I had ordered two!

STAGE 6 •  RIFUGIO BONATTI TO LA FOULY  // You’re going to Switzerland today! I think we thought there might be food or restrooms available at Chalet Val Ferret, but again and alas, we were too early for the goods so kept trekking on. The trek is gorgeous going up to the Grand Col Ferret. Make sure you keep looking behind you for the views. After the col, you’ll make it to the Alpage de la Peule. Highly recommended for snacks and a pit stop. It was just past noon for us by then, so I had the tomato omelet, coffee, and an apple tart. (John had more sardines.) From there, we took the variant [Pg 85] as expected– Finding the right trail from Alpage de la Peule is initially confusing, as the guidebook isn’t exactly clear what “sharp left” needed to be taken: Basically as you descend the hill as you’re getting to Alpage de la Peule, where you’d make a right to enjoy your snack and meal, you would go left to make your way across the hillside.

Keep an eye on the book [Pg 86] so you don’t miss the signs for Gite de la Lechere. John had a water refill then. And we continued up the hill. You’re on a gravel path when you get to the “drop into the sloping meadow” part, which also could be easy to miss, but it’ll make sense that you want to start descending towards La Fouly. As you approach the little town of La Fouly,  you’ll see the grocery store on your way in and most accommodations are off the main road.

LA FOULY ACCOM & EATS  // We stayed at the Gite de La Fouly. [Booked via TMB website] Swiss comfort, hospitality, and design is so nice. We had a private room and private bathroom (sensing a pattern here, yeah?)-- Highly recommended. The dinner was really yummy. The owner cooks it right there in her kitchen: soup, turkey casserole, rice, veggies, and an apricot dessert. The breakfast, again however, was just cold cereals and cold cuts. (Luckily, the coffee much more palatable than Bonatti.)

There seems to be restaurants in La Fouly, so if you book an accomodation without half-board, not all is lost. And of course, the trusty grocery. You only need to stock up for the day, cause you’re headed toward Champex next, which has plenty of food options and is a bigger town than La Fouly.

STAGE 7 • LA FOULY TO CHAMPEX  // We really lucked out on the timing of the weather on this trek. It was unseasonably warm the entire journey and the only rain we had was today. The notoriously easiest day of the TMB. And lucky for us, it wasn’t raining hard during the hike. We set off early hoping to beat the rain (we didn’t), but we also survived it absolutely fine. (This, really if anything, felt like a rest day, which is actually pretty smart planning if you’re going to do Stage 8a and climb the Fenetre.)

Everything is smooth and straightforward, with some cute little towns to walk through (Praz de Fort and Issert). It could be nice to stop for a coffee in Issert just before you head “up the hill” to Champex– We didn’t know that Issert would be so cute, so we had eaten our snacks at a bench in Praz de Fort. Once you get into Champex, follow the book to stay on the TMB path. We saw a lot of hikers walking along the road, which isn’t as nice, nor is it even more direct.

CHAMPEX ACCOM & EATS  // We stayed at the Hotel Belvedere. [Booked via Belvedere website / e-mail]. We got there very early (1 pm) in the afternoon and luckily they had our room ready. Our soaked through rain jackets found their way onto the balcony and after a shower we were super ready for lunch. Eat at Mimi’s Lounge. Do it. We had an incredible salad, tartar, and so also began my bilberry pie sampling spree (Not a typo. It’s bilberry). We loved it so much, we ate there again for dinner. Hotel Belvedere also offers a dinner (and the dining room has an incredible view), but with John’s dietary restrictions, why mess with a good thing. The breakfast was the usual with cold meats, cereal, and pastries. But luckily the coffee was good and generous.

There’s a grocery store in Champex, which is important, because you’ll be walking to Trient tomorrow, and there is no grocery there, so stock-up for the next day as well. Oh, and you’re going to climb up the Fenetre tomorrow, you’ll once again be at the highest elevation you’ve been since Stage 2.

STAGE 8A • CHAMPEX TO TRIENT  // The variant to climb the Fenetre d’Arpette [Pg 98] is well-worth the extra sweat and presents its own fun and unique challenge. It’s really steep in parts. And when you get to the chaos of rocks, you might need to put your trekking poles away and use your hands. You will know without a doubt when you’re at that part. Again, this landed on a Saturday for us, so I think it was a little more crowded than usual– This is totally not a stage you want it to be crowded for. But we made do. Other than that, know that it’ll be steep on the way down. I did more than a few uh… single-leg squats sliding my way down. But making your way down to Trient is relatively straight-forward. It took us just under 8 hours for us door to door.

TRIENT ACCOM & EATS  // We stayed at the Hotel La Grand Ourse. [Booked via La Grand Orse website / e-mail]. The name is deceiving because this is definitely more like a mountain hut in a large building, than a hotel. We booked a private room with two beds, and all the rooms have a shared WC and showers for each floor. Something about the layout of the restroom wasn’t great, but it didn’t give me the heebie jeebies like Mottets at least.

There is no grocery store in Trient, so the half-board at the hotel is necessary. The dinner was fine– Soup & pasta. But again, kind of not enough food. John dug into his stash of sardines, and I ate John’s “gluten-free” pasta dinner to make up for the calories. Breakfast was cold cuts and cereal again, so we downed some coffees and got on the way.

I do recommend the sack-lunch here to-go. More specifically, don’t bother getting the whole picnic but get the sandwich, or two. It was literally the best sandwich I had had in awhile– Like a European bahn mi.

STAGE 9 • TRIENT TO ARGENTIERE [TRE-LE-CHAMP]  // We booked our evening into Argentiere, and although it adds another 45 minutes to your hike for the day, it was well-worth it for access to the restaurants and laundry in town. Start the day with a hike up to Refuge du Col de Balme for gorgeous views, and your gateway back into France. They had snacks and coffee, which could be nice, or if anything a nice excuse to enjoy the view longer. 

Sometimes the guidebook doesn’t make it clear which route is the more awesome route to do, but you’ll want to follow the route for Aiguillette des Posettes. (The other route is actually the bad weather bail out). Today was a bit crowded for us, being Sunday and all. The beautiful Aiguillette des Posettes is an accessible day hike for all the towns in the area, but so very nice to climb. Once you’re off the mountain, you have an endless downhill and will pass the turn for Tre-le-Champ, to go all the way to Argentiere. The hotel, which although I do recommend it, is literally at the end of the town of Argentiere. Today’s trek? Like 7 hours.

ARGENTIERE ACCOM & EATS  // We stayed at the Hotel les Grands Montets. [Booked on Expedia]. The hotel itself has a lot of amenities (spa, pool) that we totally didn’t use. But I do recommend adding on the breakfast. Probably the best variety of breakfast of all the places we stayed, including eggs! (What a luxury). The town of Argentiere has a great little organic grocery, as well as a regular Super U. And we had a super easy and much needed time using the laundromat.

Food? For a late lunch / coffee: Go check out Tete a the. Really incredible. The owner and chef was so nice and helpful. And all the treats and snacks were so delicious. We had an awesome dinner at La P’tite Verte– We had a bit of a raw meat binge with the beef carpaccio, and the steak tartare, which gets mixed right at the table to your liking.

STAGE 10 & 11 • ARGENTIERE TO LA FLEGERE TO CHAMONIX  // The anxiety of having to stay in a proper dormitory that we had actually reserved for the evening combined with the glorious idea of being reunited with our luggage in Chamonix forced us into the game time decision to haul through the last two stages in one swoop. We ate our deposit at Refuge Lac Blanc, booked the Le Genepy again, and made quick work of the trail.

You have some options getting out of Argentiere– You can walk or take the #1 Red, Le Tour Bus from town, to put you back near Tre-Le-Champ and back on the Official Tour du Mont Blanc trail. Or do what we did– Followed signs and the trail from Argentiere to Le Flegere [the end point for Stage 10]. I actually really loved this trail– It’s basically runs just parallel to and below the Grand Balcon Sud route that you’d take otherwise, which is also below the Lac Blanc route, that we were planning on doing originally. The path was mostly forest, a bridge along the way, and a phenomenal view of the Mont Bland massif.

Making it to Le Flegere in a few hours, we kept pushing to climb Le Brevent, starting the final stage, Stage 11, of the hike. After an incredible climb up the mountain, in the event you do not care to hike down Le Brevent, there is a cable car option to take you back into Chamonix. [But do check the times that it stops running. If you don’t make the cut off, you’ll have no choice but to walk down down down.]

BONUS DAY • LAC BLANC via GRAND BALCON SUD  // Because we took the route just below the Grand Balcon Sud yesterday, and missed the highly recommended Lac Blanc, we wanted to make sure we went and saw it. With an extra day of hiking, and being reunited with all our things, we set out for the 4.8 mile loop from La Flegere to catch it all. 

Packed and dressed light for the day hike, we walked from our stay at Le Genepy in Chamonix up to Les Pratz to take the cable car up to La Flegere. AllTrails says it takes 3.5 hrs to complete, but we had a 1 pm lunch reservation to make at Le Comptoir des Alpes, so not trying to make too much of a rush of it, we did it clockwise and in just under 3.


LET’S MAKE IT OFFICIAL  // The following day we strolled from Chamonix to Les Houches to take an official finish photo under the arch. In total for us, about 138.6 miles. Really, it only took 9 days, and if you were in a bit of a hurry, you could do it in 8, but I think we planned it pretty perfect and I would totally recommend the 9 days + 1 rest day in Courmayeur.

ACCOMMODATIONS SUMMARY

  1. Chamonix [Pre & Post Hike] - Le Genepy. [Expedia]  We like that the rooms were spacious and it’s in the middle of town, but you can find plenty of options in Chamonix too.

  2. Les Contamines - Chalet-Hotel Gai Soleil. [Expedia] We liked that they are very used to having trekkers and the breakfast had lots of hard-boiled eggs for us to make. You'll find a few other accommodations in Les Contamines. 

  3. Refuge des Mottets - Refuge des Mottets. [TMB Website] This is the only accommodation if you’re taking the route we did. Awesome dinner, but bring yourself options if cold brekkie doesn’t suit you.

  4. Courmayeur - Hotel Bouton d’Or. [2 nights, Expedia] Really enjoyed this for our two night stay. Breakfast was the best yet of the trek. Plenty of other options in Courmayeur though too.

  5. Rifugio Bonatti -  Rifugio Bonatti. [Bonatti Website] This is also the only accommodation if you’re taking the route we did. View is incredible. Hot showers are limited. Communal WC only. Dinner and brekkie were meh. But I do recommend their picnic lunch.

  6. La Fouly - Gite de La Fouly. [TMB Website] I loved the design and cleanliness of our private room and bath. Home cooked dinner was wonderful. Cold brekkie only. There are a few hotel options in La Fouly you could check out.

  7. Champex - Hotel Belvedere. [Hotel Website] This is one of the first accommodations coming into Champex-Lac, but there are other options. The balcony was perfect to dry our rain soaked clothes and shower-washed laundry. View from the breakfast room is gorgeous, but cold brekkie only. There are other hotel options in Champex you could check out.

  8. Trient - Hotel La Grand Ourse. [Hotel Website] Again, this was more of a hut style than a hotel. Communal WC only (but at least as much hot shower as you’d like). Dinner was alright. Cold brekkie only. There are a few hotel options in Trient you could check out.

  9. Argentiere - Hotel les Grands Montets. [Expedia] Probably the most upscale hotel we stayed in. There’s a spa on-site, and the shower actually had conditioner. (Most only had an all-in-one hair and body soap). It’s at the end of the town of Argentiere, but still close enough to the good eats and laundromat. There are a few hotel options in Argentiere to check out. Or stay in Tre-La-Champ instead.

And then, if you’re on our route, you’re back in Chamonix! **When you plan your trip, make sure you secure your bookings for Refuge des Mottets and Rifugio Bonatti, as these are critical for your route. All the other towns have back up options even if you didn’t stay where we stayed.

THE PRO TIPS, PLZ

PRO TIPS • HYDRATION & FOOD   

  1. Figure out how much water you drink. We both used a 3L water bladder in our backpack and shared a spare water filter. It was unseasonably warm when we did our hike and John pretty much drinks a liter every 60-90 minutes, and also ran out of water more days than not– There are plenty of placed to fill-up, but we had just underestimated how much water needed, so we could have re-upped at several opportunities. But also luckily, there are often plenty of streams to filter water from. As for me– I started all my days with 3L of water and never ran out, often with 0.5-1L left, defying all laws of bodily function.

  2. These electrolyte pills [SaltStick Caps] were really awesome. I don’t really ever take any pills, but I started my day with 1 and I liked that. John would have a couple every few hours as the bottle says.

  3. John has some other dietary restrictions [in addition to being lactose-free and gluten-free] so had lots of his own snacks rationed out for each day at the start of the trek. This made his pack heavier at the start, but proved to be really helpful as some of the accommodations didn’t have any breakfasts options for him. You can also re-stock at grocery stores at most stages, but take into account the days you’ll have to stock up for two days.

PRO TIPS • LAUNDRY  

  1. Use the laundromat in Courmayeur (Stage 4), Argentiere (Stage 9), and you’ll be back in Chamonix before you know it for laundry again.

  2. Bring some laundry detergent sheets to tide you over to wash your alternating day outfits. I would get in the shower with my clothes from the day to get everything wet. Soap ‘em up, stomp on them, and wring them out.

Drying your shower / sink washed clothes? They’ll get pretty dry if you roll them up in a dry bath towel and give it a few stomps for the towel to soak up the moisture. And then claim some space in the bathroom, balcony, edge of the door for it to air dry. Voila– Good by morning.

PRO TIPS • PACKING THE PACK

  1. I did mine with an Osprey Kyte 36 and it was plenty of room for all my things. I’d actually say too much— If you bring a pack too big for your trek, you’re more tempted to fill it, and you end up bringing more than you need. That said, I did love my backpack– Comfortable every second, with lots of compartments and pockets for everything I need. I especially loved that the water bladder compartment was on the exterior of the bag, making refills much easier.

  2. If I could do it again (…when I do it again) and taking out the extras that I didn’t need, I’d do it with a 28L. Most important is making sure your pack has all the adjustment straps needed (hip, chest, shoulders), a water bladder compartment, and I definitely utilized the easy access of both side pockets on my backpack. [For the record, John used the ultralight Osprey Levity 45. He also feels like he could have gone smaller, but liked how light and comfortable the pack was overall. This pack also looks cuter when it’s less stuffed.]

  3. Whether you like packing your pack tight, or with room, packing cubes are your best friend. By the end, I had my packing cubes dialed in and I could unpack and repack my entire backpack in seconds. Here’s how I split up my packing cubes.

    1. At the bottom of my backpack was my large packing cube. This had my rain weather clothes (rain jacket, joggers, gloves, beanie), clean post-hike outfit, and my towel and sleep sheet, knowing I wouldn’t need to access these mid-trek.

    2. On top of that, I threw in my medium packing cube with my regular clothes that I was wearing hiking (shorts, tank tops, long sleeve, socks).

    3. And next to that was a medium packing cube with my toiletries, chargers, bandaids– Anything that wasn’t clothing.

    4. At the top of the main compartment was a packing cube for food. This was like main lunch food (fruit, sandwich, chips, nuts)

    5. In the brain of my backpack I had one more small packing cube with little things I might need easier access to during the hike (scissors, sunscreen, lip balm, gum, extra plastic baggies, and floss)

  4. Once you have your system in place, it’s actually really easy to get to everything and not lose anything. In my side pockets, I kept my 20oz Hydroflask on one side (with my morning tea) and my flip flops on the other. On the back panel pocket, we kept the guidebook– Eventually we just took pictures of the day’s stage for even easier access, as I kept my phone in my hip pocket for constant access.

PRO TIPS •  CLOTHING  

  1. Do NOT overpack. It’s tempting. Don’t do it. We had a really spectacular weather forecast so the day before the trek, we re-strategized our clothing game plan, and I have to say, we got it really really close to perfect. The weather was warm every day [70s], and the rain, although on the forecast, did not look ominous. I ditched the triples I had of most things, and the only thing I wish I kept that I had left behind was a third sports bra. My uniform every day was shorts and a lightweight long-sleeve shirt. Same outfits makes everything easier. **Full packing list below.

  2. Hiking boots / shoes are always a huge debate– Obviously make sure you’ve tested your shoes on your training hikes [incline and decline] and don’t be afraid of a pretty stiff shoe. I much prefer trail runners, and since we were packing relatively light, I didn’t need a ton of support from a full boot. I wore the Salomon Speedcross 5 and was super happy. Only thing worth noting there is that they are not waterproof. For my next trek, I’d love to try the Hoka Trail Runners– I saw a ton of them on the trail.

  3. My go-to socks are the Smartwool Performance Hike Low Ankle socks. Quality socks are so worth it. And I never had a problem with my feet.

  4. Think about the fabrics closest to your skin— I think the Lululemon Swiftly fabric makes for the best base-layer. And quick dry for shower-washing. I also lived in the Lululemon Speed Up Shorts– Really comfortable and quick dry as well.

  5. We didn’t have to deal with the cold, but you do want to think about what you have in a coldest-moments scenario. I love the Smartwool Intraknit Thermal Crew, and wore it nearly every day when we did Torres del Paine’s O-Circuit in February. I brought it and ended up wearing it out for dinner when the weather dropped. But it packs small and light, and was definitely worth having.

  6. And lastly not all rain gear is created equal. I had a jacket from Outdoor Research, and John had the Patagonia version, and we both soaked through our jackets within two hours of Stage 7. Perhaps an extra coat of waterproof spray would have worked. Or next time investing in a more expensive, but more reliable GORE-TEX  jacket. 

  7. The Packing List // Clothing

    • 1 - Hiking Boots / Trail Shoes 

    • 1- Post-Hike Shoes - I went with Havaiana flip flops, which I also used in the communal showers. John brought a light, but fashionable pair of TOMs Alpargatas for our excursions into town.

    • 2 - Pair of Socks - If you’re worried, bring three. But I was good on two.

    • 2 - Hiking Shorts

    • 1 - Soft Shorts for Pajamas / Lounging

    • 1 - Leggings

    • 1 - Joggers - I brought this in case of cold or rain. But ended up wearing these as PJs and for evening dinners.

    • 2-3 - Undies. John was happy with 3 pairs. I was happy with 2, since I had built-ins on my shorts that I wore nearly every day.

    • 3 - Sports Bras. I brought only two, and this is the only item I wish I had more of.

    • 1 - Comfortable T-Shirt for Pajamas / Lounging

    • 1-2 - Tank Tops or Technical Short-Sleeve Shirts. I would have been just fine with one tank top, since I wore lightweight long-sleeve most days.

    • 1-2 - Lightweight Technical Long-Sleeve Shirts. I brought two, since this was my uniform.

    • 1 - Warmer Long-Sleeve Shirt

    • 1 - Waterproof Rain Jacket

    • Gloves, Neck Buff, Beanie - None of these did I end up using.

    • Hat & Sunglasses - We both brought a baseball cap and a wide brim sun hat

There are some things you’ll commonly find on clothing lists that we didn’t bring, like waterproof pants or a warmer jacket option, but just look at your weather and use your best judgment. Think about what your warmest “system” of clothing would be should the weather drop. And if you’d have enough clothes if you got rained on all day.

PRO TIPS •  THINGS THAT AREN’T CLOTHING THAT YOU NEED // 

  1. Check with your hiking partners to eliminate redundancies. Not everyone needs to bring bug spray and nail clippers, unless you do be like that. So within your group, you decided who is carrying what, if it can be shared.

  2. That said too, decide amongst yourself and team if you need things like a headlamp and emergency blankets. We never needed any of them, but hauled them around the entire trek. I’m keeping headlamps off of the packing list, cause if you’re doing this right, you won’t be close to needing it.

  3. The other thing you won’t need? An external battery pack. [Which we totally hauled around] We were able to charge our devices every single night. All the private rooms have an outlet to charge as well, so just remember your adapters & cables. We also both brought our Kindles and didn’t read at all. I’d leave it in Chamonix next time.

  4. Packing List // Gear

    • Backpack - with a raincover!

    • Trekking Poles - John had the ultralight ones, and I have these adjustable ones and liked them.

    • 3L Water Bladder - John had the super light HydraPak 3L and I had the classic Camelbak. It’s heavier but much easier to refill. I brought my 20 oz wide-mouth Hydroflask as well, which although adds weight to your pack, was very much worth it for extra liquids, and made refills for both of us a breeze.

    • Water Filter - Again, only if you drink a lot of water, you’ll want one of these. There are potable water troughs on the trail, but occasionally, if you’re out and need to fill from a stream, it’s nice to have, especially with livestock around in most places.

    • Camp Towel - We definitely needed this at Rifugio Bonatti, where towels weren’t provided. It’s also just nice to have.

    • Sleeping Bag Liner - This was compact and light enough to be worth it… The Mountain Huts just don’t have the capability to wash sheets between every visitor. Let’s just put it that way. [Optional: Eye mask & ear plugs. You’ll want if you are a light sleeper. I did just fine without.]

    • First Aid & Blister Prevention Bandages - Luckily I never needed these, but if you get any hot spots in your shoes, you’ll be glad you did.

    • Travel Adapter & charging cables for your devices

    • Sunscreen - Face, Body, Lips. You’ll want it. You’ll need it.

    • Toiletries - Be diligent about your packing here. I’m glad I brought a full 5 oz hand salve / body lotion. And a half empty, but still full sized toothpaste. I didn’t like the idea of having to ration these things. Most of the 3-star hotels only have a hair / body wash, so if you need to condition your hair, you should bring it. And if you like a dedicated face wash, definitely bring it. [I was pretty tired of washing my face with basically shampoo by the end of the trek.]

    • Extra Food & Snacks - Esp. if you have food restrictions. Otherwise, remember you’ve got plenty of grocery stores you can restock on these.

    • And your guidebook! - Again, I chopped my down into the sections we needed to the hike to spare the extra weight.

The common gear list items we definitely didn’t need were a head lamp, gaiters, crampons, and an external battery pack. I’d venture to say, you probably won’t need these either.

ALL IN ALL

You guys— I’m so excited that you are curious, considering, and hopefully pulling the trigger on this trek. We had an incredible time, and it’s definitely a bucket list item to tick off. Was mostly in a hurry to get this up, so will be adding pictures and more organization when I get around to it. In the meantime, AMA. Xx.

###