Tour du Mont Blanc Day Ten – Trient to Tre Le Champ

Today we have the third and final border crossing of our Tour du Mont Blanc when we say goodbye to the forests of Switzerland and cross back into France at Col de Balme. It’s a Grand Old Duke of York walking day, a long steep walk up followed by a long steep walk down. Hill walking pared down to its simplest form, you’re going up or you’re going down, just keep putting one foot in front of the other and don’t forget to breathe. The reward for all this effort is we’ll get our first sight of Mont Blanc from the French side and we’ll also see the Chamonix valley, the end of our journey for the first time.

It wasn’t a great stay at Auberge du Mont Blanc, maybe our expectations were too high after the brilliant Bon Abri but at least Steve and I got a room to ourselves. We had to share a double bed but if it’s good enough for Morecambe and Wise it’s good enough for us, and I have known him for over forty years. There was also a fantastic view of Trient’s pink church, Eglise Rose out of the window. It’s a misty morning with low cloud hovering but the rain of yesterday has gone and by the time we switch into gear the day looks increasingly promising.

Leaving Trient It’s a pleasant walk up the valley past Le Praillon to Le Peuty. Lots of our fellow travellers stopped at Refuge Le Peuty last night but the nineteen bed dorm put me off. Some meadows are crossed and then the hard miles begin with the trail tilting skyward and following a multi zig zag path steeply up through woodland.

Ever upward leads the path but the accumulated fitness of ten days walking means our legs and lungs are now well attuned to climbing over three thousand feet every day. The ascent seems to go on forever but the zig zags mean the angle is manageable and steady progress is made with occasional glimpses through the trees.

Eventually the incline eases, the trees are left behind and views open up back down the valley and ahead to Col De Balme. The col is in cloud although it is clearing but is still far above our heads.

Upwards we climb and the cloud clears away from the col revealing our first sight of the refuge. The climbing only stops when we are virtually outside the entrance of the solidly built and red shuttered Refuge du Col de Balme. The refuge sits right on top of the col it is named after, just metres inside Switzerland.

After a tough climb up with the refuge teasingly in view from way down the valley it is with some relief that we finally arrive. The wind has got up and at 7,000ft, despite the sunshine it is bone chilling so for the first time on the walk we head inside to eat lunch which turns out to be a very agreeable vegetable soup with plenty of fresh bread.

The TMB has numerous ‘variants’ off the main route and the Col de Balme is no exception with the option of a high level route over the Aiguille des Posettes or a low level route down the valley via Le Tour. With the wind as strong as it is we opt for the less attractive but arguably safer low level route.

It’s a bit of a wrench to leave the warmth and comfort of the refuge but I know once we are off the col the wind will drop and it’s downhill all the way to Tre Le Champ. Leaving the refuge we cross into France and then see a sight that stirs our spirits.

Up to now we have only seen Mont Blanc from the Italian side, which revealed a mountain of sheer rock faces and dizzying arêtes and spires. Before us lies the Mont Blanc of the French side, a huge white dome of snow and ice dominating the Chamonix valley that stretches out underneath it. It’s in and out of cloud today but is still majestic and this will be our view for the next two days.

Suitably inspired and heartened by our fresh encounter with the mountain we are circumambulating we start the downhill tramp towards Le Tour. Although steep, it’s easy walking on a good path and the views ahead of us down the Chamonix valley, Mont Blanc on the left and the spires of the Aiguille Rouges on the right are superb. The wind has dropped and the sun is out with a little bit of cloud cover, making it perfect walking weather.

At Charamillon ski station we take a break to use their facilities. We skip the opportunity of taking the ski lift and continue down what becomes an increasingly man made environment with ugly gravel tracks and ski lift paraphernalia all around us. At Le Tour, the highest village in the Chamonix valley, we arrive at the metalled road.

We follow the road down to Montroc which has a train/tram station then a bit of fiddly route finding through some woods takes us to our accommodation at the quirky and hobbit like wooden lodge of Auberge La Boêrne.

Sitting in the sunshine on it’s extensive patio are Luca and Will the young Americans, Jay, a fellow Brit we met at La Fouly along with three Israelis, an Australian mother and daughter and another American all of whom we have criss crossed on the trail at various points. As we get our first cold beer the two American girls we met at Rifugio Bonatti turn up. The only ones missing out of our group of fellow travellers are Kyle and Jo who couldn’t get into the refuge and are stopping further down the road.

After eating lunch inside for the first time on the col, we now get to eat dinner outside for the first time. It’s a lovely, balmy summers evening and we enjoy a very convivial dinner on the patio in the company of strangers who have become friends through joint adventure. As we talk the sun slowly goes down over the Chamonix valley, turning the white snow dome of Mont Blanc honey yellow and casting shadows onto the crevices and pinnacles of the Grandes Jorasses. The tower on the Aiguille du Midi looks like a rocket about to launch off into the gloaming. 

Route Map, Walk Stats, Geolocated Picture Gallery and 3D Flyover Video Below.

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