After meeting briefly last night with about a dozen hikers also setting out today on the TMB (Tour Mont Blanc) we had supper in the hotel and after starters opted for Tartiflette as our main course – a traditional dish of the area made from potatoes, onions and bacon, baked in cheese; wholesome and mucho carbs for the day ahead.
We set our on a cool, partly cloudy morn full of energy and enjoying the pleasure of walking together again – in a beautiful part of the world. Much variety on the trail today; forest paths almost smothered in bright green spring colors, open pastures and confined mountain tracks, some tar road sections built by the Romans running through small villages. We also encountered a few surprises; unique flora in the shape of a long forgotten vehicle (perhaps abandoned in WW II ….) and a brand new Jag E Pace parked outside a mountain top chalet… lovely 😊
The first 8 kms were all uphill following the route of a ski lift and walking at times in the ski slope (steep) passing isolated chalets… one with bell adorned sheep. My heart rate sat above my theoretical max for the best part of 2,5 hours (NB Vitality… Bonus points !!). The scenery was breathtaking as we got ever better views of the mountains looking up and the distance villages looking down …Mont Blanc remained concealed mysteriously behind the clouds.
The snow is melting fast and ice green water is rushing down the mountains in many well worn waterfalls and rivers we crossed over well worn bridges. The route wasn’t always easy to follow and we used a combination of a GPS route Rob had downloaded and a guide book. One stream we crossed on an uncertain part of the route had no bridge and had the water been any higher we’d have had to retreat… Janowellfine. We walked past an ice tunnel at the foot of a glacier rising high into the mountain through which freezing water flowed.
The descents after the climbs were sometimes long and quite challenging; energy sapping and tough on knees and toes.
We finally arrived in Les Contamines walking up a steep path only to find that our hotel was still a further km away in a small hamlet; the hotel is great
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