France, Italy & Switzerland
Tour du Mont Blanc | June 2025
Day 1: Chamonix to Les Contamines | Hotel Gai Soleil, France
Distance: 7.2 miles | Ascent/Descent: +2,205 ft/-4,015 ft
First day of the tour! We woke early, dropped off our extra luggage at the hotel we’d return to in 10 days, and sipped silky cortados before perusing the local farmer’s market on our way to the train station. Our awe over the beauty of the market and fresh produce led us to miss our train by exactly 5 seconds, something we jokingly-not-jokingly said we hoped wasn’t a bad omen for logistics on the rest of the trip. Our consequence was an hour-long delay, but we were still to Les Houches and up the Bellevue cable car to the start of our trail by 10am.
We began our climb through a forest, golden-green dappled light streaming through the canopy above us, Queen Anne’s Lace and forget-me-nots lining the path, and views of the Bionassey glacier slowly emerging to our right. After crossing the suspension bridge, which reminded me of Nepal, we began the long ascent up our first pass: Col du Tricot.
At the top, we were able to look down the other side to what would be our first stop (and one of our absolute favorites!) on the TMB: Refuge de Miage. Tiny blue umbrellas dotted the hillside by the refuge, enticing us on as we began navigating the steep switchbacks down into the valley.
Once there, we found a seat at a table under one of those umbrellas and experienced a key piece of mountain magic that would mark every following day of the TMB — enjoying a rest stop at a hut with an unbelievable view of the mountains and glaciers. Lupines blew in the breeze. We ordered an omelette (me) and Savoyard charcuterie plate (James), then topped it off with a slice of the famous blueberry pie and a bowl of freshly made strawberry sorbet with a dollop of the richest whipped cream. With this fuel in our systems and cold water in our Nalgenes, we set off on the second climb and descent of the day to Les Contamines.
Upon reaching our hotel for the night, we were rewarded with a shower, relaxing in the quiet garden while sipping on peak French drinks (Kir and Chartreuse tonic), and fresh salad + fondue for dinner. A perfect end to a solid first day.
Day 2: Les Contamines to Refuge Bonhomme | Refuge de la Croix du Bonhomme, France
Distance: 7.4 miles | Ascent/Descent: +4,350 ft/-300 ft
The first climb of the day was up an ancient road laid by the Romans through a forest. A beautiful river wended through a gorge, aglow with golden morning light that further enlivened its icy blue core.
Eventually we left the cool canopy of the trees and our climb continued through meadows filled with flowers and cows with bells around their necks and toward Col du Bonhomme, which represented a break in the jagged peaks towering above us. Safe passage for hikers.
Col du Bonhomme yielded stunning views of the valley we’d just ascended and the new range of peaks and valleys ahead. We stopped here along with the majority of other hikers to eat lunch and ended up reconnecting with a hiker we’d met the day before at Col du Tricot — the first of many warm connections we would share over the course of the TMB. We talked women’s soccer and basketball and climate finance and Kilimanjaro and exchanged numbers to stay in touch.
It was a quick hike to Refuge de la Croix du Bonhomme, our final destination for the evening. Too quick! This was the day we realized we should have compressed our first four days of hiking into three — we had the energy and desire to keep going, but needed to stop since this was our lodging for the night. It’s hard to know appropriate distance, especially with ascents and descents like on the TMB, until you’ve completed a multi-day hike yourself. This was a valuable day for us to understand our preferred pacing for future experiences.
The evening deepened as we talked to other hikers and tried to figure out if we should attempt the high pass of Col des Fours or take the longer, safer low route the following day. We’d heard good reports from hikers online, but were warned away from the pass due to late lying snow on the other side when we inquired with staff at the refuge. With no WiFi, we had to weigh out our choice with less intel than we’d like. We fell asleep with a bit of unease, but decided to start up the pass in the morning to see the other side ourselves and determine if it was safe enough to descend.
Day 3: Refuge Bonhomme to Rifugio Elisabetta | Refugio Elisabetta, Italy
Distance: 9.5 miles | Ascent/Descent: +3,182 ft/-4,124 ft
We woke early, eager to get out on the trail. We settled into an easy pace for the short climb up Col des Fours, crossing a few late-lying snowfields. Once at the top, dramatic grey clouds were swiftly gathering, permitting only a few beams of sunlight to shine through, highlighting the green hills far below us. A crisp wind blew against our faces.
There was indeed a sizable snowfield left that we had to cross almost immediately if we were to go this way. We surveyed our options alongside a couple other early morning hikers and decided to go for it. The crossing required careful footing and concentration — I would have loved my microspikes, which I’d left behind in Cham last minute — but we made it and the remainder of the descent was smooth sailing.
About halfway down, we got hit with the first precipitation of the day, a brief but furious shower that forced us to pull out our rain gear. As the sun peeked back out, we passed stunning waterfalls, melting snow bridges, and early season gentian. We passed through a working dairy farm (baby cows!) and stopped for what I still believe to be the freshest, lightest, fluffiest yogurt I’ve ever tasted at Refuge Mottets.
During our climb up Col de la Seigne, which marked the boundary between France and Italy, the rain came back… and brought hail with it. It never feels great to be *ascending* a pass while the weather is getting worse, but we kept an eye on the horizon and it thankfully blew over before we made it to the top.
We meandered down into Italy through a gorgeous valley that we dubbed “The Shire for Marmots.” Marmots in the Alps look a bit like small beavers in their faces and the hills were dotted with their burrows.
The day concluded at Refugio Elisabetta, a place that is just as whimsical as its name. Perched high above the valley, in the shadow of two glaciers, it was a glorious place to call home for a night. After a dinner filled with conversations, we finished the evening on the porch with a bar of chocolate, a glass of Italian wine and a shot of Amaro while watching the sunset.
Day 4: Rifugio Elisabetta to Courmayeur | Hotel Bouton d’Or, Italy
Distance: 9.5 miles | Ascent/Descent: +1,745 ft/-2,985 ft
Breakfast had not been friendly to me as a gluten-free eater, so we made an early pit-stop about an hour into our day at Cabane du Combal, a charming A-frame that was serving cappuccinos, eggs, and peanut butter meringue cookies.
After this, we climbed high and spent the morning traipsing along a green plateau, peppered with wildflowers, where we ran back into a couple of hikers from Finland that we’d met earlier on the trip. They were carrying a tiny drone that took a video of the landscape around us. It clearly shows the gorgeous views of this day’s hike. It also shows the depressions in the mountains beside us — outlining the body of Miage Glacier, a debris-covered glacier that has been in a period of “enhanced decay” since 1990.
Seeing this slow hollowing out, the gradual shrinking of an ancient glacier beneath its blanket of earth and rock — whose long expanse is curved like cupped hands and bears the shape of a pair of lungs — left me with a profound sense of sorrow that felt jarringly at odds with the beauty of the environment we were in. Bearing witness to this alpine ecosystem while simultaneously aware that it was hotter than it is supposed to be and these glaciers are fast disappearing is a tension that has only intensified as I’ve gotten older. We now live in an era marked by the threat of heatwaves, wildfires, drought, floods. The headlines say the Rio Grande has run dry in Albuquerque. It’s anticipated that the Miage Glacier will be completely gone by the end of the century.
It seems impossible to appreciate the literal magic of the Earth without also grieving the ways in which she is being choked to death by humanity. We are resolved to do everything we can to slow this, while also recognizing that our species has blown past the warning signs, bringing our delicate shared world into a phase where much loss is inevitable.
This love and grief is intertwined. We felt both acutely on this hike.
We finished the day descending into Courmayeur, followed by pizza and gelato with yet another set of TMB friends. A day we won’t soon forget.
Day 5: Courmayeur to La Fouly | Gîte de la Fouly, Switzerland
Distance: 21.3 miles | Ascent/Descent: +6,827 ft/-5,500 ft
When we planned this trip almost a year ago, I remember saying to J that I couldn’t imagine much more of a perfect birthday than one spent hiking through the Alps from Italy to Switzerland. We’re happy to report: Reality was even better than what we’d hoped for.
Feeling ambitious as we welcomed Years 35 & 36, we decided to combine two stages of the hike today, with plans to stop at most of the rifugios along the way for food because (a) umm, birthday treats and (b) we were going to need a *lot* of calories. What followed was the longest day on the trail with two significant ascents up to Refuge Bertone and the Grand Col Ferret, and two big descents — one just before the Grand Col Ferret (nothing like losing all the elevation you already climbed, just to climb back up again! such is the TMB way) and the other at the end of our day as we made our way into Switzerland.
We were fresh off our rest day in Courmayeur and high on birthday vibes; this hike ended up being one of the most fun and memorable. The Aosta Valley was oh so green, the flowers were popping, and the gathering storm clouds mostly held off until we’d crossed into Switzerland. The climb up the Grand Col Ferret was not for the faint of heart, but doable after a refueling break at Rifugio Elena (where J inhaled a massive apple strudel buried in whipped cream). We were rewarded for the effort with truly stunning views on the Italian side. In contrast, the Swiss side of the pass was completely socked out in a cloud, lending an air of mystery as we began descending.
Our legs were officially trashed by the time we made it to Gîte de la Fouly for the evening. We were welcomed with a home-cooked meal (hash + a fried egg, fresh green salad, lentil soup: dreamy after a long day of hiking!) and surprised with bowls of fresh strawberries with a candle in them at the end of the meal, a sweet gesture to recognize our birthdays.
Once done, we retired to our room and were asleep almost immediately — all in all, a birthday for the books.
Day 6: La Fouly to Champex | Hotel Splendide, Switzerland
Distance: 9.3 miles | Ascent/Descent: +1,883 ft/-2,250 ft
After a leisurely morning at the gîte, during which time we hopped in the hot tub we’d been surprised to learn was at our disposal (mostly out of principle, for when one has access to a hot tub, one should seriously consider using it), we packed up and were on our way.
The conditions were clear, in sharp contrast to the moody clouds from the day before, revealing the beautiful valley views all around us. The trail was mostly a gentle downward slope which ended up feeling like a nice recovery hike. It wended through green valleys filled with blooming yellow gentian, waterfalls cascading down from the mountaintops, and charming Swiss villages along the way. Vibrant flower pots overflowed on each doorstep and windowsill, the narrow streets zigzagged between old homes and barns, and raspberries were beginning to turn red on their vines in the small gardens next to many of the houses.
We shared the trail with friends made earlier on the TMB, two men from Poland and a couple from Boulder on their honeymoon. Conversation flowed easily and the day slipped by quickly. We hit the climb up to Champex-Lac right around noon, a sweaty ascent although the “route of mushrooms,” guided by Charlotte la Marmotte. Our final destination, a truly stunning historic hotel, could be glimpsed from its perch high in the mountains above us.
Champex-Lac was one of my favorite stops on the tour. I could have easily enjoyed an extra day here: Swimming in the lake (most lakes forbade swimming, so it was a delight to find one where it was allowed!), relaxing on the terrace at our hotel with a glass of rosé, golden hour overlooking two long and picturesque valleys, wandering to the high alpine botanic gardens at the other end of the town.
Switzerland, you’re a beaut. 🌸
Day 7: Champex to Trient | Auberge de la Grande Ourse, Switzerland
Distance: 9.9 miles | Ascent/Descent: +4,038ft/-4,701ft
We awoke to a beautiful sunny day, which meant it was safe for us to take the Fenêtre d’Arpette (“the Arpette Window”), the high variant route! 🎉 Our first mile took us along the lake through the center of Champex-Lac. We joined the now-familiar trickle of early morning hikers as they left their lodging and hit the trail. And so it was striking that once we reached the fork — left going to high route, right following the traditional TMB on the lower route — we found ourselves alone. The majority of the morning hike was unexpectedly but not unpleasantly empty of other hikers. We would eventually catch up with the handful of others who chose this route, but not until we were a couple miles out from the top.
After ascending a forested path to Relais d’Arpette, a refugio that sits with a clear view of the full climb up to the window, we locked in for the rest of the climb. This was one of the more challenging hikes for me, partially due to the steep climb near the end, but probably more due to the heat. The trail was vertical enough that we stashed our poles to scramble over boulders and up scree fields. The switchbacks near the top were unrelenting, but the resulting view was incredible in both directions, including a close-up of Trient Glacier.
Reaching the top was an accomplishment in its own right, but the first two miles of the descent were just as brutal — straight down, hot, and requiring a high level of mental attention to not slip and fall.
Once we reached the valley, we stopped at Chalet du Glacier, a waypoint that sticks in our minds because it was so needed! We ordered sorbet and an ice-cold kombucha, both of which tasted heavenly. After this break, it was a quick 45 minutes further to our accommodation in Trient. We promptly showered, met up with trail friends, and enjoyed dinner family-style with other hikers before heading off to bed: our bodies weary but spirits proud.
Day 8: Trient to Argentière | Hotel de la Couronne, France
11.5 miles | Ascent/Descent: +3,809ft/-3,848ft
I woke on our second-to-last day starting to feel the sadness growing in my chest that we were almost done with the TMB. We took our time at breakfast and ended up being some of the last people to pack up and head out this morning.
We made up the difference on our first climb out of Trient, exchanging the idyllic little town with its pink steepled church and quiet morning activity for a rhythmic switchback climb up to Col de la Balme. We both felt fresh and strong this morning and were surprised by how quickly the red-shuttered Refuge de Balme came into view on the high pass above us.
Once we reached the summit, the view of Mont Blanc and the rest of the massif came roaring back into view. It was a perfectly clear, cloudless morning and the views were arguably the best we’d had on the entire tour. The Chamonix valley gleamed below us, alpenrose glowing bright pink on the slopes, snow glistening on the peaks to our left. It was too achingly beautiful to adequately describe.
After a cappuccino with friends, we set off on the Aiguille des Posettes high route over the valley. We shared part of the path with the Mont Blanc marathoners and were delighted to cheer them on as they tackled an incredibly tough course.
We spent the rest of the afternoon soaking up the sun and the views. It felt impossible to ignore that we were approaching the conclusion of a wonderful adventure. We could see Chamonix in the distance, close enough that it seemed we could almost be done that same day. Nevertheless, we descended into Argentière as planned, secretly grateful for one more night before our final day of hiking.
Day 9: Argentière to Chamonix via Le Brévent | Hotel de l’Arve, France
Distance: 11.5 miles | Ascent/Descent: +6,306ft/-2,260ft
Last day and a big one! The forecast predicted afternoon rain and we had a firm deadline of reaching Le Brévent no later than 4:30pm so we didn’t miss the final ski lift to Chamonix.
It was a sweaty trudge out of the humid valley up into cooler conditions near Lac Blanc, and we felt tired today. We climbed the famous ladders, which turned out to be less scary and more fun than expected. By the time we reached the top, clouds had rolled in over Mont Blanc, where they would hover for the rest of the day.
After Refuge Lac Blanc, we set off on the last stretch, which was broken up by three ski lifts that each offered the chance to end the day’s hike. Our goal was to make it to the final ski lift, Le Brévent, which was perched on the edge of an imposing cliff high above Chamonix and looked extremely far away from where we were. I won’t mince words: This stretch was hard. There were no water refill stations. All the grocery stores in Argentière had been closed the day before, so we didn’t have great snacks with us. And it was hot.
We settled into a silent, steady pace for the early afternoon. Le Brévent was in view, as were the cable cars we could see rising and descending, but it didn’t seem to be getting closer, adding to the mental battle.
In the last mile, when we were reaching the end of our caloric, electrolyte, and mental resources, we *finally* saw not one, not two, but three ibex! They felt like mountain spirits giving us the extra oomph we needed to make it to the end.
And the feeling at the top was electric. We’d completed the Tour du Mont Blanc! We were tired, triumphant, incredulous, and awed by the experience, exchanging high fives and draining cans of cold orange juice and Orangina.
After soaking in the views and the glow of accomplishment, we purchased our tickets to Cham and rode the gondola down. Showers, laundry, gelato, and a massive celebratory dinner awaited us — a final, peaceful evening in Chamonix after an unforgettable experience.
