August 3, 2024 Auberge La Flégère to Les Houches 10.6 miles There’s something nice about doing a circular hike. It’s like completing a ring, making it back to the beginning. I do love a full-circle ending, me. Tie up all those loose ends, make it all connect. Bring us back to where it started. You …
August 2, 2024 Auberge la Boerne in Tré-le-Champ to Refuge La Flégère ~5.1 miles hiked (~2.9 miles on Lac Blanc alternate) Despite the storm, I wake refreshed. The campsite is next to a flowing stream, and boy do I love camping next to a flowing stream. It’s so soothing and almost guaranteed to make me …
August 1, 2024 Auberge Mont Blanc in Trient to Auberge la Boerne in Tré-le-Champ 8.6 miles I’m impressed with Auberge Mont Blanc. It’s enormous, but they still manage to provide hikers with everything they need. Enough showers with hot water and good water pressure? Check. Friendly employees and a nice bar? Check. A buffet breakfast …
July 26, 2024 Les Chapieux to Rifugio Elisabetta 8.6 miles When I poke my head out of my tent this morning, Grace’s first question is “Coffee?” Man, it’s nice hiking with a fellow caffeine addict in a country with copious coffee. We start with some camp coffee though—to be followed by coffee at the store …
July 25, 2024 Les Contamines to Les Champieux (camp) 12.4 miles Breakfast at the refuge this morning reminds me deeply of the albergue breakfasts on the Camino. It’s self-serve style, and it includes coffee, cereal with milk, fresh bread which can be toasted, an assortment of jams, and yogurt. We sit with the same family …
July 24, 2024 Les Houches to Les Contamines 13.3 miles Today is the day! We are off to start the TMB and discover what this alpine circuit has in store. After another extravagant RockyPop breakfast, we pack up and walk back down to the main square for photos at the official start sign. There’s another …
July 23, 2024 0 miles hiked (some miles walked) Last night I utterly ceased to exist. My head hit the pillow and that was that until nearly 9:00 this morning. When Grace said she was setting an alarm for 9 last night, I thought to myself, “We don’t need that, we’ll wake up before 9.” …
July 21-22, 2024 0 miles hiked Many miles flown When my friend Grace first asked me last November if I wanted to do the Tour du Mont Blanc this summer, I immediately agreed. She was one of several people who had mentioned something to me about the TMB that year, and it felt like a …
Sarahmarie Specht-Bird 