In the middle of a summer heat wave we kicked off a 12-day hike through the Alps. In spite of the heat, it was an unforgettable journey, one that I would gladly repeat. The climbs were hard, the descents were sometimes harder, the views were spectacular, and the experience was incredible. To cope with the…Read more
TMB – Day 0 After a long flight to Geneva, an overnight stay, and a long a van ride, we made it to our first stop, Hotel Saint Antoine in Les Houches. It is a comfortable little place with good food and cozy rooms, but no air-conditioning. Actually, no hotel had air-conditioning the entire trip….Read more
TMB – Day 1 The Bellevue gondola is a popular option for starting day 1. It bypasses most of the climb, taking you from 3300 feet of elevation up to 5900 feet. From the top you have a couple of route options to choose, the primary route is the easiest option. It immediately starts downhill…Read more
TMB – Day 2 This is the longest climb of the circuit, gaining over 4200 feet of elevation before dropping back down to Les Chapieux. This was the day I was most concerned about, and had used it as a baseline for our practice hikes. We had hiked up over 4000 feet in training so…Read more
TMB Day 3 Today would be our first border crossing, from France into Italy,, at 8200 feet elevation on Col de la Seigne. This is followed by a descent into the Aosta Valley in Italy. The trail as mapped ends at a bus stop in La Visaille, where a you can catch the free bus…Read more