Welcome to the Tour du Mont Blanc (TMB), a one-hundred-mile hiking trail around the mountain range of Europe’s tallest peak, Mt Blanc.
1. Greeting hikers from all around the world in French and Italian, including dogs and paragliders
Our camping neighbor’s deaf dog was completing the TMB like a pro and in stylish boots
Try hiking or taking the Plan Praz cable car above Chamonix to watch up-close the paragliders jump off the mountain, catch the thermals, and soar upwards
2. Sauntering through endless fields of wildflowers and butterflies like you are in Sound of Music
3. Enjoying warm home-cooked meals after every few hours of hiking, especially in Courmayeur and Chamonix
4. Abundant accommodation options for people of all ages and capabilities ranging from refuges to camping
Prayer flags decorating the inviting Refuge La Balme
Camping has stellar views from your bedside
5. The traditional route is well-maintained with abundant signage
6. Endless awe-inspiring scenery to enliven your creative spirit
Since we opted for lighter packs by leaving our cooking equipment at home, I packed a compact watercolor kit
7. Grow your self-confidence step by step, peak by peak
8. Part of the trail and variants have incredibly steep inclines, declines, and drop offs
The descent up Fenetre D’Arpette was pure scrambling, and the descent was even more brutal going down (photo below)
The first variant, Col du Tricot, was a blast, especially the bridge over a gushing glacial river
9. No hiking permits are needed, therefore in the peak summer season, solitude can be limited
Camping in the campgrounds gets quite full but manages to stay quiet at night
10. Contemplate the meaning of existence as you feel tiny amongst towering granite peaks
View from the top of the variant of Fenetre D’Arpette
What are you waiting for? Happy Trails!
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