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Lunch
Mont Blanc
Day 8 – Champex – Trient
We had a breakfast at our hotel and hit the road. Exiting Champex along the lake is really beautiful and you wander through the old alpine town on your way to the TMB. We ran into some groups on horseback and I was slightly envious of them when we were ascending later in the morning.
On this day, was the only day where we were given an option. The trail split early in the morning and it gave us the option of going through the valley or forest. The trail eventually came back together, but this was the first time I felt like I had some control over this hike.
This was a small split for probably no more than an hour, however do not confuse this with the multiple routes to Trient. This day actually had 2 routes. We took the Bovine route, rather than the Fenettre D’Arpette route. The Bovine route is named this because it crescendos at a cow pasture. There is a little refugee there that sells beer and snacks.
We stopped in the refuge for lunch and ended up talking to some Americans that were on an REI tour. We had not met any Americans on the trip until then. They were enjoying the trip very much. Hotel Alpina had sent us out with freshly made bread, so a lunch of sausage, cheese, chocolate and delicious bread made for a really delightful meal. The cows that were screwing near us, were surprisingly less annoying or distracting than you’d imagine. Exhaustion can be a good friend.
The rest of the day was our descent into Trient. Our guide had suggested we stop at Col De La Forclaz, but it was sold out when I tried to book. We descended into the town that had nothing but 2 hotels. We looked for a store to buy a few supplies and were told it shut down some time ago. The hotel we stayed in was modern and nice, but we were stuck in the dorm. It did not help that a tour of elementary school children were also there, so chaos was running high.
We got out of our hotel and decided to go see what the other hotel was like. It was nothing special, but there were no kids so we settled in for a few drinks. Sam flirted with the waiter and got us a complimentary bag of peanut butter puffs. They were gross, but not really.
Dinner was curry chicken over rice (that’s twice that dish was served to us in Switzerland) and we all went to bed early.
Tips
Book early enough to get a private room. This was our second dorm night and we all hated it.
There is not a store in Trient, so I would buy a snack or twop in Col De La Forclaz. There is a guy selling cheese and sausage across from the hotel. It would have been helpful on the next day’s hike.
Dining
La Grande Ourse
Accommodations
La Grande Ourse
Day 7 – La Fouly – Champex
Lots of people on the trail told us this is a boring day and one should skip it. We were told that you should take the bus through and you won’t miss a thing. Nonsense. I really liked this day. It does lack the majestic views of Mont Blanc, but it is nice wooded trail. It is a short day, so you can get to Champex by the lunch hour.
The sun is blocked out during much of this hike. The canopy of the woods is still quite dense in September. I liked that the trail was bedded with needles and the soft shadows the leaves cast upon us. It was a very tranquil day and I appreciated it.
When you finish hiking you arrive at Lac de Champex. It was one of the most stunning lakes I have ever seen in my life. It’s as blue as a sapphire and reflects the mountain ranges like freshly wiped mirror. It’s truly fantastic.
I guess that most people want to stay on the lake, but we stayed at Hôtel Alpina which faces away from the lake into the valley. This is a lovely and expensive boutique hotel, that I recommend everyone to splurge on. It is owned by a lovely couple. The husband is Swiss and the wife is French and they created one of my favorite moments in the entire trip.
After we ditched our bags and showered we headed to find lunch. Oh, by the way, the showers had a jacuzzi feature that was nothing short of perfect. We headed to a restaurant on the lake called Le Cabanon. Here I had a piece of duck that was delicious. Spencer had a burger that seemed respectable for being that far from the USA. We ended with walking along the lake a little more, but it was late in the afternoon and we all wanted to relax.
We spent the rest of the day lounging about and reading our books overlooking the valley at the hotel. We all found ourselves in the sitting room before dinner and our host brought us a complimentary glass of wine while we chatted with an English couple who was vacation. They were pleasantly surprised to find Americans who vacationed for two weeks at a time.
We all went to dinner. The menu was set for us, so there was nothing for us to do. We started off with a deconstructed caprese salad. It’s hard for me to explain but, they made a mousse of the mozzarella, marinated the tomato flesh in balsamic and used a drizzle of basil infused oil as a garnish. It was one of the best dishes I have ever eaten. The main course was slow cooked beef cheek. It was a perfect. Finally the dessert was pastry centered around pineapple. Wonderful. All of this paired with a beautiful bottle of wine, made it the best meal I had on the entire trip.
Tips
Enjoy the mushroom knowledge. There is a bunch plaques that teach about the indigenous mushrooms of the woods in this part.
Stay at Hôtel Alpina. This is the best place we stayed during the entire trip.
Dining
Hôtel Alpina
Le Cabanon
Accommodations
Hôtel Alpina
Next: Day 8 – Champex – Trient
Day 6 – Hotel Lavachey – La Fouly
We started the day with a bus ride. In order for us to get back on the TMB we needed to climb back up the mountain we came off of yesterday, but there is a road in front of Hotel Lavachey to Chalet Val Ferret. The trail picks back up there. Then you can start to hike. According to the guide this bus saves you a 90 minute descent from the refuge.
Ciao Italy. Bonjour Switzerland.
This was our coldest day. Our ascent to the border of Italy and Switzerland had lots of frost and even some snow. It was windy at the top and there were lots of icicles on the signage. The crossing is called Col de Ferret. The cold faded away quickly as we descended into the valley. One of the most noticeable differences in Switzerland is the cost of everything. In France, the cost of wine is barely worth mentioning and I don’t remember the Italians taking the time to even charge us for the booze. The efficient Swiss were quite the opposite. On our way down the mountain we stopped at a refuge for a lunch of beer and croûte au fromage and our bill was over $20.
We walked through pastureland until the bottom of the hill and the last hour was along the road into the sleepy town of la Fouly. We ditched our bags at the unnecessarily pretentious Hôtel Edelweiss and went to explore in town. One of my favorite memories of this trip happened that afternoon. We went to the local grocery and realized how serious the Swiss take chocolate. There was an entire chocolate aisle, with chocolate to spare. We loaded up on a couple of pounds of chocolate for gifts.
Dinner came with our stay at the hotel and it was an uninteresting curry chicken. We started the evening at the hotel bar, and when Spencer ordered an Irish coffee you would have thought we asked them to fly to Ireland. I want to say that the staff were stuck up and rude, but I fear they may have just been Swiss. We should have skipped the dinner and just checked out the local pizzeria.
We were in the dorm, but we were completely alone, so it was like we had a big room all to ourselves.
Tips
Take the bus from Hotel La Vachey to Chalet Val Ferret and start the day there. There is no need to walk back up the mountain to get on that trail. You will need to ask the guy at the front desk to make you a reservation on the bus, as it does not run on a set schedule.
I found Hôtel Edelweiss not very interesting. Try to look for some other accommodations.
Dining
Accommodations
Hôtel Edelweiss
Day 5 – Courmayeur – Hotel Lavachey
We started the day by walking up a road exiting Courmayeur. The day had a lot of rolling hills, but nothing too strenuous. It was a nice way to get back into the swing of things after a break day. We walked to the foot of Rifugio Walter Bonatti, but went down the hill for an hour rather than go up. This was a departure from the official TMB route.
Up would have taken us to the TMB’s newest refuge, but we had a reservation at a hotel on the base of the mountain. It was an hour walk down the hill and the path was rocky, but we finally made it to the base and walked to the hotel.
Hotel Lavachey is the most modest of the hotels we stayed in. There were no bathrooms in the rooms, and its bedrooms on the second floor had an almost sanitarium feel to them. I did not mind, but others in the group were a little less enthusiastic.
The hotel is in a small fishing area, so there is only one other place to do anything. We stopped in for a beer and my last aperitivo in Italy and then took a nap.
This dinner was a real favorite of mine. There was nothing fancy about it, but I loved it. It was cold outside, and we were not near anything. I got a delicious bowl of pasta, roast turkey, and some pretty good table wine. It was a lovely day for any traveler.
Tips
Talk to the hotel attendant when you arrive about a bus for the following day. In the next section you will understand why this is important.
If you use a luggage transfer you must stay here, there are not other options.
Dining
Hotel Lavachey
Accommodations
Hotel Lavachey
Rarely Pure & Never Simple 