The Original Plan
| Estimate Mileage | 16.5 miles |
| Climbing | 7,034 feet |
| Descending | -7,796 feet |
| Highest Elevation | 8,197 feet |
How It Actually Went
After a solid night of rest, we managed to pack in some breakfast at Bionnassay before hitting the trail. It was not the same Michelin quality as dinner the night before but it hit the spot no less - breads, jams, butter and muesli for the win!
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| Leaving Bionnassay |
No sooner had we stepped out the door did the rain start to sprinkle down on us. It's always a tricky decision on WHEN to pull that rain layer out isn't it? Seems like whenever you get your rain gear out, it stops raining. Personally, I have a tendency to let the rain come down for a while until I know I'll likely get saturated before I pull out my rain gear. Eventually, I would relent.
Our path navigated a bit through town some more before joining the trail. What started as nicely graveled road would eventually turn into muddy, root-covered and rocky trail that climbed up and up. It was either get wet from the rain or get wet from the condensation inside your rain jacket...yeck!
Our route was taking us to a well known variant of the TMB trail - Col du Tricot. Technically, we weren't going all the way there, only as far as the suspension bridge that crosses over the river flowing from Lac glaciaire du Bionnassay. I wish I could tell you how long it is but it's impressive. Of course after raining all night was well, the water was flowing quite fast - it was difficult to hear anyone while you were standing in the middle of the bridge.
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| Suspension bridge near Col du Tricot |
We had a bit more climbing after the bridge but there was a collective sense of relief that much of the remaining miles were downhill. The only issue is that the rain hadn't stopped. What was muddy, slick and challenging going up the mountain would likely be even more difficult (dangerous) going down. Visibility down the mountain was close to zero and the mist and clouds continued to hang in the air. It was again decision time.
- Continue down 5 miles, 2500' of descent (bad trails, slick conditions, continuing rain)
- Take the Bellevue tram down to Les Houche
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| En route - note fresh snow on the mountain |
We loitered around the tram station a while not really knowing when or if the tram would show up. There were some others there but there was no visible way to buy tickets. After about 20 minutes, the tram showed up and we explained to the operator that we just needed a ride down. He let us on board and told us to pay when we got to the bottom. We paid for tickets and continued into Les Houches...not realizing yet that the lady in the booth had charged us for round-trip tickets (ugh! we would figure this out during dinner that night)
There was less rain in Les Houches as we walked around the town looking for (1) a place to eat and (2) the famous Tour du Mont Blanc arch where you HAVE to get your picture taken (or your hike doesn't count). lol Right next to the arch we found a small farmer's market that was just wrapping up for the day...cheese, meat and nougatine was purchased.
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| Looking down into Les Houches from Bellevue tram |
We would sit down for lunch - some with a half-hearted intention of still continuing with the miles that would lead us back to Chamonix - but it ultimately came down to the weather. There was no sign that the forecast would change and with packs, clothing and shoes that were already soaked we decided that Les Houches would be our end.
And just like that, we completed our TMB journey.
No clapping. No medals. No witnesses.
Only the memories and personal satisfaction of knowing what we'd done.
Friends sharing an amazing adventure - going places most people only dream about.
 | | Fromage at the market |
|  | | TMB Completed! |
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 | | The market |
|  | | Lunch in Les Houches |
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After lunch we would catch the bus back to Chamonix, grab our suitcases from storage and check into our apartment. Of course, the rain had abated and blue skies returned...all we could do is say "oh well!"
We took advantage of the time in Chamonix and went to the grocery store for fresh fruit, meats, cheese and beer to snack on. Yes, naps happened pre-and-post hot showers. We toured the town a bit and went to the Office of Tourism to buy some TMB swag...others we on a mission to get presents for family members.
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| Mont Blanc Brewery |
It took a little bit of time to decide but finally the crew made their way to the Mont Blanc Brewery for dinner. Burgers, poutine and beers totally hit the spot! I think we walked around Chamonix a bit more - enjoying the nightlife, the endless gelato (l'orange chocolate for me!) and a bit more shopping before heading back to the apartment.
We capped off the evening with some very nice (and very cold) Italian Limoncello to celebrate our travel and time on the trail together.
Day 6 Strava link
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