THE FINEST DAY OF THE TMB

Pic-nic in front of the Grandes Jorasses 

Mont Blanc views

Monte de la Saxe 

Jorasses reflections

Col de Sapin 

Tete de la Transfer summit views

Happy!

Descending to Bonnatti Refugio 

The TMB has a few 'varient ' routes on a number of sections. One of these is the high level route over the Monte de la Saxe ridge above the beautiful Val Ferret. Most TMB'ers opt for an easy, direct or shorter way of getting from Courmayeur to Bonnatti Refugio. What a shame! Look what they miss! For me this is the finest day of the entire trek around Mont Blanc.  The views of the Grandes Jorasses and Mont Blanc are spectacular.

INTO ITALY

Over the border into Italy 

Snow Bridges

Admiring Aiguille de Glacier 

A 5 minute glimpse of Mont Blanc 

3 COLS & SNOW ON THE TMB

Descending from Col des Fours

Great snow cover

A long way down

High Alpine flowers 

Col de Bonhomme, receding snow

The Bonhomme ascent 

Friendly Marmotts 

Col des Fours 

Good cloudscapes 

Slabs, snowbridge and waterfalls 

The team had a fantastic day over the '3 Cols' of Bonhomme.  That is Col de Bonhomme,  Col de la Croix de Bonhomme & Col des Fours.  The snow has depleted a huge amount within 8 days. More rock posting through across the first two cols. By the time we made our way to Col des Fours it was 4pm. It is not unusual for the East facing coire here to hold snow into summer.  This year there is more than the average late June snow. It was a wonderful descent. A snow bridge was still insect down at the slabs of  the Rau de Tufs waterfall. Quite spectacular. To finish off the long day we were treated to a close encounter with a Marmot.  10 minutes at close range with this cutie.
This 10 day trek I am guiding for Mont Blanc Treks
https://www.montblanctreks.com/

TMB, LES HOUCHES TO LES CONTIMENES

In the white stuff again 

Domes de Miage 

Swing bridge fun

Meadows below Aig. Bionassay 

Cheesy photo

Another beautiful hot sunny day on the TMB. Today's stage from Les Houches to Les Contimenes takes in Col de Tricot . Meadows of flowers just superb at the moment. Looks like the UK are enjoying the same heat has here this week.

NEW TMB, LOVELY SNOW DAY

Heading up to Le Brevent 

The team at the start 

Snow again

Lunch time

3 ibex within 20 minutes 

Nearly there

Alpine Cough 

St. Brunos Lilly

Quiet morning 

Day 1 of another Tour du Mont Blanc circuit. 10 days of wonderful trekking. On this full version of the TMB I am joined with a group of 10 folk from Australia and USA. Today we started off with a fabulous walk up to Le Brevent.  Snowfields still lingering here too. It was a glorious clear skies and hot sun day. Highlight was spotting 3 separate ibex within 29 minutes and right on trail. All youngsters and could get quite close before they scuttled away into the last vegetation. This trek I am guiding for Mont BlancTreks
https://www.montblanctreks.com/tour-du-mont-blanc/best-of-self-guided-trek

LAC BLANC VIA THE LADDERS

Mont Blanc & Lac de Cheserys 

Mont Blanc & Aiguillete de Argentiere 

The Ladders

Aiguille Rouge 

Aig. Verte, Grandes Jorasses & Aig. Chamonix 

Final steps up to Lac Blanc 

Definitely Lac Blanc today 

Busy

Aig. Verte & Les Drus

Another classic day walk from Chamonix today. One of the finest views of the Mont Blanc range is from the beautiful Lac Blanc. Lac Blanc, along with several lower lakes which are collectively named Lac de Cheserys, lye on the opposite side of the valley looking across to Mont Blanc.  The finest way to get to these stretches of water is from the town of Argentiere via 'the Ladders' or 'Echelles'. This series of metal Ladders and narrow ledges go up through a weaknesses in the steep crags which are just beyond the treeline, directly above Argentiere. This side of the valley is named the Aiguille Rouge and is also a Nature Reserve.  It's best known residents are the ibex which you are very likely to see. It was 'rush hour' when I arrived at the foot of the steep ground.  So I avoided the bottleneck and went looking for an ibex or two to photograph, success!  15 mins later and it was quiet up the Iron rung way. Stunning views across the valley.  After the steep ground it's a lovely trail to the lakes.  Lots of snow around, a great foreground again the big mountains across the valley. In my eyes the finest lakes are the Cheserys not Lac Blanc.  You get some cracking views from them and if you're lucky a Mont Blanc reflection. The final 100m or so up to Lac Blanc is in snow. Watch what's coming down from above,  folk bum sliding with not much thought for people below! I survived the bodies hurling down around me and mingled with the masses up at Lac Blanc. Most folk who go to Lac Blanc head up from the top of the Flegere cablecar.  It's always amusing watching folk still heading up late afternoon. Presumerbly they are hoping to catch the last car down. Do they all make it? One of life's mysteries!  Another brilliant day.

GRAND BALCON NORD

Les Drus

Mer de Glace & North Face Grandes Jorasses 

Chamonix & Aiguille Rouge 

Les Drus & Mer de Glace 

Views on every corner! 

Quiet by late afternoon 

Chamonix makes a great base for some fabulous day walks. You could quite happily spend a week here for a walking holiday.  One of the finest outings is The Grand Balcon Nord.  This high level traverse above the Chamonix Valley can be made even easier by using the cablecar and Col railway at either end, making it even easier!  You have to earn your views surely? Well signed trails go through the forest from town and traverses high above the valley floor, at an altitude of 2000-2300m. There was cloud on the mountains this morning but this lifted by mid-day to leave another beautiful, hot day. The walk is best done from SW to NE. If you start late like me then you get stunning late afternoon light on Les Drus.  Les Drus OS a huge pinnacle of rock, a mountain shaped mountain ! Many a climber has had Epic's over the years on this famous chunk of granite. On this walk you can stroll along with hands in pockets and marvel at it's beauty. The classic view from 'Signal Forbes' high above the Mer de Glace is stunning.  You then drop down in long zig- zags to the Montenvers railway and the hardest of sightseers.  Thankfully it's quiet just now. If times getting on you can catch the amazing cog railway back down
 But that's cheating !