Switzerland
I have been visiting the Swiss Alps since I was a kid and the mountains still capture my heart. Read about the hikes I did here.
TMB Day 8: Up and Down Col de Balme
Day 8 of the Tour du Mont Blanc was wet, cold …and short. I hiked up to the Refuge du Col de Balme, where I warmed up and made plans for the rest of this rainy day. Then I hiked down to the valley to the first hotel that had a room available. The day ended nicely though, with 4 fellow TMB hikers in an Argentière bar.
TMB Day 7: Fenêtre d’Arpette
Day 7 of my Tour du Mont Blanc was the most impressive day of the tour, and one of the most spectaculair hikes I have done. More than a 2.000 meters up and down a very steep and rough trail, with an hour of scrambling boulders… and sometimes no trail at all.
TMB day 6: the Swiss Val Ferret
My sixth day on the Tour du Mont Blanc turned out to be the easiest part of the entire thru-hike so far. The Swiss Val Ferret has a very moderate elevation change, sweet green pastures and a nice cold lake at the end in Champex.
TMB Day 5: to Switzerland
Day 5 of the Tour the Mont Blanc was beautiful and not too hard. I hiked up the Italian Val Ferret to connect with the official TMB again, climbed up the mountains and crossed the Grand Col de Ferret into Switzerland.
Planning the Tour du Mont Blanc
With a length of 172 kilometer / 107 miles the Tour du Mont Blanc (TMB) seems very similar to the SEKI Loop I hiked in California last summer (104.7 miles / 168,5 km). But the altitude is much lower, the climate different and I also expect to see a lot more people on the trail this summer.
Back to the Ice Age: the Morteratsch Glacier
The Morteratsch Glacier is one of the biggest glaciers in the eastern Alps. A guided tour leaving from the almost 3000 meter mountain viewpoint Diavolezza offers a wonderful day hike, crossing two glaciers with views of stunning high peaks.
A Window with a View: Fenêtre de Ferret
A perfect dayhike in the Swiss Alps with spectacular views of snowy mountain tops, green valleys and lakes of the deepest blue. A steep climb is rewarded with the unforgettable view from the Fenêtre de Ferret overlooking the Italian valley and Alps near the Grand St. Bernard pass.