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2024 Tour du Mont Blanc

 Tour du Mont Blanc, Switzerland

Day 1: Les Houches to La Balme - 10mi, 3700ft

Day 2: La Balme to Elisabetta - 13mi, 6000ft - 4 mountain passes, steep!

Day 3: Elisabetta to Courmayeur - 11mi, 3600ft - should have taken the gondola down!

Les Houches to La Balme

The starting line...


Packed and ready to go. Hotel in Les Houche.

First glimpse of things to come. From the top of Bellevue gondola. 





First break of the day - snack and cold drink from the hut in the valley. 
The most scenic outhouse! A very cool composting toilet with conveyor system. 



View from the hut!


Delicious post-hike snack. Day 1 is done. 

Dinner! Yum.


Day 2 La Balme to Elisabetta 

Day 2 started a bit dreary. 


Picked up a few hiking buddies, and the weather is improving. Great start to the day. 


Moody mountains. Pass #1.



an Aussi, Jess, Danny and I



Descending another pass. Lots of vert today! Pass #2.



Rude...

The last pass of the day!

The valley as we approach the hut.

The view from the hut.

Elisabetta Hut

Weary legs, stinky shoes and a full heart. 

Day 3 Elisabetta to Courmeyeur

Leaving the hut in the morning. Someone took Danny's poles by mistake. The ones they left for her are way too long! Hoping we can catch up with whomever has hers. 










The last Italian hut - lunch spot. We didn't find Danny's original poles, but she made a trade with someone who's poles were too short.


And, that's a wrap! This is where I ended my three days of hiking. Danny and Jess are continuing on tomorrow to finish the loop. We celebrated with showers and a lovely Italian dinner. 

Tonight starts the UTMB with the first race kicking off from Courmeyeur at midnight. The streets were filling with runners and spectators as we were eating dinner. There was a certain energy in the air. 


Ladies out there crushing it!
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