Fall hiking in the Massif du Mont Blanc

January 01, 2016

Fall hiking in the Massif du Mont Blanc

For our 2015 hiking trip, Al, Andy, Ben and I headed to Chamonix for the second weekend of October. We had to follow up our fantastic Scotland trip in 2014 in style and put our trust in the mountaineering capital of the world.

What had seemed like the worst weekend to choose - refuges and lifts all closed end September and reopened for half term the week after our trip thus limiting our multiday hike options - would actually turn out perfectly... Blue skies and sunshine were forecast all weekend and as Andy wasn't hiking due to a bad knee we would do day walks so that we could all enjoy the evenings in the valley.

We arrived late on the Thursday evening via Geneva and found our way to the Camping de la Mer de Glace in Les Prazs, after a pizza and a few drinks in Chamonix. Always fun to find a pitch for the tents in the dark...

After some porridge and tea for breakie on Friday and stocking up from the boulangerie in Chamonix, we made our way to the trailhead in Tré-le-Champ just above Argentière at 1417m. We walked via the Aiguillette d'Argentière and up the ladders along the Aiguilles Rouges massif, to the Lac Blanc (2352m). We stopped for lunch at the Lacs des Cheserys, just below Lac Blanc, and far more peaceful than their busier, more famous neighbour. We then followed the Tour du Mont Blanc GR trail west along to Flégère before heading down the mountain straight into Chamonix.

Aiguillette d'Argentière with the glacier du Tour and Aiguille du Tour in the background

Ben and I coming up the ladders (photo: A Byars)

Al with Mont Blanc in the background

Panorama across the valley - Grandes Jorasses (north face), Mer de Glace,
Dent du Géant, Aiguilles de Chamonix and Mont Blanc

Walking down from Lac Blanc with Aiguille du Tour, Glacier du Tour and Aiguille Verte facing us

Panorama for the massif rom the Grandes Jorasses to Mont Blanc, reflected in the lower Lacs des Cheserys

Aiguille Verte, Les Drus, Grandes Jorasses and the aiguilles de Chamonix reflected in the lower Lacs des Cheserys

Les Drus

Aiguille Verte and les Drus

We met Andy for a couple of beers in Chamonix before heading back to the campsite and out for great dinner at La Cabane des Prazs.

On the Saturday we started at pretty much the same spot and hiked up to l'Aiguillette des Posettes (2201m) and then round to the Col de Balme (2190m) on the France-Switzerland border. From there we pushed on to the Glacier du Tour a couple of hundred meters below the refuge Albert 1er (2702m). Our descent was rather swift, dropping steeply to the town of Le Tour (1462m) over 1000m below over a very short distance.

Glacier du Tour and fall alpine colours

Mont Blanc and fall alpine colours

And again, just a little more red...

And again with l'Aiguille Verte and les Drus too

Last one :)

On Saturday evening we opted for a simple pizzeria in Chamonix, rather tired after 2 long days on the hills.

On Sunday we decided to head up the Aiguille du Midi in the morning before heading back to Geneva just after noon for the flights home. The visibility was incredible and we had views in all directions with the highest and most famous peaks of the Alps stretching out in front of us.

We also saw a wingsuit jumper launch himself from the Aiguille du Midi down over the glacier des Bossons. You can see a video here... https://vimeo.com/142283749. Crazy dude!