Les Houches - Col de Voza - Les Contamines - Refuge de Nant Borrant - Aire de bivouac
Sometimes, you have a feeling that you need to escape from everything and experience something really intense. That was a feeling I got a week ago and I have decided to go for the Tour du Mont Blanc. I found a group of guys with the same intention and just 2 days later, I was sitting with them in the car going to France.
After a long journey, we ended up near Les Houches where we spent the night sleeping in a parking place.
In the morning, we woke up and were amazed by sharp and snowy peaks of the Alps which we didn´t notice last night as it was dark.
We still have 12 kilometers to drive to Les Houches.
After the arrival, we are drying all our sleeping bags which got wet during the night, which I find quite exciting because it means that I was sleeping outside.
After having breakfast, we are ready to set off.
We are starting in Les Houches, a village in French Alps and starting point for Tour du Mont Blanc. TMB is considered as the most beautiful trail in Europe so let´s see if that is right. It is recommended to be done within 10 days but as I need to come back to work sooner, I have persuaded the guys to shorten it to 8 days.
Finally, we are setting off. The plan for the first day is 23 km and the elevation of 1300 metres up. It sounds like a nice walk through a wonderful landscape but if you consider the backpack having 13 kg, it takes more power and energy.
We are ascending for the first two hours, the ways up are neverending but we always get stunning views as a reward.
There are many huts on our way where you can have a rest, something to drink or eat, take some water or stay overnight.
We are just in Col de Voza, admiring this nicely coloured horse which has just come closer and started to neigh. It looks as if he has been curious and come to check us and now he is laughing at what we are doing.
As we are carrying all the food with us, we don´t need to stop anywhere and we are just going on. Only if there is a tub with water, we are filling in our camelbaks.
Walking through some villages, we are meeting really friendly people who are greeting us with a smile on their faces.
Some of the villages are really picturesque.
At the same time, you can admire roses and lavender in blossom and just behind the corner you will be surprised by red rose hips.
We just can´t stop taking pictures, not getting enough of these wonderful views.
About 10 km before the end of our today´s journey, we are meeting Dan - a hiker from Amsterdam who has no plan for his route and he is just joining us. He´s a fresh energy for our next walk and we are heading to Les Contamines, a village where we would like to stop for a beer. Afterwards, it is still about 6 km up to a mountain so we need to get some extra energy.
It is Sunday and there is only one place which is open here - a café. We are sitting in a garden and there is another table with other hikers going TMB and some other tables with "normal" guests. When we are leaving, I can see that some of them are laughing at my way of putting on the bacpack. It is huge and still quite heavy, probably they think I am going to die of the weight soon.
Tonight, we are sleeping in an official place for bivouac. Before we get there, we are having a rest at Refuge de Nant Borrant which is on our way, just 10 minutes before the bivouac.
Coming closer to our bivouac, we can hear cow bells ringing one over another. What an awakening we will have next morning!
All my body hurts and I am totally exhausted but the first day was definitely worth it. I am washing my T-shirt in the river and stepping in the terribly cold water just to refresh my feet.
And now, let´s go for a forest-made couscous with tuna. We are sitting all together around our gas cookers (as we cannot make open fire) and talking about life and planning our next day.