The two choices for Day Seven of the Tour du Mont Blanc are either the route through Alp Bovine similar to Day Six or the higher Fenetre D’Arpette both leading to Col de la Forclaz.
The Bovine Option on the TMB from Champex to Col de la Forclaz
The Bovine route winds around spectacular Swiss mountainsides for 16 km (10 miles) with an overall elevation gain of 742 m (2500 ft) and loss of 682 m (2250 ft), according to Kev Reynolds’ Tour of Mont Blanc (Cicerone).
The route first passes through the villages of Champex d’en Haut and then Champex d’en Bas and several hotels and restaurants if you decide to delay breakfast for a half hour or so.
Then the trail climbs gently through woodland and meadows, climbs a little more steeply across a rocky mountainside and then emerges high on a green mountainside with views to the east. The TMB from here snakes around the shoulder of the mountain to the Bovine farm with a café where the hiker can stoke up on eggs and bacon in a glorious setting. A few dormitory spaces are available here in case of bad weather.
After the Bovine farm, the trail climbs to its highest point (2049 m/6762 ft) and then descends steadily to Col de la Forclaz.
Taking the TMB High Road from Champex
The Fenetre D’Arpette although shorter at 14 km (8.7 miles) climbs much higher—to 2665 m (8800 ft), the highest point of the TMB, according to Reynolds.
This trail climbs 1199 m (3957 ft) and descends 1139 m (3757 ft) and is made even more difficult by a boulder field as you climb toward the pass, according to Reynolds. Reynolds says the difficulty pays off by providing spectacular views of the mountains and the Trient glacier after the pass.
Another 4 km past the Fenetre D’Arpette pass is Chalet du Glacier, where refreshments are available and from there the trail is nearly level to Col de la Forclaz.
Col de la Forclaz Lies on Main Road
The cozy Hotel du Col de la Forclaz offers private rooms, dormitory rooms, food and drink. If it is full, accommodations are also available in either Trient or Le Peuty, about 30 minutes or 45 minutes respectively farther along the TMB, according to Reynolds.
The hotel has a charming terrace restaurant as well as an inside restaurant where dinner is served. It is situated at a corner of a main road and trucks can be noisy, but the terrace is still a good spot to sit and rest and plan for Day Eight, which takes you back into France across the Col de Balme. .
A bus runs from Col de la Forclaz down to Martigny, a Swiss provincial center with connections to the Mont Blanc Express back to Chamonix and trains to Geneva.
Lyda Phillips - Lyda Phillips is an award-winning journalist, novelist and screenwriter. As a reporter for daily and weekly newspapers and United Press ...
