Monday 8th September: Sunny with little white fluffy clouds: 8°C to 26°C
Champex to Argentiere: 27.4k: 7.40am to 6.40pm: 11 hours - our most hours yet
1871m ascent and 2278m descent
Statistics of 27.4k to Argentiere
Cold start from Relais d'Arpette
Dark valley at 7am
Soon becomes blue skies and sunny
On the TMB - Tour de Mont Blanc
Heading up the Arpette Valley
The square hole of the Fenetre appears high above
Looking ahead to the Fenetre
Looking back at the Arpette Valley
At the top and looking down
Coffee in a warm spot at top
Fenetre d'Arpette at 2665m
What a great view
Back drop of Trient Glacier
Near Chalet des Glaciers looking up
Ian on a cliff edge hanging on
Looking at Fenetre and track down
Refuge Les Grandes - 2 Americans and warden in background
The fenetre still in view
Col de Balme with solitary refuge
Col de Balme at 2191m
Mont Blanc peeps through clouds
Cold beer, feet up after 11 hours
Today was a record breaking day in fantastic weather. At 27.4k, it was not the furtherest this trip, we've walked two days over 29k around the Monte Rosa, but it was the most challenging taking 11 hours and with a Total ascent of 1871 metres made up of two separate climbs to the Fenetre d'Arpette and the Refuge Les Grands. And a total descent of 2278m in two separate descents from the Fenetre and the Col de Balme - all in beautiful weather. We've now completed 225k of the Zermatt to Chamonix route, with only a stroll down to Chamonix tomorrow of about 10k to complete the route. That will make out total walk so far of 435k, including the Monte Rosa, so we're headed for a 600k trip.
We're awake early on this beautiful cold morning. Time for a shower, because we can, drag our food bag in from the shelf outside the window, pack, and go down to breakfast. We're waiting for the door to open at 7am, as are a lot of other hikers keen to get going. Breakfast is bread and jam, and tea - but the bread's really fresh and the teas really hot so it's all good.
There's only one couple ahead of us as we head out the door at 7.40am and head towards the Fenetre d'Arpette to a height of 2665m, about a 1000 metre climb. The first 2 hours is through beautiful pine forests and follows the rushing stream. It's 8°C when we start and cold in the shade but quickly warms up as the sun rise over the mountain tops. It's not long before other walkers on the TMB (Tour de Mont Blanc) and heading our way too, start to overtake us - that's OK they're half our age. It's the first day we've linked up with the TMB and we're going it the traditional direction of anti clockwise, hence the hoardes of hikers going our way.
The last 1hr to the fenetre (French for window), is steep and scrambly over boulders and up steep slippery shale, but the fenetre is now in full view as a square hole cut into the top of the mountains, and connecting two valleys, the Arpette and Trient. Finally, we're up the top at 2665m on a glorious morning. There's only about 20 sq metres of space at the top and it's crowded and about to get even squashier with more hikers streaming up to the top.
There's a little nook at the top where we have our coffee - same spot as two years ago, but the fenetre hasn't lost it's magic. But time to head on down, as it's a long day still ahead. It's 2 hrs to get to the bottom to Chalets des Glaciers, a coffee house, trekking past the Trient Glacier on our left as we descend. Time for another 15 minute break to have a cup of tea and a cheese sandwich. We've decided to do a TMB variant and go up past the Refuge Les Grandes, high above the Trient and Grans Glaciers. The track is remarkably beautiful through the pine forests and looking over the two glaciers. It's also well built and quite wide.
There's a climb of more than 600 metres to get to the Refuge, which sits on a ledge in a totally isolated spot. There's 2 Americans who hope to stay there, and when we finally arrive, the warden who infrequently pops in (after his 600 metre climb also) is also there. Five people have booked into the Refuge for the night. I had previously considered staying there but could find very little about the place. We now know it does have mattresses and blankets, but no running water, no showers and a tin shed 100 metres away that's the loo. But it's in a beautiful location, so we'll make a mental note for next time.
After the Refuge Les Grandes, the track is very bouldery and undulating - with climbs and drops of 100metres several times. But there's still great views back to the Fenetre, the weather has warmed up to the mid 20's and we're making good time to the Col de Balme, about 3hrs on from the refuge. There's 2 more lone hikers heading our way towards the Refuge, but otherwise it's very peaceful without the hoardes of TMB hikers.
It's 4.40pm when we reach the Col de Balme where there's our favourite refuge - NOT. We've booked a hotel way down the valley in Argentiere, so we waste no time in heading on down on a well used track through open ski fields and meadows, under the cable cars (very tempting) and into the small village of Le Tour, all the while watching for glimpses of Mont Blanc appearing through the white clouds. Following the road down with the sun setting behind the mountains, we arrive in Argentiere at 6.40pm, after 11 hours - our longest day yet and our highest ascents and descents of teh trip. We tired but not quite stuffed as look for the Hotel La Couronne, and find it's right next to a Supermarche U - time to get a wine and cold beer to go with our picnic dinner. But the beers not cold so I grab a bottle of wine that's been sitting on the bottom shelf and is cool from the spill over air from the freezer next to it.
The hotel is on a busy road, but the room is spacious and nice with really good internet. I get two cold beers from the bar/restaurant downstairs and then it's time to sit back, put our feet up and have dinner. We're starving after One cheese sandwich all day. The foods, great, the beers cold, but the Rose is sickly sweet, but one glass is all we need before we're in bed.