The TMB - extra day - June 17th - Circular walk to Lac Blanc from Col des Montets

I had completed my Tour du Mont Blanc and was camped at Les Houches. I used my spare "extra" day to walk with a lighter pack arguably the best section of the trail, as a circular - both the official and variente routes on the Grand Balcon Sud.
I took the bus along the Chamonix valley to Argentière and walked to and from the col.

Walking to the col from Argentiére

Ibex at the bottom of the ladder section

Climbing the ladders past the Aiguillette d'Argentiére rock needle

The view back down

Superb views across the valley

More ladders to climb

More amazing views of the Mer de Glace

The view ahead to Refuge du Lac Blanc visible in the next picture

I saw a soaring Griffon Vulture

Mer de Glace

Ibex

Alpine Chough

After a great day on the ascent path, I returned to the col along the variente route in deteriorating weather, and was extremely lucky to finally capture some photos of a young Chamois before the end of my walk.

All good things come to an end, including the fine spell of weather I had enjoyed for most of my TMB walking. Back at the campsite in Les Houches there was a terrific thunderstorm that lasted for hours on the evening of June 18th. It continued to pour down all of the night and into the next day. I felt sorry for these two French brothers who were only a couple of days into their tour, and were having to wait for the weather to clear at  Les Houches before they could continue. They pitched under the protection of this tractor shed. We said our goodbyes and I caught my scheduled Chamexpress back to Geneva. Au revoir ....

The TMB - DAY11 - June 16th - Col de Brévent to Les Houches

I had camped just outside the Réserve Naturelle Aiguilles Rouges on the path over the col. It was impossible to use tent pegs on the rocky surface so I tied the guys to suitably heavy rocks.

The path continued on the western side of the ridge through a moonscape of rocky bowls and ridges.

To gain the ridge a short section of ladders is provided.  I saw a Chamois here, but didn't manage to get a photograph. This guy caught me up and I let him go first up the ladders.

Once on the ridge there was a terrific view in all directions. This view is to the west away from the Chamonix valley.

Alpine Accentors were chasing wind-blown seeds on the patches of snow.

Occasionally a window opened up through the clouds revealing the Mont Blanc summit and the Aiguille du Midi.

I began the long descent - broken part way down by stopping at the Refuge de Bel Lachat. The guy there was getting ready to open-up for the season next day. I asked for water but he could only provide beer!

The end is in sight - but it's still a long way down to Les Houches in the Chamonix valley.

The TMB - Day10 - June 15th - From Argentière to Col de Brévent

At the end of Day 9, I walked into Argentière and had a good meal. The next priority was to find somewhere to stay the night. I walked back to Tré le Champ and wandered around trying to find someone at Camping Les Frasserands. The place seemed deserted - so in the end I opted for a night of comparative luxury at Gîte Refuge le Moulin nearby. This photo was taken next morning - Day 10.

Leaving the Gîte, I formulated my plans for the next couple of days. If I was to continue on the "classic" TMB route, I needed to return to the Col des Montets
and climb onto the Grand Balcon Sud via the steep laddered section. I didn't think this the best idea. My heavy rucksack was becoming too much of a burden - so I opted for an easier path to La Flégère. I knew if I could reach Les Houches in two days - keeping to the original 11 day schedule - then I could dump my gear there and come back on my "spare" day at the end to complete the (reputedly) spectacular section carrying just a light day pack - which would be much more enjoyable.
I found an easier direct and waymarked "tourist" path from Argentière to La Flégère which was a delight. It was a steady climb through open forest with butterflies in abundance, and views across the valley to the glacier Mer de Glace.

This lake is near the cable-car station at La Flégère, where I rejoined the official TMB route.

This wasn't the prettiest section of the TMB. With manicured ski pistes and chairlifts in abundance, I got through it as quickly as possible. I passed another chairlift at Plan Praz and started the relentless climb to Col de Brévent 2368m. I saw some Ibex along the way.

I found a level pitch for my tent on the col, with this view of Le Brévent towering above.

The TMB - Day 9 - June 14th - From Les Grands towards Argentière, via Aiuguillette des Posettes.

The first photo in this series shows the early part of the route past the Refuge
Les Grands (circled), and onwards to the Col de Balme

click the picture to view a larger size

The sun was at a low angle as I climbed the gully from my overnight forest camp.

The view back down the gully. Huge slabs with vertical joints formed the cliff ...

I spent an hour watching and photographing this Marmot family ..

The path gained the top of the cliff along a natural fault, with a cable to hold onto ..

If you suffer from vertigo - look away now!

Once above the cliff-top, the refuge came into view ..

The trail went past the refuge, and round a rocky shoulder above the Nant Noir valley, with many cairns and white/red TMB flashes painted on the rocks ..

Soon the Refuge du Col de Balme came into view. The "official" TMB path from Trient could be seen to converge with my variente path at the Col.

The Refuge stands on the unmarked Franco/Swiss border at 2191 metres, with
a terrific view down the Chamonix valley. Mont Blanc was under cloud cover, as usual ..

The trail crossed the head of the Chamonix valley to the Col des Posettes at
1997 m, before climbing to the summit cairn of the Aiuguillette at 2201 m.
The twin peaks of Aiguille Morris and Aiguille Martin dominate the view beyond the Aiuguillette.

Marsh Fritillary butterfly, photographed at the Col ..

The "cotton-grass" photo gives a view of the Glacier du Tour across the valley ..

I met Nicolas on the Col de Balme - a kindred spirit from Avignon. His English was a lot better than my French. We walked together down the long descent to the Col des Montets above Argentière, and actually met-up again two days later in Les Houches.

The TMB - Day 8 - June 13th - From Champex ...

I spent the night in Champex with good facilities - hot showers - and electric for charging all my camera batteries!
I met one other TMB walker - from Belgium - at ..

Les Rocailles camp-site, Champex.

With no particular plan of where I was staying the next night, I set-off to take the variente route via Fenêtre D'Arpette ..
The trail climbed through forest at first beside a fast-flowing stream

Soon the gradient eased through the main part of the Val D'Arpette, with good views both up, and down the valley

above : looking back down the valley     &     below : looking ahead up the valley

The easy walking was short-lived as the trail entered a rocky gully and traversed boulder-strewn slopes, with my first sighting of the "window" through low cloud.

Many walkers travelling in the opposite direction were doing the "Walker's Haute Route" from Chamonix to Zermatt; from Mont Blanc to the Matterhorn. See here -
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Haute_Route

Once over the narrow Col at 2665 metres, the view down the Trient valley opened-up

I was above the Glacier du Trient

The descent of the valley was long and steep

Eventually, much further-on, I reached the Chalet du Glacier café. The place was being refurbished ready for the new season and lots of building materials were laying around. I was surprised to find (still deep in the pine forest) that everyone had gone home leaving this fire completely unattended!

I had to make a choice at the café - whether to continue down the valley to Trient, or whether to opt for another variente - which meant climbing back up the valley on the opposite side towards the Refuge Les Grands. I chose the latter and ended-up camping on the first level bit I could find - actually on the forest trail - with a nice soft bed of pine-needles.