MBT Stage 5: Courmayeur to Rifugio Bertone (and back)

Stage V was not a full day for us, as we would be going back to Chamonix the following day. We did a short day hike up to Refugio Bertone (1,980')and back. The round trip took as about 3hrs.

At Refuge Bertone we relaxed sipping our espresso’s and gazed at the Mont Blanc and the Aiguille Noire. We descended back into town and spent the day enjoying Courmayeur’s pastry shops, cafes and bars. The following day we watched the start of one of the ultra marathon races and then bused it back to Chamonix. In Chamonix we were able to watch the end of the race and further relax in the hot tub at Hotel Alpina.

Enjoying espresso.

Sipping on more espresso in Courmayeur quaint streets.

Mountains in the backdrop

Enjoying the view from our hotel patio.

More pizza that night!

Getting ready to head back to Chamonix.

Start of the Ultra Marathon in Courmayeur.

MBT Stage 4: Rifugio Elisabetta to Courmayeur

Much like Stage III we awoke to a cloudy sky which cleared as we approached our destination. Again we were sad to leave the cozy and welcoming abode of Elisabetta (seen above) but we were also excited to see some more mountains and to get to the town of Courmayeur.

Knowing this was almost our final stage in the Alps we took our time gazing at the mountain ranges and glaciers, and prolonging the inevitable end of this amazing trek. Stage IV took us 18km from Refuge Elisabetta to Courmayeur and past the wall of moraine and the Glacier de Miage. We were originally going to trek via Rifugio Monte Bianco, but at the last minute we decided views from the main route might be more intense. After meeting some trekkers on route, I was i nformed that the trek to Monte Bianco offers its own beauty and seeing the refugio that night on a tv special about the region, showed its powerful position on the mountain, pretty impressive. When in the Alps I can't imagine a bad view.

Mont Blanc covered by cloud.

Trekking away from Elisabetta with Glacier Miage in the background.

As we climbed the slopes of the L’Arp Vieille I was more than impressed by the views of first the Glacier de Miage and then the entire face of the Mont Blanc Range (southern side) with the Val Veni down below.

Great Deuter backpack!

As we climbed up towards the highest point of Stage IV, Mont Favre Spur, 7,970’ we were fortunate enough to see a helicopter delivering loads for the upcoming ultra marathon. In fact, the helicopter flew right over us and dropped its cargo almost directly in front of us. It was an impressive site and sound and gave some notion to what mountain rescue might be like in these vast mountains.

The high point of the stage.

Great views of the Mont Blanc range.

Finally a photo of the two of us, thanks to the Cape Town girls.

After spending some time gazing at the Mont Blanc range we began our descent down towards Col Checrouit, and then down a very steep ski slope towards the beautiful town of Dolonne.

Once in Dolonne we had to navigate our way through the narrow stone alleys towards the village of Courmayeur. Here we found our accommodations – Hotel Wasler – where we’d stay for 2 nights. We went with a slightly higher scale hotel because we'd be there for 2 nights, and we were not doing any more strenuous hiking, so it was more like a vacation style for us, not to mention the hot tub. But there are plenty of affordable and lower end hotels/refuges to stay in if you are continuing on the 11 day trek.

Noteworthy is to mention that this place had the best breakfast. Each morning we'd awake to freshly baked croissants. The scent seriously filled the hotel and was amazing. Breakfast included coffee, tea, juice, croissants, cereals, fruit, cheese, deli meats, pastries, toast/bread, yogurt. It was an amazing spread.

View from Hotel Wasler.

Hotel Wasler

We decided it was cheaper and fun to go find some authentic Italian pizza and buy some Chianti at the groceria and chill out in our room. Padella’s made an amazing pizza that we could not get enough of, it had delicious thin crust, with flavorful tomato sauce, thinly sliced spicy sausage, grilled eggplant, red onion and mozzarella.

Tomorrow would be our last small trek to Bertone and back and then we'd have the afternoon to check out Courmayeur.

Stage IV Summary

Route: Main
Total Hours: 7hrs very slow pace this time to soak it all in
Total Kilometers: 18km

Accommodations: Hotel Walser

Accommodations Cost: 100€

Dinner: Pizza from Padella's and a bottle of Chianti

Breakfast: Everything and amazing freshly baked croissants.

MBT Stage 3: Croix du Bonhomme to Refugio Elisabetta

Last night it apparently stormed, but exhaustion allowed me to sleep right through it all. We awoke to the clouds hovering in the valley and the mountain peaks poking through. Despite the cloudiness we were pleased that the sky never opened up anymore than to allow a few drops of rain.

In addition, after being burnt for the first two days cloud cover was a welcome change. Before heading out we slurped down large sums of coffee and ate homemade bread with either honey or nutella spread. Then we set out for a 16 km hike into Italy and towards Refuge Elisabetta.

Mt. Pourri at 7am, the clouds were lingering in the valley, providing an mystical atmosphere.

I sadly left the Croix du Bonhomme’s picturesque seclusion in the midst of the Alps, but knew I would soon see more intense scenery as today we’d get closer to glaciers. Once we reached the Col des Fours the highest point of the trek at 8743’ (35 minutes from the refuge) we began a long descent down towards the Ville des Glaciers. It is at this point where the Glaciers of the Glaciers came into sight.

Marc at Tete Nords des Fours


Villes des Glaciers


At the Ville des Glaciers I noticed a small sign stating ‘Vente Fromage et Beurre’ posted outside of the farmhouse. I poked my head into the farm door where I saw a farmer sporting large green rubber boots stoking a fire under a gigantic pot of what I could only conclude to be cheese in the making. I asked him, in French of course, if he sold cheese. After he finished his fire stoking he brought me into his cheese cellar where he cut a large wedge of old Beaufort cheese for me (1 lbs for only 5€). It was an amazing bold tasting cheese that we enjoyed eating for the next two days of our hike.

Cheese Cellar

Stoking the fire.

We continued on past Refuge Les Mottets and began a gradual ascent up towards the Col de La Seigne at 8252’ towards the Mont Blanc Massif and the French-Italian Border. The backdrop as we approached the Col de La Seigne was immense and the colors of the glacier became more prominent with whites, blues and red hues.

We stopped for lunch near a water fall to enjoy our Beaufort cheese, cherry tomatoes, homemade bread, chorizo sausage and wine. We sat there and relaxed while enjoying the views.

Beaufort cheese, crackers, homemade bread, tomatoes, chorizo sausage and red wine.

Cloud cover started to get more dramatic as we approached the Col de la Seigne making for a gloomy yet mystical sort of feeling. At the Col de la Seigne unfortunately the cloud cover was a bit too intense to see the supposedly outstanding view in all directions.

Hiking towards Col de la Seigne.

We then descended into Italy’s Val Veni towards our final destination Refugio Elisabetta at an elevation of 7544’ (2195m).

The official 'TMB' sign of the trail.

Rifugio Elisabetta

Refugio Elisabetta is an old stone refuge which lies less than 90 min below the Col de la Seigne on the Italian side of the Alps. The backdrop of Elisabetta is the Glacier d’Estellette and Glacier de la Lee Blanche and the view from the covered porch is the Vallon de la Lee Blanche leading into Courmayeur.

The refuge was welcoming and cozy. After a very quick shower in the coin operated facilities, we ordered some large pints of Birra Morretti and reviewed what we’d completed in Stage III and prepped for Stage IV.

All the while we could smell the delicious food being prepared in the kitchen. Dinner was delicious and hearty consisting of bean soup, pork tenderloin, mashed potatoes, mixed salad, bread, peaches and a nice liter of red wine. We were pleased when the trekkers we dined with also indulged in some delicious red wine. Conversation about the trek and travel was shared between us and many of the other trekkers including a funny Scottish couple and trekkers from Germany, South Africa, France and Italy.

Stage III Summary

Route: Alternative
Total Hours: ~ 6hrs
Total Kilometers: 16-18km
Accommodations: Refuge Elisabetta
Cost: 88€ (for 2 demi-pension)
Dinner: Bean Soup, Homemade Bread

Pork Tenderloin, Mashed Potatoes, Mixed Salad,

Red wine (Chianti).
Breakfast: Coffee, Bread with nutella/honey/jam and cereal.

Intro to the Mont Blanc Tour

My husband and I planned a trekking trip in Europe. This trek was the Self-Guided Mont Blanc Tour (MBT). The MBT is a Mecca for hikers as it takes you hut to hut through awe-inspiring mountain landscapes of the French, Swiss and Italian Alps. Each day offered breathtaking panoramic scenery, charming mountain huts, gothic cathedrals and the opportunity to enjoy delicious regional cuisine. At the pinnacle or one of many focal points of the hike is the Mont Blanc Massive which stands as the highest peak in Europe at an impressive height 15,771feet (4807m).

The MBT is an 11 day trek, totalling 105 miles (~170km) with a combined height and gain loss of about 33,000 feet. Although I really wanted the challenge of the full 11 days, I also wanted to keep some time open to travel a bit of the classic European cities I had yet to see like Paris, Venice and Rome. Doing the shorter 5 day trek also provided my husband and I with time to hang out in some outdoorsy mountain towns and soak up local mountain culture such as Courmayeur a small outdoorsy town in Valley d’Aosta in northern Italy and Chamonix, France home to some of the most adventurous outdoor gurus (mountaineers, skiers, base jumpers, heli-skiers etc…). The five day trek consisted of approximately 80km, averaging 16-18 km per day with elevation gains and losses.

While planning my trip I found many useful websites from those who had trekked the MBT before. I thought I would share my experiences and tips so that others may benefit or just for those that love to look at great mountain photos. I have broken down each stage and provide links, photos and tips in each blog to help trekkers plan their own trip. Happy trekking!

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You can join a guided tour of the Mont Blanc Tour, in which all the routes, lodging and food is planned out for you, as well as have some of your baggage transported from hut to hut for you or do it all solo.

My husband and I love everything about planning our own treks – from studying the maps for the all the accents, descent and way points; to packing and carrying our own gear and food. We also enjoy to trek at our own pace, and make decisions about what route we will take for the day (main vs. alternative), as well as determine our own rest spots. Therefore we decided it would be more enjoyable for us to do a self-guided trek of the MBT. In order to plan our trek the first thing was to get the necessary resources.

Resources

Book: The Tour Mont Blanc, Complete Trekking Guide by Kev Reynolds (Cicerone)

Map: Carte De Randonees 1:50,000 Pays Du Mont-Blanc

We studied the routes and determined how long we wished to trek each day and the huts or hotels/hostels we wished to stay in. Again by choosing the self guided option we were not constrained to eat dinner at the hotel we lodged at and could venture into the little towns and find interesting delis, bars, cafes and restaurants, except while at mountain huts/refuges where all trekkers lodged and ate together (optional). Furthermore, the self guided tour allowed us to control what we ate and the budget of these meals (not that it was always more feasible).

This is the full 11 day circuit. If you do only 4-5 days you can trek from Chamonix to Courmayeur and the travel back directly to Chamonix via the Mont Blanc Tunnel or via the more alluring telepherique that goes from Courmayeur to Chamonix directly over the Mont Blanc.

Stages of the Trek

Stage I - Chamonix/Les Houches to Les Contamines

Stage II - Les Contamines to Refuge Croix du Bonhomme

Stage III - Refuge Croix du Bonhomme to Refugio Elisabetta

Stage IV - Refugio Elisabetta to Courmayeur

Stage V - Courmayeur to Refugio Bertone or Refugio Bonnati

Packing List

(Printable Version)

For the Trail
Cicerone TMB Guide Book
Map 1: 50000
Map Case of Large Ziplock Bag
Compass

Main Hiking Items
Backpack (40L) with rain cover
2 L platypus for water
Collapsible hiking poles
Hiking Boots (Gortex)
Sunglasses
Sunhat (Gortex recommended)
Rain Jacket and paints (Gortex)
Gators (optional)
Toque/warm hat
Mitts/gloves
Headlamp

Toiletries and More
Sunscreen
Lipsil
First Aid Kit
Swiss Army Knife
Tooth brush and paste
All in one soap (body and hair)
Watch with alarm
Comb/brush
Earplugs
Plastic Garbage bags for wet clothing
Lots of plastic zip lock bags for food, toiletries etc…
Small Towel

Clothing
Hiking pants (2 pair of quick dry)
Hiking t-shirt (2)
Sport bra (1-2)
Long sleeve hiking shirt (1-2) – recommend Ice Breaker
Hiking shorts (1-2)
Long underwear (Capilene)
Long pants/joggers/pyjamas to sleep in (I had joggers I wore after the hike and to sleep in)
Warm sweater or fleece for evenings
Hiking socks (4+) recommend wigwams
Swimming attire (optional)
Shoes for the refuge (sandals or runners –can’t wear boots in refuge)

Other
Digital Camera
Extra batteries
Binoculars
Passport
Medical insurance
Money
Journal
Book
Sleeping sheets