Well, we got it half right!A week away from home, 8800 metres of climbing on the altimeter and 5 days/4 nights out on the tour, it’s a highly recommended classic. But its not a walk (or even a ride) in the park!
Here are some photos and a few words of description of our trip to inspire you.
Day 1
From our base in Argentiere, we set off in damp and chilly conditions down the riverside track to Chamonix. A gentle downhill gradient seemed like a very kind way to start the circuit. Once through Chamonix town, we rejoined the off-road at Les Gaillands and continued on down to Les Houches. Downhill over!
Our chosen route then took us up the road through Les Houches towards Vaudagne, before leaving the lovely tarmac and hitting the first of many carry-climbs up to the Col de la Forclaz at 1533m. I’d love to say the effort was worth it, with stunning views back up the Chamonix Valley to Mont Blanc. But I can’t. ‘Pea-Soup’ conditions and a fine Scottish ‘mizzle’ favoured those with a good imagination.
The rather damp conditions also favoured not getting the map out too often. Just follow the downhill and at some point sooner or later, you’ll hit the tar on the road to Les Contamines. That is, if you haven’t hit the dirt track face first on the 600m of downhill!
Our first night out was at the Hotel Chemenaz in Les Contamines. Very bike friendly with a powerful hose for legs and bikes, and a superb drying room for sorting out 2 days of soaking kit belonging to 11 dishevelled bikers. And a big feed too!Day 2
I always get nervous when plans change last minute. It kind of suggests that we didn’t really know where we were going in the first place. Surely not? However, with insider information from the biker hotel owner, we were promised a much better descent from the Col du Bonhomme to Les Chapieux. Whilst the democratic vote was being taken, someone forgot to mention that the revised route involved an extra road pass worthy of the Tour.
The route up towards the col is rideable in parts, and with the cloud slowly beginning to clear, we got our first glimpses of mountains since arriving in the Alps. Biking through high alpine meadows, with swirling clouds and high mountain views opening up all the time the big broad grins of satisfaction started to appear.
Only to suddenly disappear when we saw the snow on the Col du Bonhomme at 2329m. Bugger! At least the final carry up to the col gets the blood flowing, and there’s a small hut on the top to keep the windchill off bare white peely-wally legs.Instead of heading through snow and cloud to the next col, we followed a bit of singletrack down to the south east, made for mountain biking (except for the middle vertical bit perhaps).
Following the watercourse down, the track got a little ‘interesting’, with a fairly high penalty clause for any offs. Once through the narrows the objective dangers came from cow sh*t rather than a 100 foot cliff. Slight less life threatening; equally undesirable.
Back at the tar, the news about the road pass was gently broken to us. Solace was found in a handy roadside hotel with strong coffee and apple tart. It tasted good half way up the Cormet de Roseland as well. And ¾ of the way up. And near the top. Burp!
Being mountain bikers, it was of course necessary to terrorise some poor motorist on the descent with an overtaking move on the outside of a blind bend, before scooting off onto some gorgeous grassy switchbacks and a cold beer at the Auberge de la Nova.Life is good.
Day 3
Little can be said to recommend sharing a dormitory room with 9 other farting, snoring, weak bladdered bikers.
The road from Les Chapieux to la Ville des Glaciers is a rude awakening in the chill of an autumn morning. But nothing like the climb from there to the Col de la Seigne at 2516m. Fortunately, the weather was now behaving, and once through the cloud base, the inversion and the views to the Mont Blanc massif were magical. At last, we were back on plan; snoozing on the top of the pass in the midday sun (jackets required!)
The descent into Italy was mountain biking at its best. Look out for the footpath variation just before the Refuge Elisabetta Soldini. Smug smiles at lunch by the Lac de Combal were quickly lost once we started the carry climb up the TMB path. Just a mere 400m of ascent this time. Gratuitous though it seemed to add in this extra loop, the reason for the torture of the climb soon becomes apparent at the top.
The panorama over the Glacier du Miage and Mont Blanc is rather special, as is the long singletrack traversing descent towards the Courmayeur ski area at the Col Checroui.
The Val Ferret is also an impressive spot, and chances are we’ll be back to explore with the family next summer. The long uphill into a headwind hurt, as the length of the day began to take its toll on tired legs. Spurred on by stunning views and yet more cold beer, arrival at the Chalet Val Ferret at the head of the valley came soon enough.
Day 4It’s a hard trip if you’re not a ‘morning person’. And you’ve woken up with a red-wine induced hangover.
From the Chalet it's out of the back door, granny gear up to the Refuge at 2062m, then a quick carry up to the Grand Col Ferret at 2537m. Views from the col of Mont Dolent and the Aiguille de Triolet serve as a reminder of the geography and the fact we’re on a circumnavigation. Just beyond lies the Argentiere Glacier, and our final destination back at the apartment.
The descent from the pass is just too fast and too much fun to think about stopping to take photos. Just take our word for it. And the word is ‘yeehar’!
Brake discs finally got a chance to cool off in the village of La Fouly. Having dawdled sufficiently with a coffee at the Refuge at La Peule we missed the supermarket and so had to settle for a Swiss banquet of Rosti. Tastes great, costs a fortune and sits on the gut like a brick.If by this time the combined fatigue is tempting you to stay with the tarmac down the valley, don’t! Follow the TMB marked footpath on the far side of the river and enjoy some lovely mountain biking through the trees. Those of a nervous disposition may want to dismount and hold on to the safety chain where it crosses the ravine!
The final treat for the day was another 500m or so of tarmac climbing up to Champex. The easy gradient just means that it takes twice as long to climb to the idyllic lakeside setting – and the cold beer that awaits. Oh yeah!
Day 5As if realising that we were getting a little tired of those mornings where its straight out the door and straight up a thousand or so metres of climbing, the trail from Champex starts off with something unusual – downhill. But boy, do you pay for it.
The track up the Bovine route starts easy enough. And then it turns into the hardest climb yet. Maybe the ‘man flu’ was wearing me down. Or maybe I was just plain and simple knackered. Regardless, I suffered big time with a Specialized Stumpjumper on my back over the 700m ascent.
Once again, the VTT Tour du Mont Blanc delivers another spectacular bit of track, just made for mad men on mountain bikes. Firstly on a narrow path traversing round a steep hillside, with nothing but the flat lands of Switzerland thousands of feet below. Then, 500m of singletrack descending with a challenging variety of rocks and roots to really test your sphincter control.
And of course, it all ends at a suitably positioned restaurant on the Col de la Forclaz (that’s a different one to Day 1).
At this point, for those easily led astray, the temptation of an easy tarmac finish can distract from the real business at hand. And it has to be said, that half of our motley crew showed a distinct of lack of moral fibre and followed the tar to Vallorcine and the Col des Montets.
The real mountain bikers amongst us did of course hang a left and climbed again, up to the reservoir Jeur Verte, on up to the telesiege Tete de Balme and finally the Col des Posettes. And from there, its downhill all the way to Argentiere and the apartment!
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