TOUR DU MONT BLANC DAY 3

 

Day 3 on the Tour Du Mont Blanc, Courmayeur to La Fouly. Today started differently, a slower, gentler awakening. No frantic tent-shaking or phone alarms. The first bus back to Courmayeur wasn’t until 7:45, allowing us a much-needed lie-in. With a slightly more laid-back morning ahead, we packed our dry tents, savoured our coffee, and threw together baguettes for the day before hopping on the bus just before 8.

We began the day with a steady climb, ascending through the trees out of Courmayeur. By the time we reached Rifugio Bertone, the summit of the climb, the day's heat was already building. The next ten kilometres involved undulating terrain, skirting along the smaller hills that face the Grand Jorasses.

After a short stop at another Italian rifugio, where we filled our bottles with alpine water and our bellies with cheap biscuits, we started the descent to the head of the valley aiming for a restaurant at the bottom. A quick look at the elevation graph called for a cold can of Coke each—the perfect combination of a ton of sugar and a bit of caffeine to prevent potential bonks.

The climb up to Col Ferret felt like the hardest section of the walk so far. Perhaps it was the mileage accumulating, the lack of shade, or the fact that this was the highest point on the walk so far. We slumped under any available shade at the summit of the Col.

The long walk down into our first Swiss valley allowed us to absorb the scene: cowbells, alpine meadows, and swarms of butterflies. This one felt especially peaceful and picturesque, perhaps because of the relief of finishing that climb.

Walking down the road through Ferret and into La Fouly was a welcome change from the dusty, rocky trails. The sun dipped behind the Mont Blanc Massif, casting the valley in cool blue shadows.

We paid for our tents at the La Fouly campsite, sharing a pitch with other Tour du Mont Blanc walkers. They were easily identified by their cramped lightweight tents, dehydrated meals, and general look of exhaustion, in stark contrast to the campervans, barbecues, and sun loungers of families who had set up base for the summer holidays.