Our first TMB self guided groups have nearly finished, our first guided group is in Champex Lac tonight. The news is good, with all of this hot weather the snow patches are smaller and it's looking much more like summer!
Day 1: Chamonix to Les Houches, the Col du Brevent is now passable with extreme care using micro spikes & poles. Still a lot of snow with very steep ground below. If you are not confident on snow & don't have micro spikes, take the cable car to the very top & start the walk from there.
Day 2: Les Houches to Contamines, summer conditions
Day 3: Contamines to Chapieux, still snow patches no problems. We are not sure of the status on the Col des Fours, none of our groups have gone that way. Our advice would be to ascend to the col & if the descent is still full of snow then retrace your steps to the Croix du Bonhomme & descend via Chapieux & on to Refuge Mottets.
Day 4: To Courmayeur via the Col de la Seigne, still a few snow patches no problems.
Day 5: Courmayeur to the Val Ferret/ Bonatti, summer conditions.
Day 6: Val Ferret to La Fouly, still a few snow patches no problems.
Day 7: La Fouly to Champex, summer conditions
Day 8: Champex to Trient via Bovine, summer conditions. We have no new news of the Fenetre d'Arpette as none of our groups have gone that way.
Day 9: Trient to La Tour & Argentiere, summer conditions
Day 10: Summer conditions & Lac Blanc via Lac Chesereys now passable, there is still snow up there but passable.
Travel while on the TMB
For more information on cable cars in the Chamonix Valley, see here: https://en.chamonix.com/informations-remontees-mecaniques-en-temps-reel
Bus travel in the Chamonix Valley, see here: https://www.montblancbus.transdev.com/en/reseau/chamonix-bus/
Bus transport in the Italian Val Veny & val Ferret, see here: https://arriva.it/app/uploads/sites/3/2023/06/000931-CourmayeurValVeny-1.pdf
https://arriva.it/app/uploads/sites/3/2023/06/000924-CourmayeurValFerret-1.pdf
Bus travel in the Swiss Val Ferret, see here: https://www.postauto.ch/en
Weather forecasts
Chamonix Valley: https://chamonix-meteo.com/chamonix-mont-blanc/weather/forecast/morning/5_days_weather_forecast.php
Courmayeur area: https://www.courmayeur-montblanc.com/en/weather-cam/
Swiss Valais: https://www.meteoswiss.admin.ch/local-forecasts/champex-lac/1938.html#forecast-tab=detail-view
Other good weather apps: Windy & Meteo Blue
Suggested navigation phone applications
Iphigénie: French IGN mapping
Swiss Topo: Swiss Topo mapping
Alltrails: Downloadable mapping with preloaded gpx routes of the TMB
Gaia GPS: Downloadable mapping with preloaded gpx routes of the TMB
Here's to a great 2023 season, enjoy this beautiful trail and stunning environment!!
