TMB Day 7: Les Chapieux > Combal | Allison’s Wanderlust

It rained all night and right up till 6:30am, then the clouds broke and bits of blue sky were appearing as I went down to catch the 7:30a shuttle bus to la Ville des Glaciers which is where the TMB finally gets off the road and starts on trail.

It turned out that no one got off at Glaciers so I stayed on too and went with everyone to the last stop: Refuge Mottets. From here it was a steep climb (I think steep is becoming my most frequently used adjective!), which was quite muddy from the 100’s of UTMB-ers that passed through during the night.

I took my sweet time climbing the 6k up to the Col de la Seigne. I’ve had so much time on my hands arriving so early at the refuges and today’s a fairly short day anyway. Tonight I’ll be staying at a true mountain refuge, one there’s no roads to so I’m carrying all I need for tonight & tomorrow and my luggage will be sent ahead to my next hotel.

*Yesterday the clouds followed me down the mountain, today they’re chasing me up*

At 2.5 miles up I hit the snow line. The trail became super muddy, it was cold, breezy and there was still more elevation to climb.

It was dangerously frigid at the summit and I struggled to get all my layers on as my fingers were soon numb. Then it was an absolute mud pit on the descent, I rushed to keep some large groups in sight in the heavy mist so as to keep on trail. I can’t imagine what it was like for the runners coming thru at midnight last night….

It started clearing as I was descending but the mist coming down from the Col was changing into light hail/rain. Welcome to Italy!🇮🇹

Finally I had enough of tiptoeing through the mud and I started freewheeling it down goat trails in the adjacent fields. The sun broke thru to my right and down valley but it remained menacingly grey behind and it continued to sprinkle.

At 5.5 miles and 3h30m I saw Refugio Elisabetta peeking out of the rocks a few hundred meters off trail. The rain was just starting again so I made a beeline up the slope as I was in need of warmth, a seat and a cappuccino.

So much for taking my time. It was only 11:30am when I reached Elisabetta and with only 1 hour more to go to Combal I’ve once again too much time on my hands.

I managed to eke out 2.5 hours with my coffee and a tea; easy to do with such a view and the good company of my tablemates.

*And this is what the accommodations are like at Elisabetta; the view can’t make up for being squashed together like sardines!*

*Descent, then valley walk to Cabane du Combale which is hiding beneath the flat moraine dam in the distant left*

Combal is a mountain hut situated right at the base of Mont Blanc but not at all as remote as I thought. It’s at the junction of the TMB and a gravel road down to the valley so it was buzzing with day hikers having lunch or afternoon coffee. I was still too early to check in so I had some cake and read my book to pass the time.