TMB 🔁
Welcome to my diary where I share my experience hiking the Tour du Mount Blanc as a vegan 💚💙
I am 32 years old from Spain and vegan for almost 4 years. I am currently living in Solothurn, Switzerland.
I am 32 years old from Spain and vegan for almost 4 years. I am currently living in Solothurn, Switzerland.
I decided to write this blog because when I was searching for information, tips and advice about hiking the TMB as a vegan and was not able to find anything. I wanted to know what obstacles would I find and how to prepare myself & pack all the necessities so I will not starve. (I knew that would be highly unlikely :))
The Tour du Mount Blanc is an amazing hike that crosses three different countries, Switzerland, Italy and France. The total length is 170 kilometers, 10000 meters in altitude and about 60 hours of walking.
The Tour du Mount Blanc is an amazing hike that crosses three different countries, Switzerland, Italy and France. The total length is 170 kilometers, 10000 meters in altitude and about 60 hours of walking.
While googling I only found one comment from someone saying that it is hard enough for vegetarians. That didn't stop me! I knew I could make it because last summer, in 2018, I walked the 'Camino del Norte', known by St James way. I walked for 30 days, almost 1000 km, so I thought that the TMB would not be impossible to achieve for vegans either.
I have to say that it is definitely more challenging!
www.autourdumontblanc.com/en/
Here you have the official website where you can plan and book the refuges to stay according to how much you want to walk every day. It is not brilliant, but it gives you a general idea of what it will be like.
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| The first but not last draft of our adventure :) |
Since we had limited time we planned that we will finish it in only 9 days. It usually takes 10, without counting if you take a rest day.
We traveled to Champex Lac after work on a Friday evening, 2nd of August, so we could rest properly to start the day after. The 3rd of August of 2019 our adventure began!
Once you land in Switzerland it will be very helpful if you download the official public transport app, that includes cable cars, buses, trams and trains. This is the link: https://www.sbb.ch/en/timetable/mobile-apps/sbb-mobile.html
Once you land in Switzerland it will be very helpful if you download the official public transport app, that includes cable cars, buses, trams and trains. This is the link: https://www.sbb.ch/en/timetable/mobile-apps/sbb-mobile.html
In this blog I want to share with you everything from what to pack, what I would not bring again, where I stayed every night, the kilometers & altitude of every day hike, my budget and of course what I ate.
What did I packed?
RUCKSACK:
Mine is a Lower Alpine trial 35 liters of capacity. My favorite features are the air zone on the back and the pockets in the belt where I can easily access things like my phone, maps or plasters.
I weigh 50 kilograms and it is very important to not overload the rucksack because it can become a real hell! Mine was around 7 kilos including my bottle of water. Have in mind that the weight will vary a bit after eating/replacing a few snacks.
"A loaded backpacking pack should not weigh more than 20 percent of your body weight".
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CLOTHES:
- 4 T-shirts (The cheapest ones from Decathlon) 5 CHF (Swiss Francs) each.They are absolutely great, comfortable, easy to wash and very quick drying.
- 2 thermal vests. They keep you nice and warm, they are very light and also quick to dry. Some mornings before the hike, I will wear one during breakfast and then remove it once I started hiking and warmed up. I kept the other one always clean to use in the evening after showering. It can get really cold in the Refuges on the mountains!
- 1 long vest that I would not bring again. I planned to use it as pyjamas and only used it once. When I arrived at the Refuge the first thing I would do is to have a shower followed by washing my clothes. This was my everyday routine. Then I would wear the 'comfortable & clean clothes' and basically ended going to bed with this instead of getting changed again since I would be too tired by then.
- 2 long leggings. I saw that many people was wearing the same kind of hiking pants that you can turn into shorts and also waterproof. Honestly for me the leggings are the best, very comfortable and also very cheap. I wore them almost everyday during the very hot days for the simplest reason that they keep your legs protected from getting sunburned.
- 1 shorts. For the hot days and also for the rainy days. I found that if it rains, wearing leggings is not the best idea because you get soaked and they keep your legs wet and cold for hours. From my experience, shorts are the best because you don't get as cold and you dry almost immediately after stops raining.
- 1 bandana. I used everyday. It is perfect if you are not a hat person because it protects your head and also stops the sweat a bit from running down your face. I have to say that in the first Refuge I stayed I got a straw hat for free, but I left it behind after it flew away a few times and was not so comfortable really.
- 1 waterproof coat. I used it a few times when it was cold and windy and also during the only day that rained. It is definitely a must!
- Pants. I chose what I call hippy pants for the comfortable clothes after shower. I would also sleep in them.
- 1 vest. My other item to wear after shower with the hippy pants plus the thermal if it was cold.
- 3 pair of socks. For me it worked perfectly because I was washing them everyday and if they were not completely dry, I would hang them with pegs on the rucksack during the hike. If you are a person that wears two pair of socks you might bring a few more just in case you have continuous rain. A tip if you are sensitive to get blisters is to wear a small pair of ankle socks under the hiking socks. It proved to work very well.
- 6 underwear. It would probably have been OK bringing less, because we were lucky and it only rained one day.
- 2 sport tops/1 bra. Light, super comfortable and easy to dry. Tops are perfect because the belts on the rucksack might be painful if you are wearing a bra. I will wear the top for the hike and the bra for after shower because it was my luxurious item.
HYGIENE AND OTHERS:
- Sun-cream. I use the brand call OMBIA sun lotion 30, 200ml (bought in Aldi-Switzerland). I did not get sunburned even the weather was really hot some days reaching temperatures up to 30 degrees Celsius. It is vegan and is thick & pasty leaving a white layer and is all you need to protect your skin for a few hours. I would add more if it was really hot.
- Iodine. A small container. 30 ml. I am prone to getting blisters and if you also have the same problem my advice would be to bring this small kit. Someone taught me a really good tip when I walked the Camino del Norte: Pierce the blister with the needle & thread (wet with the Iodine to disinfect it) and leave in it. You can make a little knot so it will not fall out. This helps a lot as it will not grow back again and the blister will dry out very quickly.
- Plasters, Compeed. I had to use them by the ball part of both my feet. My skin is tremendously sensitive.
- Needle, thread and small scissors.
- Face cream. 50 ml.
- Toothpaste and toothbrush.
- Soap bar for body and hair. I use the hair soap-conditioner bar from Lush.
- Conditioner or hair masc. I never brought this which I regretted because after a few days my hair got extremely dry and impossible to brush. I would use my hands to brush it as I do not usually use a brush. I ended making a pony tail or a bun every day to hide it and be also comfortable during the hike.
- Soap bar for washing the clothes. This was something great because you will not find it in the refuges and you really need to wash your clothes almost every day.
- 3 hair bobbles.
- 6 Clothes pegs. Great addition to hang up the clothes.
- Wooden spoon, fork and knife.
- Penknife.
- Small Tupperware. Basically to make porridge and leave it soaked overnight.
- Bottle of water 0.6 l. Quechua. This was a big mistake. I will keep the bottle in one of the outside pockets on the side of the rucksack and it was really difficult to access without twisting my arm or having to take it off to have a drink. I was asking every time that was possible to the people I was hiking with to get it for me and the put it back, but sometimes this will not work because you depend on being always close to someone. Also 0.6 liters was far too small. I use the same bottle for the Camino but here you don't have access to water as often and believe me that if you run out of water or you have to start to ration it it can be extremely bad and it can cause dehydration. After saying this I highly recommend to bring a water pack of 1 litter minimum with easy access spout to drink from. It definitely worth to invest in one.
- 1 travel towel. Light and small that drys quickly.
- 1 sleeping liner. You will be asked in some of the Refuges to bring one with you because they do not supply them but I finished using it only once because I would usually sleep with only the duvet.
- Flip-flops. In every single refuge we stayed you will have access to crocks so it is up to you to bring your own ones or not.
FOOD:
- 6 individual packets of plain rice cakes.
- Plastic little tub of peanut butter.
- 1 packet of mixed nuts.
- 1 packet of dates.
- A bar of vegan chorizo. I brought it thinking that I could add it in a dinner that is too small or to have it with a roll of bread for lunch. Is easy to keep and it last ages if you cut it in thin slices.
- 2 Protein bars. You can always buy more in the towns you walk through.
- 1 bag with oats. I usually have 30 grams of oats on my porridge and I count as I will eat it during 5 days at least. I have to say that the breakfast is very poor with only bread and jam every single day so having a porridge will definitely give you extra energy.
- 1 bag of mixed Chía seeds and coconut shreds. The coconut shreds have loads of fat and it also adds a nice taste counting that you will not be carrying soy milk and you will have only access to boiling water on request. I will recommend to add soy powder if you can find it in the supermarket.
- Empanada. A little pastry that I made at home and brought for the first lunch. It was filled with vegan cheese and smoked tofu. Delicious! It ended to being a great idea because you will not find much options in the Champex Lac supermarket for a lunch and there is a restaurant that serves vegan food but you need the time and it was also pretty pricey.
HIKING POLES:
I would really recommend them. I used them every day and it made a big difference in the really steep terrains. One of the biggest benefit is that they provide additional support to your muscles, with less pressure being applied to your legs, back and most importantly, spine. If you have never used them before they can be a little difficult at the beginning, but you will learn quickly after a little bit of practice. If they are new, do not forget to test them out during your training beforehand. Here I leave you a quick video with a few important tips you must know:
I almost forgot to mention my boots!! I am in love with them!! They are the best ones I ever had. Vegan, waterproof, super comfortable, easy to clean and fast drying. I used them several times in different hikes over Ireland and also here in Switzerland and still can not complain about them. I bought them in Wills, a vegan and ethic English company. They posted them to Ireland and it only took 3 days for them to arrive. Here is the link so you can check them out:
Weather/Wildlife:
During our tour, we were pretty lucky with the weather because it only rained one day in a total of the 9.
Generally we had a temperature in between 7 and 31 Celsius degrees.
Early in the morning and late in the evening would be a bit chill and sometimes cold enough to wear the thermal and even the coat if we were outside enjoying the landscapes. I ended up wearing my thermal every day at some point during the mornings and evenings.
Another important fact to mention is that the temperature will change depending on what elevation the refuge is located at. If the refuge was in the mountains, after the sunset it would get much colder than if we were in the valley. I will add the temperature in the description of each day below.
You can check the general conditions of the tracks and also the forecast in the TMB official website http://www.autourdumontblanc.com/en/index.cfm/general-conditions.html
The start of August is the best time for this hike. It is the time of the year when it is not too cold, almost all the snow had been dispersed and you can enjoy the most beautiful and colorful wildflower plant life spread through the wonderful landscapes. From the bottom of the valleys to the highest peaks. I also have to mention that the wildlife in this area of the Alps is incredible! We saw loads of different birds, marmottes, mountain hares, chamois (they look like mountain goats) and in one very special day we saw two ibex :)
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| Wild strawberries and raspberries :) |
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| Spectacular 🐐💚 |
Budget:
I should start saying that this was not a cheap holiday for me as I am used to spending much less. I spent a total of 201 Swiss Francs and 314 Euros for the 8 nights half board (includes dinner and breakfast). Hiking the TMB is expensive because it is a very popular destination and also because most of the refuges are in very isolated locations. Free camping in this region is forbidden unless you stay in campsites which also have a cost.
Shopping in the supermarkets and eating out also adds up. Have in mind that Switzerland is more pricey than Italy & France and you will feel it in your pocket.
The price of traveling to your starting point of the TMB varies depending where you come from.
There is many people that starts in Chamonix because is very convenient if you land at Geneve airport.
Let's start!
DAY 0
Home - Champex Lac
We left after work and it took us a few hours to get there by public transport. We arrive at approximately 6 pm to Champex where we met the third person that will join us on this adventure. After a swim in the lake, highly recommended, we walked about 15 minutes from town to our first refuge where the dinner was served at 7 pm.
Refuge: Grite Bon Abri - 69 CHF.
Dinner included: Vegetable soup and bread for starter and rice with spinach for main course. I did not have dessert because it had diary.
Breakfast included: Tea/Coffee, orange juice, toasts and jam. I had also prepared overnight porridge. I asked them if they could heat it up and they accepted my request no problem.
Food Rating: 💛💛💛
Food Rating: 💛💛💛
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| Beautiful landscapes 😍 |
DAY 1
Champex Lac - La Peule
16- 25 Celsius degrees.
6 h. 25 min. / 17 km. TMB Website prediction.
7 h. 12 min. / 23,19 km. / 1.201 m elevation gain. Data recorded on Strava.
Refuge: Gite Alpage de la Peule - 67 CHF.
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| Amazing point to see the stars at night 🌘⭐ |
Breakfast included: Tea/Coffee, orange juice, cornflakes, toasts and jam. Again, instead the toast I had my overnight porridge. They did not have microwave but they let me use a pot and cook it in their kitchen which was great.
Snacks/Lunch: I had the empanada I brought from home and also rice cakes with peanut butter, nuts and some jelly sweets.
Food Rating: 💛💛💛
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| The salad looks nice but... mustard? 🤔 |
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| Yummy dessert! 👌🙋 |
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| Had two bowls of soup 🍲😋 |
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| Beautiful waterfall 💙 |
La Peule - Refuge Bertone
14-27 Celsius degrees.
7 h. / 20 km. TMB Website prediction.
7 h. / 18,87 km. / 865 m elevation gain. Data recorded on Strava.
Refuge: Refuge Bertone - 55 Euros.
Dinner included: For starter I had pasta with tomato sauce and bread and for the main course I had polenta with potatoes and green peas with more bread. For dessert I had an apple. I also had a dark chocolate bar that I bought in the refuge as I was still a little hungry.
Breakfast included: Tea/Coffee and bread with jam.
Snacks/Lunch: My last piece of empanada, nuts and rice cakes with PB.
Food rating: 💛💛💛 |
| View of the Mount Blanc |
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| Check out the sunset here! Amazing! |
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| Flowers everywhere 💮🥀 |
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| So close to the glacier 🏔😲 |
DAY 3
Refuge Bertone - Lac Combal
10 -26 Celsius degrees.
5 h. 20 min. / 18 km. TMB Website prediction.
7 h. 51 min. / 15,38 km. / 1257 m. elevation gain. Data recorded on Strava.
Refuge: Cabane du Combal - 70 Euros.
Dinner included: Vegetable soup with bread for starter and a mixed salad (lettuce, tomatoes, cannellini beans and boiled potatoes) for main course. For dessert they gave me two halves of a canned apricot. A guy from the staff was vegan and he tried his best to make me a nice salad which was much appreciated.
Dinner included: Vegetable soup with bread for starter and a mixed salad (lettuce, tomatoes, cannellini beans and boiled potatoes) for main course. For dessert they gave me two halves of a canned apricot. A guy from the staff was vegan and he tried his best to make me a nice salad which was much appreciated.
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Food rating: 💛💛💛
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Snacks/Lunch: We stopped in Courmayeur and apart of going to the supermarket Carrefour Express https://goo.gl/maps/kX8mdfcVk8N4bRsy9 to get bananas, sesame seed bars and a quinoa/veggies/tofu lunchbox. We stopped in a small pizza place called L'angolo di Miel, https://goo.gl/maps/6Da3y867KHLwZGFF9 . Here I had a square of tomato pizza with olives and a focaccia - It was the best I ever had! I also had a sesame seeds bar and a banana.
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| Nice 3 minutes swim 😅🥶🤣 |
DAY 4
Lac Combal - Refuge Robert Blanc
7 - 19 Celsius degrees.
6 h. / 15 km. TMB Website prediction.
5 h. 10 min. / 11,38 km. / 1054 m. elevation gain.
Data recorded on Strava.
Refuge: Refuge Robert Blanc - 43 Euros.
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| In the middle of nowhere! 😄 |
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| My new friend 🐥💕 |
Breakfast included: Coffee/Tea, orange juice and bread with jam.
Snacks/Lunch: I had the lunch box with veggies, tofu and quinoa rice and also some dark chocolate and nuts.
Food rating: 💛💛💛💛💛
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| Amazing food! |
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| What a view 👍😍 |
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| The water entered in my boots 😅 |
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| Today we found some surprises in our way 💪😏 |
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| Get ready for this! 👀 |
DAY 5
Refuge Robert Blanc - La Balme
7 - 19 Celsius degrees. It rained for the first time. From approx 8 am to 2 pm.
8 h. 20 min. / 18 km. TMB Website prediction.
8 h. 4 min. / 17,53 km. / 653 m. elevation gain. Data recorded on Strava.
Refuge: Refugio de la Balme - 42 Euros.
Dinner included: Vegetable soup with bread. Polenta and salad (lettuce and tomatoes) with more bread. They brought me olive oil for the salad, so I spread that in the bread and made a nice bruschetta topped with the salad. Today was the first day that I felt dinner was very poor and I opened the chorizo and cut a few slices. For dessert I had an apple.
Dinner included: Vegetable soup with bread. Polenta and salad (lettuce and tomatoes) with more bread. They brought me olive oil for the salad, so I spread that in the bread and made a nice bruschetta topped with the salad. Today was the first day that I felt dinner was very poor and I opened the chorizo and cut a few slices. For dessert I had an apple.
Food rating: 💛💛
Breakfast included: Tea/Coffee, orange juice and bread with jam.
Snacks/Lunch: For lunch, we stopped in the Refuge Du Col de la Croix du Bonhome https://goo.gl/maps/2mF8pjyuF35NLj1q9 and there was available vegetable soup and also a vegan curry tart (surprise!) which was a really nice treat to have that rainy day. I also had some mixed nuts and dark chocolate.
We saw two Ibex 👀💞
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| 👣Highest point of the TMB 2751m altitude 🔝 |
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| Tricky but I really enjoyed the risky part! |
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After 4 hours non-stop on the rain...
soaking wet, freezing and exhausted
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| The vegan tart 💛💛💛💛 |
DAY 6
La Balme - Les Houches
21 - 31 Celsius degrees.
9 h. 45 min. / 23 km. TMB Website prediction.
9 h. 54 min. / 28,41 km. / 1252 m. elevation gain. Data recorded on Strava.
Today we knew that it would be the very first long day hiking since we started. In the morning I felt OK, tired after 5 days hiking but nothing major. After the first hour hiking I started to noticed a pain in my shin. I continued hiking and the shin splint pain only got worse and more intense. We walked almost 9 hours. There was one last big descent into Les Houches left and it would take one more hour. There was a cable car on that peak called Bellevue. I decided to not keep hiking because I knew that if I did not stop it would only get worse and that I would have to take a rest day. I did not want that so I decided to take the cable car down to Les Houches. The price was €14.50. The rest of my group hiked down and we planned to meet at the refuge. It took me ages to get there, every step was painful. By the time they arrived I had only arrived 20 minutes beforehand.
https://www.chamonix.com/bellevue-cablecar,231,en.html
Refuge: Gite Michael Fagot - 50 Euros.
Dinner included: A small salad with bread for starters. Couscous with veggies and roasted zucchini. For dessert I had a fruits sorbet.
Dinner included: A small salad with bread for starters. Couscous with veggies and roasted zucchini. For dessert I had a fruits sorbet.
Breakfast included: Coffee/Tea, orange juice, bread and jam.
Snacks/Lunch: I stopped in Les Contamines at the supermarket CarrefourMontagne.
https://goo.gl/maps/ZrHStPLNQmpcqJsNA. I bought a baguette, oreos (5 small individual packets), two bananas and mixed nuts and fruits with banana chips. For lunch I had half of the baguette with a few slices of chorizo. For snacks a banana and lots of oreos. Too many actually and I felt a bit sick afterwards...
https://goo.gl/maps/ZrHStPLNQmpcqJsNA. I bought a baguette, oreos (5 small individual packets), two bananas and mixed nuts and fruits with banana chips. For lunch I had half of the baguette with a few slices of chorizo. For snacks a banana and lots of oreos. Too many actually and I felt a bit sick afterwards...
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| Food rating: 💛💛 💛💛 |
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| Fresh water 🐸🙌 |
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| French baguette with vegan chorizo 😍 |
DAY 7
Les Houches - Refuge Flegere
22 - 30 Celsius Degrees.
8 h. 25 min. / 27 Km. TMB Website prediction.
9 h. 30 min. / 25,05 km. Data recorded on Strava.
This was the itinerary that we had originally planned. Unfortunately a few days before we set out, we found out that the cable car down to Chamonix was closed as they were replacing it for a new one. So basically we had three options:
1) Try the closest Refuge called Lac Blanc - They were booked up. This would have been the ideal option.
2) To walk almost 10 km less that day and walk extra the day after and take the cable car located before Chamonix called Le Brevent https://goo.gl/maps/THfnCw5SspzvSpxb6
3) Keep walking till next Refuge called Auberge La Boerne located in Tré le Champ. We went for this option because even though they did not have room inside they had assembled tents with sleeping bags available in their camping area. This meant that we had to walk extra but we thought we had enough energy. Also because the owner of this place said it was only 1 hour away from Refuge Flégére (which was incorrect as it took us 2.5 hours). Afterwards we did find out that there had been a shorter, more direct way to get there, but of course had just kept following the TMB signs and missed it.
Les Houches - Tré lé Champ (Chamonix)
11 h. 30 min. / 35,05 km. / 2215 m. elevation gain. Data recorded on Strava.
Today was without a doubt the most challenging day. Not only because the difficulties of the hike and the heat but because the lack of places where to refill our bottles of water. This was a big challenge! We had to ration the water for hours & hours, walking mostly uphill in the heat. We stopped for a break at Attitude 2000 https://goo.gl/maps/iD1SQQ5Xtqa35Nr49 and there was a tap outside where we could refill our water bottles for the last time that day. Auberge La Flégére was also closed all summer because it was dangerous to keep it functioning when the cable-car (La Flégére) above-head was being repaired. We hiked the last 15 km with almost no water. I think we just got unlucky because La Flégére is a pretty important point for everyone hiking the TMB. However, at the end of the day while having dinner at the refuge we thought about how at least the next day we would have less kilometers to hike than we originally planned, so that really cheered me up!
Refuge: Auberge la Boerne - 54 Euros.
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| Rainy morning 🐥🌧🐤 |
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| Food rating: 💛💛 💛💛💛 |
Breakfast included: Coffee/Tea, orange juice, cornflakes, bread and jam.
Snacks/Lunch: In the morning after leaving the refuge we stopped in the supermarket Carrefour Contact https://goo.gl/maps/Uw94NPKkcjFQyXDt9 to buy some goodies for the day. I bought two bananas, a lunchbox of couscous and veggies and also a packet of falafels. For snacks I had a few rices cakes with PB and oreos. For lunch I had the couscous and veggies lunchbox.
Snacks/Lunch: In the morning after leaving the refuge we stopped in the supermarket Carrefour Contact https://goo.gl/maps/Uw94NPKkcjFQyXDt9 to buy some goodies for the day. I bought two bananas, a lunchbox of couscous and veggies and also a packet of falafels. For snacks I had a few rices cakes with PB and oreos. For lunch I had the couscous and veggies lunchbox.
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| Today was all about ascending! 🌄 |
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| Lac le Brévent |
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| The famous ladder 📸 |
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| Really exhausted after more than 11 hours on the trail... 😫 |
DAY 8
Tré lé Champ (Chamonix) - Trient
9 - 22 Celsius degrees. It rained for about an hour 9 am to 10 am.
3 h. / 10 km. TMB Website prediction.
3 h. / 10,53 km. / 885 m. elevation gain. Data recorded on Strava.
Refuge: Refuge le Peuty - 65 CHF.
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The best Refuge in the TMB 👌💚
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Dinner included: A mini toast with hummus topped with cucumber and two crispy Swiss style gnocchi. Then they served a salad (tomatoes and lettuce) and bread. Tofu curry accompanied with basmati rice for main course and blackberry sorbet for dessert! It was delicious!
Breakfast included: Get ready for this! They gave me an overnight porridge made with soy yogurt! There was also coffee/tea, orange juice, cornflakes and bread with jam.
Snacks/Lunch: I had some mixed dried fruits with nuts. Because that day we arrived before 2 pm at the Refuge we decided to order some food there and guess what? They had vegan burgers and chips!! It was just amazing!!
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| Woooooow! |
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| Food rating: 💛💛 💛💛💛 |
After yesterdays crazy day walking for almost eleven hours, today was a very enjoyable day! We walked only for three hours and it was great because I really needed a rest which was possible because we arrived at the refuge at lunchtime.
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| Foggy morning 🌫 |
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| Enjoying 😆 |
DAY 9
Trient - Champex Lac - Home
16 - 27 Celsius degrees. It started to rain a bit after our swim but it quickly stopped.
4 h. 5 min / 21 km. / TMB Website prediction.
The bad news was that this day we started our morning going the wrong direction. We did not realize what had happened until we got to the top of the mountain after walking 5 Km up hill for about 2 hours. Unfortunately, the quickest way to get to Champex Lac meant that we had to go all the way back to the refuge in Trient and start our journey from there again. It took another hour to get back down. We flew down! It was our last day, our energy level was touching rock bottom and this big mistake really frustrated us. It was not until we got over our very last peak before I was able to get excited again. There were no more mountains to hike up and the rest of the trail was going to be flat and down hill.
7 h / 26,07 km. /1806 m. elevation gain. Data recorded on Strava.
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This is our 9th day! Ready to smash it up! 👊😆
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Snacks/Lunch: I had an apple and rices cakes with PB. For lunch we bought some bread and an avocado (well deserved the price) in the supermarket Supermarché Du Lac
https://goo.gl/maps/e1ijw1s5WeFSVsQ57 and filled with the falafels that we still had from the day before. I also got some crisps and a packet of vegan jellies for our trip back.
When we arrived back in Champex, it was still sunny and the first thing we did was go straight to to the lake, removed our boots and rucksacks and jump in for a swim. It felt incredible! 'Life changing' as our mate described it! Perfect way to finish this challenging and amazing adventure!!
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| Our last and best breakfast in the TMB at Refuge le Peuty |
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| Back again to the refuge 😫 |
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| Hand-carved wooden owl 💜 |
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| A little lying down on the grass 👌😆🌄 |
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| Last peak of the TMB ✌ |
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| Challenge achieved! 👏👏😄 |
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| After our victory swim celebration!😎😍 |
The end
Final note:
To any vegans doing the Tour of Mount Blanc, I want to say that is totally possible. We had a great time and it is a very enjoyable hike. I highly recommend this adventure to anyone who is looking for a challenge or just some outdoors activity. I had no difficulty as a vegan during this trip and there are some amazing vegan meals waiting for you out here.
Comment below if you have any questions related to this blog (Did I lose weight? 😏) and I will be more than happy to answer them.
I hope this blog inspires you if you had any doubts before and I wish you the best if you decide to go for it!
Thanks very much for reading,
Mónica 💚
📷 siempre.vegana
