September 2

September 2:  Argentiere - Chamonix

The penultimate day and the TMB is determined to leave you with a lasting memory!  Today's views are enchanting as you climb from Tre-le-Champ over ladders and then traverse the famous Balcon Sud to finish in Planpraz, from where a gondola will drop you into Chamonix.

After the spectacle of the last 1-2 weeks you may find it impossible to believe that the TMB has saved its best for last but today you embark on the walk's wonderful finale along the Grand Balcon Sud.  The way the path clings precipitously to the upper slopes of the valley with, in places, fixed metal ladders and handrails enabling you to traverse the most featureless and vertical rock slabs is exhilarating while also providing an unobstructed view down into the Chamonix Valley and across to the peaks of the massif.  Throughout the whole TMB never have the glaciers, rocky spires and snowy peaks felt as vivid and near as they do today.

14km.  1391m up.  802m down.

Back on the trail for me today.  During the Haute Route of 2013 we took the low route between Chamonix and Argentiere, so today's route will be new territory.  We had a very good (and relaxed) breakfast at our hotel this morning.  No one was keen to walk the 2km & 200m of vertical to Tres-le-Champ, so we waited around for the 8:48 bus.  

Totally worth the wait in the early morning drizzle.  The forecast was for the skies to clear around noon, but that really didn't happen.  Oh well - the walk itself was plenty interesting.  We went uphill right away for close to 1000m.  It started out innocently enough.

Then we threw some rocks in the mix.

Before long, the ladders appeared.  They were quite fun, and I was a bit surprised by the shear volume of them.  Someone has done a heck of a lot of work on this trail!

Then we hit a series of rocky cairns.  We saw our first ibex along this stretch, although I never did see his face.

Lac Cheserys

And here's a picture of the same lake that I saw in a store in Chamonix a few days later.  Me thinks the mist obscured some of the views we might have had.....

And Lac Blanc, which is supposed to be a highlight.  Just wait until you stand on the shores of this glacial lake at 2352m, spot the craggy peaks reflected in its blue waters, and gaze at the dramatic panorama of the Mont Blanc massif.  Well - it wasn't quite as advertised.

Refuge du Lac Blanc

A marmot apparently smelling the carrot I was eating as I passed by.

The trail continues............

These next pictures are in the area of the La Flegere restaurant and refuge.  We had a brief navigational glitch here and had to backtrack uphill for a few minutes; ugh!  

But then - we started to traverse a bit more and actually started to catch some glimpses through the cloud cover down to Chamonix.  

More ladders, more Chamonix, more traversing......

And finally........ some blue sky......... oh, and look, Mont Blanc!  It really is a good thing the views weren't great all day; I might have been out there a few more hours taking pictures.

Finally in to Planpraz in plenty of time to catch our gondola down.  Watched some paragliding for a few minutes.  It looks like this is where they bring tourists for their first tandem flights. 

We had a lovely gondola ride down to Chamonix and found a patio from which to watch the dismantling of the UTMB arch.  

Our hotel is right beside the Arve River.

Out for dinner at a nice Italian restaurant and time for bed.  One more day of hiking to close the loop; Chamonix to Les Hoches.  Hoping for some good views tomorrow.