Day 1 / Stage 1 - Les Houches to Les Contamines

Planned: 10.8 km, ▲ 255 m, ▼ 1035 m

Actual travelled: 24 km, ▲ 1240 m, ▼ 1070 m

Actual walked: 12.4 km, ▲ 200 m, ▼ 925 m

We took the Bellevue cable car (18.60 EUR per person) up the mountain at the beginning of the stage and the local bus at the end of the stage to the campsite.

Over Col de Voza.

Stayed at Camping Le Pontet in Les Contamines.

Day 2 / Stage 2 - Les Contamines to Refuge de la Col de la Croix de Bonhomme

Planned: 15.2 km, ▲ 1300 m, ▼ 970 m

Actual travelled: 14.7 km, ▲ 1360 m, ▼ 115 m

Actual walked: 14.7 km, ▲ 1360 m, ▼ 115 m

Over Col du Bonhomme and Col de la Croix du Bonhomme.

Stayed near Refuge de la Col de la Croix de Bonhomme.

Day 3 / Stage 2 & 3 - Refuge de la Col de la Croix de Bonhomme to Refuge Elisabetta

Planned: 15.3 km, ▲ 810 m, ▼ 925 m

Actual travelled: 21 km, ▲ 1035 m, ▼ 1285 m

Actual walked: 15.9 km, ▲ 800 m, ▼ 1270 m

We took the Les Chapieux navette bus (5 EUR per person) to Ville des Glaciers.

Over Col de la Seigne into Italy.

Stayed at Refuge Elisabetta.

Day 4 / Stage 3 & 4 - Refuge Elisabetta to Courmayeur

Planned: 11.8 km, ▲ 805 m, ▼ 780 m (or shorter, had prepared several options)

Actual travelled: 21 km, ▲ 200 m, ▼ 1110 m

Actual walked: 12.3 km, ▲ 185 m, ▼ 675 m

Did side trip from Refuge du Combal to lake. Took bus from Val Veny into Coumayeur.

Stayed at hotel in Courmayeur.

Days 5 & 6 - Rest days in Courmayeur

Stayed at hotel in Courmayeur.

Day 7 / Stage 6 - Courmayeur to La Fouly

Planned: 14.3 km, ▲ 860 m, ▼ 1030 m

Actual travelled: 32 km, ▲ 1385 m, ▼ 1005 m

Actual walked: 18.6 km, ▲ 825 m, ▼ 995 m

Took the bus from Coumayeur to Arp Nouvaz.

Over Grand Col Ferret.

Stayed at Camping des Glaciers in La Fouly.

Day 8 / Stage 7 - La Fouly to Champex-Lac

Planned: 15.7 km, ▲ 725 m, ▼ 835 m

Actual travelled: 27 km, ▲ 690 m, ▼ 790 m

Actual walked: 12.2 km, ▲ 135 m, ▼ 535 m

Took bus in the second half of the walk, up the hill.

Stayed at Camping les Rocailles in Champex-Lac.

Day 9 / Stage 8 - Champex-Lac to Trient

Planned: 13.2 km, ▲ 870 m, ▼ 825 m

Actual travelled: 15 km, ▲ 760 m, ▼ 725 m

Actual walked: 15 km, ▲ 760 m, ▼ 725 m

Over Col de la Forclaz.

Stayed at Camping de l’Arpille in Trient.

Day 10 / Stage 9 - Trient to Argentiere

Planned: 11.8 km, ▲ 975 m, ▼ 1025 m

Actual travelled: 19.6 km, ▲ 925 m, ▼ 1230 m

Actual walked: 19.6 km, ▲ 925 m, ▼ 1230 m

Very long day. We walked into the night.

Over Col de Balme.

Stayed at Camping le Glacier d’Argentiere.

Day 11 / Stage 10 - Col des Montets side walk

Planned: 4.3 km, ▲ 900 m, ▼ 135 m

Actual travelled: 12.1 km, ▲ 465 m, ▼ 445 m

Actual walked: 6.52 km, ▲ 320 m, ▼ 295 m

Took the bus to the trail head.

Originally planned to ascend and camp at Lacs de Cheserys. Was not possible due to intense thunderstorms.

Ascended to Col de Montets.

Stayed at Camping le Glacier d’Argentiere a second night.

Day 12 / Stage 11 - Argentiere to Les Houches

Planned: 10.1 km, ▲ 635 m, ▼ 830 m

Actual travelled: 21 km, ▲ 140 m, ▼ 345 m

Actual walked: 7.5 km, ▲ 85 m, ▼ 240 m

Took the bus to central Argentiere and the train to Les Houches.

Over Col du Brevent.

Strong rain. Walked along the Petit Balcon Sud trail and took the train for the last bit.

Route preparation and Navigation

QMapShack.

Organic Maps.

Having the GPS device attached to my shoulder strap was great.

Costs

Do cost breakdown.

Training

The TMB is sufficiently long-distance and has significant elevation changes. As such, it is strongly advised to train your physical fitness before embarking on the walk. I focussed my training specifically on two aspects: (1) hill climbing performance using the stairmaster for extended durations (~45 min) and (2) leg strength for downhill walking using weighted step overs, step down, lunges, wall sits, and backwards pulls. Preparing well for the descents was particularly important and worthwhile in my experience. The long descents (800 - 1000 m) are challenging for the knees and joints, if you are not prepared well. Using hiking poles helps tremendously, do not leave without them.

In particular, I used the excercises below to prepare myself in the gym, for a total duration of around 90 - 120 minutes of active training per session. I trained about three times per week on average, with some fairly hard sessions.

• Crosstrainer - OK to warm up
• Incline walk on the treadmill - good, do high incline and medium speed, do longer sessions (~30 min)
• Stairmaster - good for uphill, do long sessions (>30 min), do not hold onto the handrail, practice alternating directions (left/right)
• Backwards pull - good to simulate descent
• Step overs & downs (weighted) - great for downhill preparation, do many of those
• Lunges (weighted) - great for downhill prep
• Wall sits - good to strengthen the knees
• Rowing - not so useful, dropped later

I began my training about 5 weeks before the walk, which is a bit on the late side, but it worked out OK for me (I have a reasonably decent general fitness). However, I recommend beginning earlier (2-3 months would be ideal) before the hike, so that you do not have to rush your training. I found that I had to train quite heavily and often, as the time was short.

In addition, I did 2-3 short practice hikes (~1 hour) with my fully-loaded (newly purchased) backpack and the hiking poles. The aim was to test the new backpack and practice walking with poles. I had also planned a longer practice hike, which unfortunately did not happen in the end because of the time shortage.

Strengthening your leg muscles for the extensive downhill walking is the most important training objective, in my opinion.

Catalina mainly prepared herself by running (5-10 km) on mostly flat ground, which did not translate so well onto the uphill climbing part of the trail. She did not have any issues on the downhill sections, though. Extended stairmaster sessions translate better to the actual endurance-focussed uphill hiking on the TMB.

Gear Selection and Packing List

The TMB is a long-distance hike with significant elevation gain (~10,000 km). As such, it not only requires substantial physical preparation (training), but it is also a weight counting and gear preparation excercise, as you feel every additional gram in the pack over the long distance. Essentially, the more optimised, ultra-light gear (generally more expensive) one has, the lower pack weight (base weight) one can achieve, and the more enjoyable the trip becomes.

Unfortunately, most of our equipment was relatively old (~10-15 years), robust, and waterproof, targetted towards rainy Tasmanian weather.

Camping

What	Weight (g)	Comment
Backpack - Osprey Atmos AG LT 65	1860
Backpack rain cover	–	Already included.
Backpack liner / bin bag: 1x	58
Sleeping bag - Simond MT900 5°C	808
Sleeping mat - Thermarest Prolite Plus (3.2 R-value)	642
Tent - MSR Hubba Hubba NX	1668
Head torch - Petzl Actik CORE (incl. CORE battery)	82	Used a lot at camp and as a lantern.
Head torch stuff sack	4
Total	5122

I replaced my 15 years old expedition-style heavy-hauler (~3.2 kg) Lowe Alpine Cerro Torre 75+20 l backpack shortly before the trip with the Osprey Atmos AG LT 65. I selected the much lighter and more modern, but still resonably heavy Osprey Atmos AG LT, because I knew that my total pack weight would be around 14-15 kg, given our older equipment. Had we had newer and more lightweight equipment (<11-12 kg), I would have bought the Osprey Exos or other lighter backpacks instead. Unfortunately, the carrying comfort of the lighter backpacks degrades quickly above the 11-12 kg total weight sweet spot.

Overall, I was very happy with Osprey Atmos AG LT 65. It carried comfortably over the 11 days. The 65 liter volume is ideal for older, more bulky equipment. Although, my backpack was never fully filled (perhaps 75-80 %).

Similarly, I replaced my old 0°C comfort-rated synthetic sleeping bag (~1.5 kg) with the modern Simond MT900 5°C down sleeping for about 700 g weight savings. The sleeping bag was easily warm enough for the campsites we stayed at.

My sleeping mat remains to be replaced with a lighter, less bulky, and higher R-value rated (R > 5) sleeping mat.

Earlier that year I had bought a new head torch, the Petzl Actik CORE including the CORE battery. We were quite happy the torch and used it often at camp or as a diffused lantern hanging from the ceiling inside the tent. The stuff sack works reasonably well as a simple diffuser. It is great that you can charge the CORE battery via USB-C.

Cooking

Catalina carried all the cooking equipment.

What	Weight (g)	Comment
Stove - MSR Pocket Rocket in box	110
Gas 230g	358	Replaced in Courmayeur. 100 g gas would have been enough.
Lighter - BIC Mini	12
Pot 1.1 l	227
Swiss army knife - Victorinox Classic SD black	21
2x spoon, 1x fork, 1x knife - Sea to Summit Camp	44	Knife never used.
Collapsible bowl - Sea to Summit: 1x	61
Sponge (half) in ziplock bag	12
Total	845

Our cooking setup was well optimised for two persons. We did not use as much gas as I initially expected, because many campsites offered electric kettles, which are much more convenient than using the stove. A 100 g gas canister is probably sufficient for two people, if you replace it in Courmayeur and can access hot water.

Worn Items

What	Weight (g)	Comment
Sun hat & neck protector	87
Sun glasses & case	109
Trail: Synthetic running T-shirt - Kiprun Blue: 1x	122	Worn only on arrival day.
Trail: Boxer shorts tight merino - Forclaz Merino MT500 boxers: 1x	83
Trail: Running shorts - Kiprun/Decathlon Black: 1x	159	Worn all the time.
Trail: Hiking socks merino: 1x	75
Trekking poles	492	Essential for this walk.
Hiking boots - Scarpa Terra GTX	1170
Total	2297

Surprisingly, I only wore my synthetic running T-shirt on the arrival day. After that, I wore my long-sleeved anti-UV shirt exclusively on the trail, primarily for sun protection. In the city I wore my less technical-looking merino shirt.

Clothing Packed

What	Weight (g)	Comment
Waterproof jacket (hard shell) - Quechua MH500	632
Rain pants - Quechua NH500: 1x	268	Never used.
Warmth: Down jacket - Uniqlo Ultra Light Down Blue	267
Warmth: Thermal underwear top - Icebreaker 200 merino	234	Never used.
Warmth: Thermal underwear leggings - Icebreaker 200 merino	185	Never used.
Warmth: Inner gloves	27	Never used.
Warmth: Buff	34	Never used.
Warmth: Warm hat	80	Never used.
Trail: Merino T-shirt - Decathlon Merino Resist Black: 1x	167	Good also for city.
Trail: Long-sleeve hiking shirt - Quechua Anti-UV MH500 Beige: 1x	166	Worn all the time.
Trail: Long hiking trousers - Arcterix Lefroy Pants Blue	305	Needed.
Trail: Boxer shorts tight merino - Forclaz Merino MT500 boxers: 1x	83
Trail: Hiking socks merino: 1x	45
Total	2493

Long trousers are needed during the evening, night, and morning at camp. The down jacket came handy several times at camp in the mountains, same as the hard shell. The Quechua MH500 looks casual enough for the city, but is fairly heavy in comparison with more expensive and more technical shells.

Toiletries

What	Weight (g)	Comment
Sun screen: 200 ml	190	Consumed about 150 ml on the trip.
Sunscreen stick	45	Good.
Lip balm with sunscreen	13
Toilet paper	64	Never used.
Microfibre towel M 60 x 80 cm	86
Multi-vitamin: 14 tablets	80
Loratadin: 15 tablets	4
Cytericin: 8 tablets	3
Ear plugs silicone: 3 pairs	20	Very good.
Eye sleeping mask	4
Toothbrush	16
Toothpaste: 14 portions	32	Refilled in Courmayeur.
Tooth pick cleaners	7
Q-Tips	4
Deodorant - in plastic container	53
Hand, body, hair wash soap - Maitre Savon Savon de Marseille cube Green 72 % olive oil: 91 g in ziploc bag with cloth	103
Razor: 1x	10
Storage ziplock bag	6
Total	740

Despite wearing my long-sleeved anti-UV shirt exclusively on the trail, I consumed a large amount of sun screen (almost the entire bottle) over the duration of the trip. It is important to carry enough sun screen, as the terrain is open and the sun rays relentless most days. A surprisingly good find was the Maitre Savon Savon de Marseille cube Green (72 % olive oil), which I used most of the days as hand, body, and hair soap (shampoo). It is mild enough for sensitive skin and regular use.

First aid kit

This was shared between the two of us.

What	Weight (g)	Comment
Paracetamol 500 mg: 2 strips (16 tablets)	12
Ibuprofen 200 mg: 2 strips (16 tablets)	10
Sterile wound dressing: 2x	8
Wound closure strips: 1x	2
Plaster strips: 3x	5
Plasters various: 15	8
Gastro-Stop - Pepto Bismol: 2 strips	15
Blister treatment - Compeed: 9x	19
Anti-chafing stick - Decathlon	47
Leukotape P on pens	20	Used often. Works well.
Water purification tablets - Aquatabs: 3 strips	4
Tick remover tool	2
Sowing needles: 6x	4
Knee brace - Decathlon 120: 1x	64
Storage ziplock bag	6
Total	226

We had never used Leukotape P before this trip and only bought it because of recommendation. Indeed, it works very well to prevent skin rubbing and thereby blisters. It is extremely sticky and does not fall off during the shower. We used it mainly to tape toes (shoe/sock rubbing) and hand/finger parts (hiking pole leash rubbing).

Accessories

What	Weight (g)	Comment
Day pack 20 l	176
Accessory cord 2mm (10m) - clothes line	9
Clothes pegs: 6x	36
Map - IGN Tour du Mont Blanc	80	Bought in Chamonix.
GPS - Garmin etrex 32x incl. 2x AA batteries	172
USB-A to Micro-USB cable	17	For GPS. Never used.
Mobile phone	222
Headphones in box	48
8x AA lithium batteries in boxes	144	4x would have been enough.
3x AAA lithium batteries in box	33
USB-C charger 25 W	86
USB-C to USB-C cable
USB-C dual charger - 47 W: 1x	95
USB-C to USB-C cable	18
USB power bank 10000 mAh - 45 W (2x USB-C, 1x USB-A): 1x	194	Rarely used.
Flip flops	240
Seating pad	60
Duct tape on pen	8
House keys	58
ID, bank cards, Carte Vitale	29
Cash: 190 EUR	6	Too much. Only 110 EUR spent.
Total	1731

Camera gear

What	Weight (g)
Canon PowerShot G7X Mark II incl. battery and 32 GB card	353
USB-A to Mini USB cable	15
USB-C to Mini USB cable	26
SD cards: 4x 8 GB	23
Cleaning material	28
Storage ziplock bag	6
Water proof bag	10
Total	461

Base Weight

Total base weight: 10773 g

On body: 2297 g

Water / Drinks

What	Weight (g)	Comment
2x 1l PET water bottles (Volvic, Evian, Perrier)	1100	Correct volume amount. 0.5-0.75 l carried. 1x 1l bottle empty storage.
Total	1100

Food

What	Weight (g)	Comment
Milk powder (200 g = 2 l)	212	Too much. 100 g would have been enough.
Snacks 1	875	Catalina carried.
Snacks 2	892
Dinner	598
Breakfast	585	Catalina carried. Later Fabian.
Total	1702

Grand Total

Grand total: 13575 g