Wednesday, Sept. 3, 2025
- Start: Les Chapieux, France
- End: Courmayeur, Italy
- Distance hiked: 30.6 km (19 miles)
- Elevation gain/loss: 13,664 vertical feet
- Today’s high point: Col de la Seigne – 8,240′ elevation
On day 3 of the Tour du Mont Blanc, I departed Les Chapieux – the southernmost point on the circuit and began hiking north toward the Italian border. The first few miles of the day were quiet, as many hikers took a shuttle to Les Mottes to make this long stage a more manageable one. I battled the wind on my way up to Col de la Seigne, but today was the first day I could actually see Mont Blanc in all its glory! I stopped on the descent for a coffee at Refugio Elisabetta and took in the mountain views from their lovely outdoor deck. Then it was down to the river valley before making the second challenging climb of the day to Arête du Monte Farve. My least favorite part of the day was the long descent into Courmayeur. The final miles were just so steep. As I reached town, I was so physically drained from the long 19-mile day, that I struggled to make sense of the free bus route I needed to ride to my hotel on the edge of town. I definitely earned a generous dinner tonight!
HIGHLIGHTS:
- I’m super grateful for the sunny skies. Mont Blanc finally emerged after two days of hiding in the rain and low clouds
- Summiting Col de la Seigne and crossing into Italy was epic.I made it to my second country on the TMB
- The coffee and views from the deck of Refugio Elisabetta were stunning, as were the panoramic views of the mountains and valley from atop Arête do Monte Favre.
CHALLENGES:
- The crowds got ahead of me despite my 7 a.m. start. Dozens of my fellow hikers chose to shuttle up to Les Mottes and skip the first 3.5 miles of the climb.
- My right knee was still acting cranky today. These big climbs and descents on the TMB are not kind on the joints, but I still feel proud that I crushed a 19-mile day!
- Figuring out the Courmayeur bus system to get to my hotel on the edge of town was a chore my exhausted brain could barely complete. In hindsight, maybe I should have booked something within walking distance of the town center.
TONIGHT’S LODGING
Hotel Shatush. This was the first hotel on the TMB where I’d planned to stay for multiple nights (the second one would be in Chamonix at the end of the trek). I didn’t stay in Courmayeur for two nights so I could take a day off, though. Instead, I hiked into Courmayeur today, and I plan to hike to Val Ferret tomorrow before returning to Courmayeur by bus. I made my reservation for this hotel on Booking.com (Cost: €177.50 for €88.75/night). My stay included a hotel room with a private bathroom, an outdoor deck, wifi, and breakfast. There was also a restaurant on the premises where I ate dinner this evening. This hotel is located near the Skyway gondola, about 3.5 kilometers from downtown, so I had to rely on the local, free bus system to get to/from the hotel.
