Tour du Mont Blanc Gold Duke of Edinburgh Expedition
This summer two teams of year 12 pupils successfully completed their Gold Duke of Edinburgh Expedition navigating the Tour du Mont Blanc in 4-days, hiking 63.7km with 4,074m of ascent.
Starting in Les Houche the teams hiked to Argentière, exploring the lower balcony trails to reach the neighbouring town. The path wound its way through the pine forests and hamlets along the River Arve, enjoying the excellent views of the Mont Blanc Massif, feeling the grandure of the surrounding peaks as they passed the mighty Aiguilles Verte, Drus and Aiguilles Rouge.
Both teams arrived at the campsite set up their tent, cooked their dehydrated meal whilst complaining about the size of their super lightweight tent (weighing 1.28kg), dreading the very cramped night ahead. Stating they would rather a heavier, larger tent. Mrs Sumner commented that they may feel differently during the 1,202m of ascent planned for the next day!
Day 2 started with a surprisingly early start of 0500hrs. The guides commented how impressed they were with the group’s eager start, soon to realise it was because the local Boulangerie opened at 0600hrs. Both teams successfully ascended to The Col de Balme (2,191m) which is located on the border between France and Switzerland. Here the teams had a food and water break whilst enjoying the astonishing views of Mont Blanc.
The teams continued, descending to the hamlet of Trient. Pitching their tents at the Le Peuty campsite in the shadow of the Aiguille du Tour with a cold breeze from the plateau du Trient glacier. Following the complaints on day 1 – Mrs Sumner was highly praised on their small, lightweight tents and how much more difficult it would be to carry extra weight.
Day 3 started with team members groans about sore shoulders and aching legs– Mrs Sumner replied that it might be best not to look at the contour lines on the map for the day’s route of 1,238m of ascent… The route started with no warm up – straight out of the campsite, the teams ascended steeply to the Col de la Forclaz then up along the lovely Bovine trail. The Bovine is famous for its high pastures which are home to the famous Swiss cows. The teams then descended down to the idyllic lakeside village of Champex where they had their last night in tents at Les Rocailles, in the village of Champex-Lac. Camp life became the ‘norm’ eating dehydrated meals, playing very competitive card games and remapping their routes to ‘unintentionally’ pass a Boulangerie.
On the last day the teams hiked from Champex-Lac to Le Fouly which is the end of the valley. Champex has a beautiful ‘blue-green’ lake which is a remnant from the days this high valley was covered by a glacier. After walking around the lake the teams descended through the pine trees and then began the ‘mushroom trail’ towards the Praz de Fort meadows. Keeping to the valley floor and the river edge the teams started a gradual climb towards the Italian border and Mont Dolent; a truly international summit straddling France, Switzerland and Italy. They completed their expedition at the small Swiss village of La Fouly in view of the Grand Col Ferret where they were rewarded with a bed, a shower and a hot meal (that didn’t require rehydration) at Auberge des Glaciers. The teams enjoyed a final meal together where they reflected on their achievements of a truly unforgettable expedition that they will remember for the rest of their lives.