09 09 Les Houches

Peter and myself outside Les Houches railway station
Peter and myself outside Les Houches railway station

9th September, Le Brévant ridge 2152m – Les Houches 1007m – Basel, 2 h

Peter and I much enjoyed our stay at the modest but wonderfully situated Refuge de Bellachat. The outlook is almost as magical as that from La Flégère. The Bionassay glacier descending from the Mont Blanc massif across the valley is seen full-length in all its rippled splendour. There had not been another spectacular sunset like the evening before, but we were compensated with an attractive dawn light, although Mont Blanc itself was not as clear as it had been. It then only remained for us to continue the remaining 1,150m height difference down into forests to arrive at our original starting point of Les Houches (1,007m). The route is more than a light stroll, crossing several rocky ravines where the path is secured by chains attached to the rock face. We had started early because we both wanted to catch transport in Les Houches around midday in order to be home on the same day. Farewells were therefore brief and we took a final picture of us together at Les Houches Station before parting company. We were both very satisfied to have finally completed the TMB despite the vagaries of the elements.

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