Day 2 included a massive climb over the Col de la Seigne and into Italy on legs that were no longer fresh. The Cabane du Combale was a reward in itself, a definite highlight of our TMB adventure.
- The route – via Col du Bonhomme, Col de la Croix de Bonhomme, Les Chapieux, Refuge des Mottets, Col de Seigne and Rifugio Elisabetta
- Distance – 29.6km
- Elevation gain – 1922m
- Elevation loss – 1660m
- Duration – 8 hours 15 with 60 mins for drink stops & lunch
An early start at Refuge de la Balme
Our 6:20 am alarm seemed to shake the entire refuge. Breakfast was served at 6:30 am, and we wanted to set off as early as possible. Our first mountain hut breakfast of the trip was pretty basic. I had a bizarre concoction of granola, milk and apple sauce, followed by a slice of bread and butter, and coffee. It wasn’t very inspiring, and neither of us ate enough for the day ahead (there was no gluten-free bread).
Despite the early alarm, what with repacking our bags, separating wet clothes from dry and general faffing about, we didn’t set off until 8:00 am.
Up and over the Col du Bonhomme to Les Chapieux
The mountain tops were clear, the skies blue, and the marmots whistling as we started the climb up to the Col du Bonhomme. The Refuge de la Balme was soon only a tiny spot as we looked down upon it from the steep rocky pathway above. It was still sunny as we reached the col just over an hour after setting off, but suddenly very gusty. So, rather than hanging around, we set straight off.
Onwards towards the Col de la Croix du Bonhomme, we really enjoyed this fairly runnable trail with fantastic open views of the mountains down the valley. Then more running, losing height as we passed from windswept alpine pastures to babbling streams and lush grassy meadows.
Arriving in Les Chapieux, we were relieved to find a restaurant – Le Relais Montagnard – that doubled as a small grocery store. We were too early for lunch, but we needed to stock up on snacks, so we had a shopping spree on ready salted crisps, Snickers, peanut butter Cliff bars and two bottles of iced tea.
Running to lunch at Refuge des Mottets
From Les Chapieux, we followed a stretch of road into a picturesque valley of wild flowers and views of the Aiguille du Glacier. A slight incline kept forcing our optimistic running attempts back to a walk. But, finally, the trail joined the riverside, flattening enough for a steady jogging pace. Then, as the clouds began to thicken, we started climbing again, heading up to Refuge des Mottets.
Rain was in the air as we arrived at the Refuge des Mottets at midday. We nabbed an outdoor table, undercover in the entrance, and put on our waterproofs and hats. For our al fresco lunch, we ordered two coffees, one cheese & ham crepe and an omelette. We were starving, and it went down a treat. I was starting to feel a tiny bit chilly by the end, though, so I was eager to get going again.
A steep climb over the Col de la Seigne
We set off into the drizzle at exactly the same time as two runners. They were fastpacking the TMB in 4 nights and were covering 50k that day. We chatted for a while as we started the climb up to the Col de la Seigne. Soon, we were all stopping to shed our sweaty waterproofs. As the rain eased and the sunglasses & caps went back on, they pulled away and soon disappeared into the distance.
By now, two days in, our tired legs were catching up with us. My quads in particular were pretty painful as we pushed onwards to the col. It was a hard-going climb of around 1000m in all.
A handful of fully clad hikers were on the Col de la Seigne when we arrived at around 2 pm in our running shorts and t-shirts. This col marks the crossing between France and Italy, so it was a pity about the mass of grey clouds. But as we crossed into Italy, many of the nearby mountain tops were visible, at least. We could at least imagine how the view would transform against a blue sky.
Past the Rifugio Elisabetta to Cabane du Combale
Despite the grey, the descent from Col de la Seigne was spectacularly wild and rugged. We trotted where we could with views of the glacier dropping down towards the Rifugio Elisabetta and tantalising glimpses of jagged peaks through the clouds. As we reached the wide open valley and joined a gravel track, waterfalls, wild flowers, and dramatic reflections in the lakes were the grand finale to our day.
Night 2 – Cabane du Combale
Arriving at the Cabane du Combale just before 3.30 pm was a big bonus. I was able to hand-wash the shorts & t-shirt plus two pairs of socks I’d worn for the last 2 days. Great result; I was now back to having two sets of clean running clothes! No more washing needed for the rest of the trip! I spent the rest of the time before dinner stretching, lying with my legs in the air, and desperately massaging my painful quads.
What we loved:
The Cabane du Combale is perched in a lush rocky meadow above a small lake. With a steeply sloping roof, fringed by pine trees, it’s like a scene from a fairy tale. I loved everything about it, from our private room to our own table for two for breakfast and dinner. It was the best food and most luxurious overnight of our trip. With only seven rooms, it was the smallest hut we stayed in. The staff were lovely and friendly, and the whole ambience was cosy and intimate.
What we didn’t love:
Nothing, it was somewhat more expensive than average, but worth it. We loved everything here!
Accommodation:
We’d booked early enough to have a private room with a toilet and an ensuite shower. It was clean, bright and modern. Towels were provided, and the beds were made with fresh linen, so we didn’t have to use our sleeping bag liners here – what a treat! Again, we were given a plastic box to decant our personal belongings, but we had plenty of hanging and storage space in the room, too.
Meals:
We really enjoyed the communal dining scene in the TMB mountain huts. At the same time, it was nice to have a table for 2 for one night. The dining room is lovely, very rustic and characterful. With the room full of tired hikers chatting about their day, there was a great atmosphere. The best meal of our trip started with pasta, followed by pork with mash and ratatouille, with second servings on offer. Crème caramel to finish off with. Plus, my husband’s gluten-free requirements were very well catered for.
Breakfast was also the best of the trip. Never have I been so pleased to see a hard-boiled egg. In contrast to the previous morning, I felt very well fuelled as we set off for day 3.
Read my day 3 blog post from Cabane du Combale to Rifugio Bonatti here.
See our full TMB route here.
My Switzerland travel memoir
My love affair with the Alps began when I moved to Switzerland to be a holiday rep. You can read about my repping adventures in my travel memoir – It’s a Wunderbar Life. Click here for sample chapters.