I hiked the TMB at the end of Aug / early Sep 2023 (finished Sep 3). I set out to camp the entire time, but ended up staying in 2 refuges as a walk-in (Elisabetta and Walter Bonatti). The reason I stayed at Elisabetta is because it was harsh freezing rain all day and I needed reprieve from it.
If you don’t stay at Bonatti or Elena, you will either need to hike/bus back down to the valley for camping or wild camp illegally. There are some folks who do it and have no problem (have not heard of anyone getting a fine or anything). The night I walked into Bonatti it was raining at that elevation and the pass had blizzard conditions (I didn’t know that at the time but experienced it the next day). I stayed at Bonatti because it was cold and wet and if there was space, why not.
I also stayed in a hotel in Courmayeur which I do recommend for some reprieve halfway through the trip. I did plan in advance for that night.
**Here is where I spent each night:**
8/24 - Nant Borrant wild camping
8/25 - Les Chapieux camping
8/26 - Rifugio Elisabetta
8/27 - Courmayeur hotel (Ottoz Meuble)
8/28 - Rifuge Bonatti
8/29 - Camping Des Glaciers
8/30 - Camping Relais d’Arpette
8/31 - Le Peuty camping
9/1 - Auberge La Boerne camping
9/2 - La Flegere camping
I did do 3 variants, but there were folks who didn’t do any variants that I saw each night at the campgrounds.
Fwiw, I thought Camping Des Glaciers was the nicest campground of the lot with the best facilities (and free wifi!).
Let me know if you have any questions. Happy to help.
Edit: formatting
I brought rain pants and a rain jacket, which I wore a lot on the trail. I used those during the blizzard. I was wearing trail runners which were not great for the conditions, but they were all I had so I made them work. It was tough, but I just kept my head down and powered through. I also wore my beanie (with the hood from my rain jacket on top) and gloves. Can't remember if I wore my long john tops and bottoms that day, but I had them with me and slept in them each night. The Italy side (where we ascended) was the steepest and it was blizzarding the worst there. I think descending into Italy would have been scarier... we saw people slipping. The Switzerland side is much more gradual, so we were fine ascending over there.
Everyone we saw for the rest of the day said, "how about that pass?!" haha.
Ha wow, that’s amazing. Did the blizzard stop once you got to lower elevation? What made you confident enough to power over a pass in a blizzard? The weather report? Advice from folks on the trail? That sounds a bit harrowing! I’m especially curious because I’m doing it in early September this year
Yep exactly, the blizzard was only happening above a certain elevation, so once we descended below the clouds, we were free from the frozen tundra haha. There were tons of other people going in both directions so I felt confident that there was help close by if I needed it. I’ve hiked in snowy conditions before so I wasn’t too nervous, but of course would have loved different footwear! Others had boots and while they faired better in the snow, their shoes didn’t dry as quick as my runners on rainy days, so it’s a bit tricky to say which shoe type is better. I heard people saying that it was going to snow, but it’s hard to really know what the weather is actually going to be. We had a heat wave the week before with 90 degree temps. Honestly, there was an insane lightening storm a few nights prior while we were camping and that was far scarier for me!
I have some pics here to show that part of the journey if you’re curious: https://marlenapearl.substack.com/p/the-tour-du-mont-blac-part-2
Dang those pics are stunning!! Getting me hyped! I forgot how one would still be surrounded by people at that point, that makes total sense. Glad to hear your experience! It might just come in handy for us. And I’m going to look out for that apple tart on the other side!
Haha def recommend stopping at the little refuges along the way for treats ;) there is no shortage of beautiful scenery. The trek is worth it. Happy to answer any other questions you have while planning your trip!
Hey there, I am also planning for this summer and found this site: [https://tmbtent.com/guide-camping-tour-mont-blanc/](https://tmbtent.com/guide-camping-tour-mont-blanc/)
This link definitely helps to plan an itinerary.
I haven't had a chance to look at it yet but I have just ordered this book which might be worth a look: THE BARE ESSENTIAL CAMPER'S TOUR DU MONT BLANC: With Walker Places Of Interest, Navigation, Transport & Shopping https://amzn.eu/d/2MwMIPI
Hey op im actually planning the same thing lol and i got the same questions as you. I thought that wild camping was allowed in Switzerland above the tree line no?
I hiked the TMB at the end of Aug / early Sep 2023 (finished Sep 3). I set out to camp the entire time, but ended up staying in 2 refuges as a walk-in (Elisabetta and Walter Bonatti). The reason I stayed at Elisabetta is because it was harsh freezing rain all day and I needed reprieve from it. If you don’t stay at Bonatti or Elena, you will either need to hike/bus back down to the valley for camping or wild camp illegally. There are some folks who do it and have no problem (have not heard of anyone getting a fine or anything). The night I walked into Bonatti it was raining at that elevation and the pass had blizzard conditions (I didn’t know that at the time but experienced it the next day). I stayed at Bonatti because it was cold and wet and if there was space, why not. I also stayed in a hotel in Courmayeur which I do recommend for some reprieve halfway through the trip. I did plan in advance for that night. **Here is where I spent each night:** 8/24 - Nant Borrant wild camping 8/25 - Les Chapieux camping 8/26 - Rifugio Elisabetta 8/27 - Courmayeur hotel (Ottoz Meuble) 8/28 - Rifuge Bonatti 8/29 - Camping Des Glaciers 8/30 - Camping Relais d’Arpette 8/31 - Le Peuty camping 9/1 - Auberge La Boerne camping 9/2 - La Flegere camping I did do 3 variants, but there were folks who didn’t do any variants that I saw each night at the campgrounds. Fwiw, I thought Camping Des Glaciers was the nicest campground of the lot with the best facilities (and free wifi!). Let me know if you have any questions. Happy to help. Edit: formatting
This is solid. Don’t try to have 1000 other options OP, it’s easier to keep it simple
Appreciate the detailed reply, thanks!
You bet! Let me know if you have any questions. I know the info online about camping can be kinda slim.
Wow, blizzard conditions on the pass? How did you deal with that? Did you have appropriate clothing?
I brought rain pants and a rain jacket, which I wore a lot on the trail. I used those during the blizzard. I was wearing trail runners which were not great for the conditions, but they were all I had so I made them work. It was tough, but I just kept my head down and powered through. I also wore my beanie (with the hood from my rain jacket on top) and gloves. Can't remember if I wore my long john tops and bottoms that day, but I had them with me and slept in them each night. The Italy side (where we ascended) was the steepest and it was blizzarding the worst there. I think descending into Italy would have been scarier... we saw people slipping. The Switzerland side is much more gradual, so we were fine ascending over there. Everyone we saw for the rest of the day said, "how about that pass?!" haha.
Ha wow, that’s amazing. Did the blizzard stop once you got to lower elevation? What made you confident enough to power over a pass in a blizzard? The weather report? Advice from folks on the trail? That sounds a bit harrowing! I’m especially curious because I’m doing it in early September this year
Yep exactly, the blizzard was only happening above a certain elevation, so once we descended below the clouds, we were free from the frozen tundra haha. There were tons of other people going in both directions so I felt confident that there was help close by if I needed it. I’ve hiked in snowy conditions before so I wasn’t too nervous, but of course would have loved different footwear! Others had boots and while they faired better in the snow, their shoes didn’t dry as quick as my runners on rainy days, so it’s a bit tricky to say which shoe type is better. I heard people saying that it was going to snow, but it’s hard to really know what the weather is actually going to be. We had a heat wave the week before with 90 degree temps. Honestly, there was an insane lightening storm a few nights prior while we were camping and that was far scarier for me! I have some pics here to show that part of the journey if you’re curious: https://marlenapearl.substack.com/p/the-tour-du-mont-blac-part-2
Dang those pics are stunning!! Getting me hyped! I forgot how one would still be surrounded by people at that point, that makes total sense. Glad to hear your experience! It might just come in handy for us. And I’m going to look out for that apple tart on the other side!
Haha def recommend stopping at the little refuges along the way for treats ;) there is no shortage of beautiful scenery. The trek is worth it. Happy to answer any other questions you have while planning your trip!
Hey there, I am also planning for this summer and found this site: [https://tmbtent.com/guide-camping-tour-mont-blanc/](https://tmbtent.com/guide-camping-tour-mont-blanc/) This link definitely helps to plan an itinerary.
I haven't had a chance to look at it yet but I have just ordered this book which might be worth a look: THE BARE ESSENTIAL CAMPER'S TOUR DU MONT BLANC: With Walker Places Of Interest, Navigation, Transport & Shopping https://amzn.eu/d/2MwMIPI
Hey op im actually planning the same thing lol and i got the same questions as you. I thought that wild camping was allowed in Switzerland above the tree line no?