Start in the Mont Blanc group

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June 29th

Start:  Col de Balme; finish: near Col du Tour, 3281 m.  Night: Cabane du Trient (CAS)
Distance: 10,9 km (6 km along the frontier)
Walking time: 6 hours (plus 2 hours for the stops)
Vertical distance:  1540 m uphill, 590 m downhill

Meeting with the next guide, Graham, who in turn invited an aspirant guide, Kenny, to join us for 2-3 days.  Rides in a cable car and a chairlift, then a short walk takes us to the Col de Balme.  It is already late (the lifts only start at 9 a.m.), which we will pay for dearly in the afternoon. Climbs without incident on the ridges or the snowfields (already soft) on the Swiss side.   A short rock climb to the top of the Aiguille du Tour, 3540 m.  The final crossing of 2-3 km of very soft snow on the Trient Plateau after 5 p.m., to reach the hut, is very tiresome.

Photo:
Col de Balme

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