TMB Day 3: Les Contamines to Chapieux
- Distance: 12.17 miles
- Elevation Gain: 4,291 ft
- Elevation loss: 3,080 ft
- Max Elevation: 8,169 ft
- Calories Burned: 1,735
Epic. Legendary. Mind-boggling. These are all superlatives we tend to overuse these days. It’s unfortunate because they tend to lose their meaning. Today was one of those days that defies description. On paper it looked like a very difficult day. And it was. On the menu were the climbs of Col de Bonhomme and Col de la Croix de Bonhomme. But it was a manageable sort of difficult, without the super steep gradients of days one and two. And honestly we were stopping for so many Kodak moments, we didn’t lack for breaks.
It was a day to be savored. Not rushed. Along with each one of those breaks. Coffee and lunch stops are the best. Not because of the ham and cheese sandwiches, but because of their setting. Nine and a half hours after first leaving our hotel in Les Contamines behind, we finally made it into our home for the night. The first of two mountain refuges we will be staying in because of the relative remoteness of our locations. And I have to say, I was pleasantly surprised. I had to share with two of my group mates, but hey, we had our own shower!! What a luxury!!!
Michelle Gallardo
Chicago news gal with an addiction to pro-cycling, Ironman, running, travel and food. Always in search of a new adventure, way to torture myself.
