Walking 7:30:00 [3] 24.7 km (18:13 / km) +2500m 12:06 / km
TMB day 2 Tre Le Champ to Champex. Totally epic day. Off just after 7:30 with clear blue skies beckoning. Again made good time on the first climb and on the top of Aiguuillette des Posettes. (2200m) by 9:00. Brilliant 360 views from here. Some nice running on the next section to Col de Balme. First sighting of dozens of very fat marmots. Stopped briefly at the refuge at CdrB and put my poles down... Then had to come back for them 5' later :-( Deviated from the main TMB route here with the plan of doing the high level variant through Fenetre d'Arpette. The next bit of path contoured initially and then seemed to go up and down on ever rougher ground before reaching the refuge at Les Grands. Had a bit of a panic as I was taking longer than expected and suddenly a glacier appeared in front of me... Quick check of the map and I was fine, but a steep 500m descent down into the valley followed, before reaching the path up the other side. Coke and fuel stop at Chalet de Glacier before starting the 1000m ascent to the Fd'A. Felt good for most of the climb until about the last 200m when I just died. Probably a combination of tiredness and altitude. Still had made good time to the col (2670m) which was just as impressive as had been billed. Descent down the other side was almost as equally grim and again I took my time to make sure I didn't slip. Feeling pretty footsore by the time I got down to the better tracks, but soon at Relais Arpette for the night. Lasted barely 1' in the stream which was a real melt-water ice bath.