Hiking TOUR DU MONT BLANC in 9 days alone (tent only)

Hey my name is Alex. I'm 37 years old and I come from Dortmund in Germany. A year ago I gave up my party life to do more sport and live healthier. To top off the year I hiked the Tour de Mont Blanc alone in nine days. The hike is 170 kilometers long and has a total elevation of 10 000 meters. The hike starts and ends in the French town of Chamonix. I arrive by car two days before my start to give my body the opportunity to get used to the altitude. In addition to the final of the UTMB I also looked around the city, ate well, did a little wellness and got my gear ready for the next day. I decided to start the trail at the beginning of September. All the snow there from the previous winter has already melted and the pass is usually no longer full of people. Right at the start there was a first challenge with a 1000 meter high steep climb. Except for the climb the day was quite relaxed and left me wanting more. The first campsite was chill. You could book dinner and breakfast, chat with other hikers and regenerate for the next day. On the second day the sun came out again and after a good bit of sleep I was really excited for the next stage. After a second breakfast in this beautiful refuge I headed higher into the mountains. The further I went the more beautiful the landscape became. The weather forecast had predicted a thunderstorm which fortunately did not take place. After what felt like an eternity I finally got closer to the day's goal. An official wild camping spot in the middle of the valley. Luckily there were two restaurants near the campsite, as I didn't have a cooking system in my bag. The next morning there was rain and more rain. I met a very nice family from Denmark and joined them on the path to the top. We took a break in the second refuge, ate pasta and had a coffee. After 10km downhill in the rain we arrived at Hobokamping, probably the most beautiful campsite on the trail so far. Camp was reopened a few years ago by a group of younger people. In addition to a bar there was also an organic supermarket and a pool. After I left the camp it was a long climb uphill, but I was then rewarded with a beautiful Italian hut. The next stop was the town of Camonium, which is the Italian counterpart to Chamonix. After pizza I went back towards the next mountain, where a climb of over 1000m was waiting for me. After almost 3 hours I finally reached the top and was rewarded with a breathtaking view. I saw the hut straight away, which was very good news as I was very hungry and thirsty. After a refreshment in the Italian hut I continue up the mountain. Because of the sunny weather the view was amazing. After a long trail, which was one of the highlights of the tour, the day's destination was a beautiful campsite in the forest. The day started foggy, the higher I got the clearer it became, then finally the sun came out. As with every stop I first had an espresso and a small snack to refill my energy. A short rest in the sun before I continued. There was an Italian restaurant in the valley just before the next big climb. I ate homemade pasta with lots of parmesan and lemonade. After more than 2 hours of uphill walking through one of the most impressive mountain landscapes, I arrived at the mountain ridge and the border to Switzerland. The first night in the Swiss was quite restful, I slept a little longer and had breakfast in the morning sun. This stage was classified as easier, but it still had a few steep climbs. In the middle of the day it started to rain. At the destination there was a small village with a lake and several restaurants and shops. I arrived a little early and still had time to look around. The next morning after breakfast in the cozy cafe I set off on the trail again. I was very excited to see what else Switzerland had to offer. After a few hours of walking in walls of fog there was a cool spot in the valley. There I offered dinner and breakfast. At night it was so quiet you could only hear a few cows in the distance. In contrast to the last two stages which were a little shorter, day 8 awaits me with the longest distance and the most elevation of the whole tour. The surroundings became rockier, you could really feel how you were getting further into the high mountains. At 7 pm I reached the last sleeping spot. Directly next to a lake at an altitude of over 2000m I pitched my tent for the last time. After a quiet morning with a view on the massif, we headed towards the last climb, a cable car station with a restaurant. On the way down I saw a few goats, a nice mountain lake and a lot of stones. From now on it was a very steep 1400m downhill, back to the start and end point of the Tour de Mont Blanc. Thank you.