TMB Stage 9 Trient to Tre-le-champs
9th day out of the 11 of the TMB, today we will simply follow the official route of the TMB Stage 9 from Trient to Tre-le-champs. By doing so, we will be passing the border between Switzerland and France at Col de Balme. Going to France means that we will leave our least favourite part of the TMB behind us and enter a super scenic route for the next 3 stages.
We did this stage in Mid-July and we had an amazing weather.
Table of Contents
Mapping the day
Statistics
Today the statistics are as follow:
- Total distance: 13.6km
- Elevation gain: 1231 m
- Elevation Loss: -1116m
- Highest elevation: 2208m
- Lowest elevation: 1283m
If we look by section of the stage, we have approximately:
- Trient to Col de Balme 5.92km, +983, -68.9m
- Col de Balme to Possettes: 3.7km, +221m, -247m
- Possettes to Tre-le-champs : 4.02km, +27.7m, -804m
TMB Stage 9 Trient to Tre-le-champs - Step by Step
Leaving Trient
Time to start hiking the stage 9 of the TMB. Once out of the cute town of Trient, the TMB route will right way start going up. The first part is through a forest. But it will not last long as you follow the sign Col de Balme to reach the border.
If you need water, it is also time to refill in Trient where there are a few water points.
Col de Balme
Col de Balme is just 30min away or so once out of the main forest trail. From there, it will be super scenic. Once in the Col de Balme, you will find a small mountain hut where you will be able to refill your water, go to toilet, or have lunch.
Do refill your water there as there won’t be any more water point before the end of the hike.
We took a nice break there to chill and enjoy the view.
Col des Posettes
Next destination is Col des Posettes. Return to the intersection before Col de Balme and follow the Col de Posettes 25min direction. It will be a small down hill and then up hill. On the way we super loved the view, so we made a small break.
A bit later, you will arrive at Aiguilettes des Possettes.
Tre-le-Champs
And it will then finally be time to walk all the way down to Tre-le-Champs. This is as often our least favourite part. The views will be amazing until the forest that stands on the lower part of the mountain
Auberge de la Boerne
We did reserve a camping spot there as well as dinner. It is a small camping ground next to a mountain hut. There is also a fountain with fresh water.
The camping ground is small and get quite packed at the end of the day. In the hut there is shared 1 WC and 3 showers. So, you can imagine that WC can get packed and that you have to line up sometimes. But there is hot water all day/night long. And all is accessible at any time.
Dinner was made of courses: Â first salad, then meat with sauce and rice (some veggie pie for the vegetarian option). But they did forget our vegetarian option even though when we arrived, we confirm them. It was followed by cheese (brie and tome) And dessert was Apple Compote.
The best part of diner was that we met a Polish Girl doing the TMB and a French Father and Daughter doing a few days hike.
Camping cost 8€ per person, meal 17€/person.
At night it was quiet, and everything went well. We recommend this ground but not especially the diner.
“Carry as little as possible, but choose that little with care.”
