Hi, I have done TMB at the beginning of July this year. much easier way.
I hate carrying heavy load,,,can't stand the cold in tent esp. when raining outside
and planning each day in advance as a solowalker, as I mentioned above, proved too complicated. And so, though I much admire the trekking style of youradvocate in the way you mingled with locals, I joined small French company's tour - half the price of exodus who did not cover the whole route .
It was quite spartan...no comfortable hotel to spend a day off in Courmayeur as exodus offers, but all in refuges in dorms and we walked past Courmayeur and carried onto the mountain. We had breakfast and dinner at the refuges. Oddly, while we were in France, we had pasta every day for dinner. They never missed 4 course, 3 course plus Cheese. When we entered Italy, pasta dinner disappeared along with cheese, and we had beef stew every night. In Switzerland, cheese got into main dish. Picnic lunch was provided by muletier- he would run to supermarket and come back with bread, sausage, cheese and fruits. sometimes, tin of tuna, sometimes tin of pate, which resembled dog food
Muletier guided the walk and looked after the mule who carried our luggage.
It was a great company of French, Spanish and me. We communicated in broken French, Spanish and English and got on very well.
The second night, we stayed at the simplest refuges of the tour at Bellachat above Les Houches. It had the greatest view of Mont Blanc range from the balcony and the we were lucky with the weather.
I attach a photo of the view from the refuge - as this post is not as substantial to put as TR.
After 7 days, the rest of the group had gone home, taking the bus through Mont Blanc tunnel from Courmayeur to Chamonix and I continued with the guide, who also took the role of mule to carry my luggage. Then, the pace become his, not the group or the mule - sometimes, we had to walk in mule's pace as the mule didn't like downhill. With just a guide and myself, I would have liked to take in the view, but the guide walked much faster than it had been with the group.
And so, after we finished the whole circle, I was very pleased to walk on my own for extra 3 days in Chamonix. On the first day, I did the walk I missed on TMB.
All in all, it was a fantastic trip. Going by organised tour was a good decision for this trip as I had gone down with flu 2 days before the departure and quite ill on the first day- took a cable car up the Flegere and stayed in bed- 3rd day, missed col de la Seigne and went with luggage in a car, and 10 th day, took a bus.
After all, I am glad I went. Being off sick from work, missing the tour and staying in bed at home would have made me really miserable.
This tour was the most physically demanding walk - maybe because I was ill? - more than Inca Trek or Annapurna Base Camp which I found quite easy.
Thank you for the inspiration