Tour du Mont Blanc at Short Notice

[myxpyr]

I would like to go to the Alps next year(2020) to re-do the TMB of which I did about half in 2017.
When I went last time I took the precaution of booking huts well in advance(two-three months) so my overnight stops were guaranteed.
The problem this time around is that I might not be able to book in advance(due to domestic circumstances) I'd be interested to know if anyone here has done the TMB and just turned up at a refuge "en spec"and still managed to get accommodation. I would be travelling solo and do not really want to have to carry a tent, stove etc. At 73/74 I now prefer to travel light.

[gunwharfman]

Yes, I have and when I did it (July) had no problems at all. Mind you I only stayed in two Refuges, one on the French side, one in Italy. On another occasion two years later when I walked part of the route to another route (it was July again) I turned up and they 'had no room at the inn.' They did feed me and let me drink there, however. I just camped around the back of the Refuge.

Do you camp? Do you carry a lightweight bivi (like an Alpkit Hunker) just in case you can't get into a place?
 

[myxpyr]

Do you camp? Do you carry a lightweight bivi (like an Alpkit Hunker) just in case you can't get into a place?

I prefer not to camp these days but I'll have a google for bivi bags inc the "Hunker". Many thanks for the response

[myxpyr]

I'm making plans about planning Think what I'll do, if it's really short notice, is to book as many refuges as I can in whatever time I have available(once I know if/when I'm going) and then, if there are any that say "non" the I'll make sure I have the bivvy bag option available

[ninthace]

For what it is worth, French holidays are extremely organised.  The country is divided into 3 zones that each have a 4 week block allocated to them for their summer holidays. These blocks begin at 2 week intervals from the start of July.  As a result, everywhere is full from the start of July to about the middle of August.  I cannot speak from experience but I expect this would include the majority of the refuges and valley campsites in the Mont Blanc region.

[gunwharfman]

I only mentioned the Hunker because I have one which I bought a few years ago. I consider that its light in weight and it rolls up small. When I take it with me I just fold it into the bottom of my rucksack and I pile everything else on top. More often than not it never comes out until I am back at home, it's just resting there just in case of an emergency. If you do choose one, give sizing a careful thought. Mine is the small size which is more than big enough for me, I'm 5' 5" and weigh 71Kg, but if you want more space I'd go for the larger model.

[myxpyr]

I had a look at some bivvy bags yesterday. On reservation I have about them is being "entombed" inside(bit more claustrophobic than a tent) as I think I would prefer to have my head/face outside the bag. That then gives rise to "what if it rains"
I wondered whether it would be feasible to use my tent flysheet(it's quite light) as a tarp(supported by my trekking poles) and sleep in the bivvy bag under the "tarp".
Any thoughts?

[gunwharfman]

The same as me, my reluctance to use my Hunker is because, for me, it's too difficult to get in and out of. My primary concern is that if needed, how would I get out quickly and efficiently? An 'incident' I experienced in 2015 bought my concerns into sharp focus. At dawn 5 large white domesticated pigs tried to get in my tent with me! Getting out of my tent was easy enough, a quick zip of the inner and then the outer tent and I was able to stand up and fight them off. I've no idea how I would have managed if I had been using my Hunker at the time? Now that I've used both tent and bivi I now have a preference for bivi camping. My 'solution' for my Hunker, if it works, is for my wife's friend to slit open one side of it, 4' long and then sew in a 4' waterproof zip. My zip arrives on Monday so by the weekend I should know if it's a good idea or not. I'll let you know.

I also have a 3.5 Alpkit tarp (its very light and rolls up small) which I take with me as well and just erect it to cover my head and torso, once practised in the garden I soon got the hang of it. I use one of my hiking sticks to keep it at the right height and when it rains I just lower it nearer to my body. The tarp also has enough space to keeps my boots etc, in the dry. The very first time I used a bivi I took my Wild Country Zephyos One with me and that night I just erected half of the tent to cover my head. It worked but added together with my poles, tarp and bivi the package just weighed too much, which is why I bought my tarp. My ideal would be to find a very lightweight instant erection 'half a tent,' which springs into shape like an instant festival tent. I've looked for inspiration but have not found anything yet.

The other matter I found important was to use a large groundsheet, my bivi takes up half of it and in the morning and can stand on the other half to get dressed, sit and then sort my stuff out. This works very well for me.

[gunwharfman]

I forgot one other important issue for me. I have a Hiatus Hernia and to live with it comfortably I need the zip of my bivi to open on the right-hand side, it may sound silly but this keeps my stomach curve, aided by gravity, at the lowest point when I'm lying down. It helps to keep my stomach contents where they should be, in my stomach and not halfway up my oesophagus. I also own a Snugpak Stratosphere bivi which works well but its side zip is on the left-hand side, fine for most people but a nuisance for me. I forgot to consider this when I bought it, I think I have to face reality and sell it soon.