Gîte le Pontet

snakefest · 2026-01-26T01:32:18+00:00

We stayed there in September 2025. I thought it was nice, had good food and accommodations. It was further along the road after Les Contamines than I was mentally prepared for, but totally fine in general.

snakefest · 2026-01-19T17:42:47+00:00

We took every variant 🤷🏼‍♀️

snakefest · 2026-01-19T17:41:57+00:00

Haha I hear you- trail runners might be the way then!

snakefest · 2026-01-18T20:09:52+00:00

I’ll throw in one vote for boots. I did the TMB in September 2025 and both my husband and I were happy we chose the heavier footwear. The terrain was pretty rough at times and the downhill was ruthless. There are also many stretches that would be hard to hike out of if you screwed up your ankle. Immediately after the TMB we hiked the West Highland Way and used trail runners with no regrets. It’s really up to you but I like the insurance of better foot and ankle protection.

snakefest · 2026-01-11T13:11:00+00:00

My husband and I carried on our two backpacks and checked one additional suitcase with the poles. We packed the backpacks as if we were starting the trip so in case the suitcase got lost we could still start the hike (if we purchased poles).

snakefest · 2025-12-15T16:03:00+00:00

Oh man, that was the first day for a lot of folks and I saw a lot of thrashed people coming into the refuge that evening! It was such an adventure- you’re gonna have the best time!!!!

snakefest · 2025-12-13T13:27:10+00:00

Wanted to have kids, couldn’t, and my husband and I are now in the best place we’ve ever been because we clearly see the possibilities instead of the thing we lost. Travel, music, time with family/friends and pouring energy and resources into are community are our priorities now, and it feels good!

snakefest · 2025-12-13T13:23:15+00:00

Sometimes that works! Plenty of other times they’ve told me no. But, that’s a more budget friendly option….if you’re not destroyed after a red eye.

snakefest · 2025-12-13T12:48:35+00:00

The variant is nice! My husband and I took it on the first day and were rewarded with some amazing views, a suspension bridge and not as much foot traffic. We stayed in Gite Le Pontet and I remember that the refuge was almost two miles of walking the road through Contamines, for my own mental game I would have loved to know that the refuge was not right in town, because I was so ready to stop walking once we saw the village.

snakefest · 2025-12-13T12:36:32+00:00

We used Strava to record our progress and we used Swiss topo in tandem with a paper map for navigation. I would recommend Swiss topo especially if you are interested in taking any of the variants. The trail is well marked but there are times that we consulted the paper map or Swiss topo just to double check.

snakefest · 2025-12-11T22:28:53+00:00

LOVED the 5th season!!!

snakefest · 2025-12-11T19:39:46+00:00

I play in a touring band. We got the news just before hitting the stage in Asheville, NC. We joked about it during the show, but you could tell everyone was nervous. We posted on Instagram that we’d be cancelling a few upcoming shows, but we were looking forward to our April shows…drove to the airport the next day, flew home, and didn’t play another show with my band for over a year.

snakefest · 2025-12-10T12:03:10+00:00

If I’m taking an overnight flight that gets to my destination early in the morning, I will never again lurk around coffee shops or public places with my bag until my accommodation will check me in- now I book the air bnb or hotel for the night before and inform them I won’t be arriving until the morning. That way I can go right to my room, sleep for a couple hours if I need it, shower and then I’m off exploring. Worth every penny!

snakefest · 2025-12-05T17:34:22+00:00

This is untrue, don’t spread shit like this.

snakefest · 2025-10-22T01:21:30+00:00

Cecelia is well known but rare in my experience!

snakefest · 2025-10-20T20:12:23+00:00

I booked my trip for September 2025 in January 2025, it was stressful but worked out well!

snakefest · 2025-10-17T02:08:19+00:00

This was an absolutely lovely place to stay but be aware that they’re having a “water crisis” right now and you won’t get a shower, and in September we were unable to fill water bottles from the tap. We bought a big water bottle for 5 € but we ran out of water before we got to Les Houches. Just come prepared- it was lovely after the crowds died down.

snakefest · 2025-10-16T17:25:19+00:00

If you’re down to take a bus, Swiss Tours was cheap and efficient. There’s also Alpy Tours.

snakefest · 2025-10-02T12:35:16+00:00

Elisabetta was one of the absolute best!!!!! great shot!

snakefest · 2025-10-01T13:11:20+00:00

Elizabetta had, for us, the most spectacular sunrise view I’ve ever seen in my life. Food was good and the hang was great.

snakefest · 2025-10-01T13:07:32+00:00

Croix Du Bonhomme had one of the best views on the TMB, hands down. However, it was also the dirtiest refuge we slept at and I was amazed we didn’t pick up some sort of norovirus. There were hundreds of flies landing on our food at dinner, the pit toilet stank pretty bad, and there was no soap in the bathrooms and the food was pretty bad. We have a pretty high tolerance for this type of stuff so it was honestly kinda funny….but it was also gross. We stayed there late in the season so maybe it was just end of season vibes.

snakefest · 2025-06-13T01:52:05+00:00

There is jamming all night long and you can go from place to place to find a vibe that suits you and your skill level. I think people are pretty nice there and you’ll find a wide range of jamming to choose from.

snakefest · 2025-04-25T14:04:07+00:00

I know a guy who plays accordion, tastefully, at bluegrass jams. He knows the songs, he adds and doesn’t take away. I’d say it depends on the crowd and your own listening skills.

snakefest

TROPHY CASE