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Tracy Elley

@elleytribe

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Rediscovering Aotearoa, NZ 🇳🇿
Kia mau ki te tokanga nui a noho
There’s no place like home 🥝

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Day Six: Courmayeur to Les Chapieux

There were about 100+ hikers staying at Rifugio Monte-Bianco last night. Dinner is served exactly at 7pm and we were the last into the dining hall. I was still in my dusty trail gear with no time to shower. Rifugio dinners work like clockwork. They served up an amazing 4 course meal and had the tables cleared by 8pm!! The next morning was the same. We were all out the door by 8am.

My clockwise TMB was still working out well because everyone disappeared and I jogged most of the way to Refuge Elisabetta by myself.

After 2 amazing days in Italy it was time to cross back into France. There is no internet coverage into Les Chapieux so I couldn’t tell Malcolm that I wasn’t on the main TMB trail. I found a single trail on the other side of the valley. Luckily I arrived in time to find him just entering the trail head, otherwise we would have missed each other.

Tonight’s accommodation was totally unexpected and exceptional. A beautiful 12th century stone chalet beautifully modernised with only 5 rooms and 7 of us staying over night. Le Chalet du Berger is a special place. The food, the staff, the rooms, the atmosphere. I don’t know how we lucked out with a room during peak season. The staff were so cute. They knocked on our door in the morning to say breakfast was ready🥰
#hiking
#trailrunning
#tmb
#tmbclockwise

Our accommodation for the night taken in Tour du Mont Blanc by @elleytribe

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11 days ago

Day 5: Lavachey to Courmayeur

Everyday is my favourite day but today is my new favourite day😂even with logistical problems at the start. The free buses from Courmayeur to Lavachey are overloaded with hikers and you are completely dumbfounded when left standing there watching buses drive right past you!

We eventually made it to Lavachey with Malcolm joining me to Rifugio Bonatti. I carried on to Rifugio Grand Bertone not realising that I could have taken a much quieter varient over Col Sapin. But never mind because I made it there later on when I saw a sign to Col Sapin. My hike was finishing way too fast so I decided to climb up there, not realising I was going back towards Lavachey where I started. But that didn’t matter as this was really the most scenic mountain day and there’s not a sole up there! Those glaciers are in your face all day long. Italy really out did its self with the mountain views, food and accommodation.

Running straight down off those beautiful trails into Courmayeur was a real treat. We finished the day wandering around the city, sightseeing and eating. Long summer mountain days will be forever etched in my memory🤩
#hike
#trailrun
#tourmontblanc taken in Tour du Mont Blanc by @elleytribe

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13 days ago

Day 4: Champex 🇫🇷 to Lavachey 🇮🇹 via La Fouly and over Grand Col Ferret

Today was both big kms and elevation day. This was the only day on the itinerary that I doubted my ability to complete it. In fact my itinerary had suggested skipping the Champex to La Fouly bit by catching the bus! Are you fcuking kidding me😵‍💫 No way I’m skipping any part of the hike. But this meant adding an extra 15km onto an already big day out on top of the planned 20kms with 1000+ elevation. I think in the end I decided to ignore the numbers and just go for it.

Champex to La Fouly is not too difficult and I actually ran nearly all of it and easily got to La Fouly for an early lunch. I took an extra long lunch. Ate a whole large pizza, had 2 coffees, dessert, and large bottle of water. The sun was shining and La Fouly was so beautiful. I wasn’t sure I felt like continuing but Malcolm gave me the hard word to get going.

Once on the trail I felt great and excited to be crossing the border into Italy. I was supposed to finish in Arnouva where Malcolm was meeting me but we had no internet so he couldn’t contact me to say he wasn’t allowed to drive there with a private car. I just missed the free bus so ran another 4km down the road to Levachey🤪 No stress, I completed 36.km and climbed almost 1700mtrs feeling pretty good about the whole day. The only thing on my mind was a bloody good feed!!

#hiking
#tourmontblanc
#tmbclockwise
#trailrunning taken in Tour du Mont Blanc by @elleytribe

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14 days ago

Day 3: Trient to Champex

I wish I could pack this day up in a box and bring it home with me. Firstly, I didn’t want to leave this tiny village, Trient. Our accommodation at Hôtel la Grand Ourse was so comfortable. I wanted to lay in the sun in their hammocks ordering cheese boards and drinking aperol spritz all day long😂 but morning came along and everyone was bustling with breakfast and packing up. Suddenly I rolled out the door with excitement for the day ahead.

Today there were options on the trail. You either climb higher with less kms over Fenêtre d’Arpette or have an easier climb via Col de la Forclaz with more kms. Of course I want to do the biggest climb but I was apprehensive as no one was climbing with me and everyone staying at our accommodation did not do the climb over Fenêtre d’ Arpette because they said it was too hard! I was in a real dilemma, but in my heart I knew I could do this, especially as the weather was perfect. I followed my heart and headed off on my own and fell in love with the terrain and a very steep, rock scrambling climb which was so much fun. I did have some fear about the downhill but it was all unfounded. An Italian guy that was coming the opposite way while I was climbing down told me he saw 2 viper snakes on the trail so now I really had something to fear😂 I never saw one snake and proudly arrived at Relais d’Arpette accommodation unharmed and immediately ordered another cheese board and aperol spritz to celebrate a fantastic day in the mountains.

#hiking
#tmb
#tourmontblanc taken in Tour du Mont Blanc by @elleytribe

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15 days ago

Day Two: Montroc to Trient - from France to Switzerland.

I’m beginning to realise that I’m completely on my own in the mornings as I travel clockwise around the TMB😀 (99% of people are going anticlockwise) I really thought there would be hoards of people seeing as this is one of the busiest trails in peak season.

The only downside is that I’m very scared of bulls on the trail and there is no one around to save me😂 but after awhile I realised they don’t take any notice of you🤞

#hiking taken in Tour du Mont Blanc by @elleytribe

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16 days ago

Finally completing the whole Tour Mont Blanc trail after 10 years doing bits and pieces of it.

A very special birthday present from Malcolm🥰who supported me the whole way around so I could just turn up every day with my run vest and shoes and spend 8 days in the mountains. Best gift ever😍

Day One: Les Houches to Montroc, hike/running clockwise.

#hiking #tmb taken in Tour du Mont Blanc by @elleytribe

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16 days ago

No service type of day 😂🌿
…featuring some wind

📍The Pinnacles & Billy goat track 10/10

#trailrunning #pinnaclesnationalpark #newzealandfinds #trailadventure taken in Pinnacles Summit by @elleytribe

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25 days ago

When the family show up🥰 by @elleytribe

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2 months ago

The 1st week full of highlights🥰
The contrast between 2 worlds 🇸🇬 🇫🇷 but connected with family and friends. by @elleytribe

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2 months ago

When you are in the present moment what happens is you begin to notice - Mt Te Aroha🤩

#Hiking #tearoha taken in Mt Te Aroha Summit Track by @elleytribe

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3 months ago

It’s been awhile.
Magical Mangawhai taken in Mangawhai Cliff Walk by @elleytribe

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3 months ago

Making the most of local trails. This one is conveniently just 400mtrs down the road. So no excuses not to do elevation training. No excuses that it’s raining, cold or dark. I’m out here most nights with Malcolm and we regularly meet up with the local ruru🦉that keeps inspiring me to return each night🤩

#trailrunning
#tmbtraining taken in Auckland, New Zealand by @elleytribe

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4 months ago