CR Adventures 270722: TMB Day 3 - Refuge des Mottets to Hotel Bouton d’Dor (Courmayeur) via the Col de La Seigne

TMB Day 3 starts from Refuge des Mottets (1864m) full of character surrounded by spectacular scenery and the impressive Glacier de l'Aiguille.
If you look hard enough you'll be able to make out the Refuge Robert Blanc perched high on the mountain towards the Glacier.
Today is the longest day and the day we cross over into Italy for a rest day in Courmayeur
at the Hotel Boulton d'Dor.

We head out from the refuge ascending towards the Col de la Seigne (2512m) and the French/ Italian border.
The scenery along the way is absolutely stunning in all directions particularly towards the Glacier de l'Aiguille.

The Col de la Seigne is a pass that connects the Vallée des Chapieux via the Vallée des Glaciers in the south-west in Savoie ( France ), to the Val Vény in the north-east in the Aosta Valley . It is located between the Aiguille des Glaciers (3,817m) and the Montagne de la Seigne.

We reach the Col de la Seigne and cross over into Italy taking in the breath taking views of Mont Blanc and the massif on the Italian side ( Aiguille Blanche de Peuterey , Aiguille Noire de Peuterey , etc.).

We descend from the Col towards La Casermetta which is part of a network of environmental education centers, with particular attention to glaciers and their dynamics.
Owned by the Autonomous Region Valle d'Aosta; its management has been entrusted to the Safe Mountain Foundation. A cross-border center for environmental education in the Espace Mont-Blanc, the Casermetta is also a strategic center for the acquisition of socio-demographic data relating to hikers who travel the TMB or scientific data for monitoring glaciers.
The views from the terrace into the valley are stunning to say the least.

The next part of our journey takes us through Lex Blanche a military outpost in years gone by together with an abundance of military mule trails.
We pass by the Refugio Elisabetta perched a little higher to our left below the glacier.

Aosta Valley (Italy), Lex Blanche Glacier
Lex Blanche glacier surrounded by a.lle de Glaciers, a.lle de la Lex Blanche, a.lle de Trelatete and Petit Mont Blanc.

We continue our journey along the Val Veny until our turn off point towards the Refugio Maison Vieille and further along the trail Refugio Le Randonneur.

Our plan was to ride on the cable car Dolonne to Courmayeur located in the valley some way below but we were too late so had no option but to make the steep descent through the wooded section of the trail.

We arrive at our destination Hotel Bouton d'Dor and what a fabulous hotel it was where we would be spending two nights.

The hotel is centrally located in Courmayeur in the Aosta valley.
With a five-minute walk, you can reach the central Via Roma with its refined boutiques, delicatessens and mountaineering equipment shops.
Although the hotel has no restaurant the breakfasts are amazing and we also had a picnic when we left which was the best of the whole tour.















Refuge Les Mottets
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Situated in the Vallee des Glaciers and is the last accomodation before Col de la Seigne and Italy.
Ideally situated just south of the Mont Blanc in the French Alps,
- Nestled in the magnificent and pristine Valley of Glaciers
- At an altitude of 1864 meters
- At the foot of the magnificent mountain peak « Glacier Needle » and the Seigne Mountain Pass
- Part of the internationally known hiking trail « Le Tour du Mont Blanc ».