In 1197, Garnier set out to visit the Holy Land in fulfillment of a vow. One of the purposes of his journey was to settle some disputes troubling the church of Troyes through the intervention of Count Henry II of Champagne, then ruling the Kingdom of Jerusalem in right of his wife, Queen Isabella I. He got only so far as Piacenza when news reached him of the death of Henry on 10 September. In light of his vow he continued his journey into Tuscany, but there was met by some friends returning from the Holy Land, who informed him that the French were all leaving and that Jerusalem was dominated by the Germans who had just come over. After receiving permission from Pope Innocent III to fulfill his vow with a cash payment for the defence of the Holy Land, Garnier returned to Champagne. In a surviving letter, Innocent praises Garnier for his undertaking in light of his age: "Not the disadvantage of imminent old age, nor the danger of the route, neither the doubtful fealty and constant inconstancy of the sea have deterred [you]."