An overview of walking the Tour of Mont Blanc including links to walking information, walking equipment, walking holidays, walking maps and travel related to walking

Tour of Mont Blanc 170km / 105 miles 10 / 12 days calculate your time to do the walk part of the Walking on the Web guide to walking in France, Italy and Switzerland

Maps IGN 3531 ET St-Gervais-Les-Bains, Massif du Mont Blanc and 3630 OT Chamonix, Massif du Mont Blanc

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This is a circumnavigation of the "Monarch of the Alps" Mont Blanc. At 4807m / 15771ft Mont Blanc is the highest mountain in Europe west of the Caucasus

From mid June through to the end of September. Mid July to the end of August is very busy in France and accommodation will be at a premium. June is the best month for alpine flowers and the more settled weather conditions will normally be found in September

Getting there from the UK

Express coach from Geneva starting from the airport goes through to Chamonix railway station via Les Houches.

Eurolines runs an overnight service from London Victoria Coach Station via a ferry crossing from Dover to Calais to Chamonix taking approx 18 hours

Easyjet from Luton to Geneva

St Gervais is served by at least two trains per day from Paris Gare de Lyon. The Mont Blanc Express departs from St Gervais and calls at Les Houches, Chamonix, Les Praz, Argentière and Vallorcine before terminating at Martigny.

Alternatively you can catch the TGV from Paris to Lausanne, then Lausanne to Martigny and finally catch the Mont Blanc Express back into France

The traditional start for the Tour de Mont Blanc is Les Houches in the lower Chamonix valley but truth is because its a circular walk you can start at any point you can get to on the route as long as you eventually finish there as well!

Les Houches Coach service form Geneva Airport passes through Les Houches on its journey to Chamonix . Provisions until Les Contamines at end of day.

Depart Les Houches Arrive Les Containes Total time 5hrs 15mins Distance 16km / 9.5 miles Altitude change Descent 633m Ascent 646m

For the first two days of the TMB the route is shared with the GR5 Grande Traverse of the Alps so it could be busy. Starting with your back to the entrance of the SNCF station go left and cross the bridge and up through the town to the Bellevue cable car station. Take the signposted road to the left and initially follow the road then track up to the bar LesTrablets. Continue along a signposted path climbing up to the Col de Voza and another inviting bar! You may wish to bear in mind that this is at 1653 metres the highist point of the day. Head downhill in a southery then south westerly direction to Bionnassay. From here the path drops down to the stream rising steeply on the other side to pick up a large track down to Le Champel and La Villette.

Bionnassay Refuge Auberge de Bionnassay telephone 04 50 93 45 23 or 04 50 93 24 59

15 beds, 20 dortoir open June to end September

From Les Contamines follow the road south west to cross the River Bont Nant and join a track along the right hand bank up to Notre Dame de la Gorge. The route rises above the river before crossing and following it again past the Nant Barrant Hut and the Chalet Hôtel de la Balme. The track flattens out onto a small plateau to find a path running south east then turning south west to the Col du Bonhomme 2329m. From here there is a short climb and traverse to the Col de la Croix du Bonhomme

Chalet Hôtel de la Balme For reservations telephone 04 50 47 17 05 for chalet telephone 04 50 47 03 54 Camping also available. Accomodation also available at the unmanned Chalet de la Balme Refuge du Presset

Jovet Lakes

Refuge du Col de la Croix du Bonhomme for reservations phone 04 79 32 10 49 for refuge phone 04 79 07 05 28 camping also available

Les Chapieux

Depart Les Chapieux Arrive Refugio Elisabetta Total time 5hrs Distance 15km / 9 miles Altitude change going Descent 258m Ascent 1004m

Follow the road north east past Seloge to a group of chalets called La Ville des Glaciers

Col de la Seigne

Refugio Elisabetta

Depart Refugio Elisabetta Arrive Courmayeur Total time 5hrs Distance 18km / 11 miles var 20km / 12 miles Altitude change going Descent 1560m Ascent 460m

Col Chécroui

Courmayeur

Giants' Trail Alta Via 1 and the Alta Via 2

Depart Courmayeur Arrive Refugio Bonatti Total time 6hrs 30mins Distance 16km / 9.5miles var 14km / 8.5miles Altitude change going Descent 698m Ascent 1597m

Col Sapin

Pas entre deux Sauts

La Vachey

Grand Col Ferret

Ferret

La Fouly

Praz de Fort

Champex

Col de la Forclaz

Col de Balme

Le Tour

Tré le Champ

The path begins a gradual ascent through low trees parrellel to the road before making a direct attack on the vertical by way of a steep zig zag route with little or no relief

La Flégère

Col du Brévent GR5 and the Grand Balcon Sud

Le Brevent providing a quick descent into Chamonix

Bellachat Refuge Bellachat. For reservations phone 04 50 53 46 99 for refuge phone 04 50 53 43 23

and return to Les Houches

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