The Tour du Mont Blanc, or simply the TMB, is, without a doubt, one of the most famous trekking trips in the mountainous world. The tour circumnavigates the Mont Blanc massif, passing through three countries - France, Italy and Switzerland - and no less than 7 alpine valleys.
We will cover around 140 km of trails and climb over 8000 meters (equivalent to the height of Mount Everest) during a full week of varied and interesting walking with amazing views all around us. Along the route, there is plenty of opportunity to admire the changing alpine scenery and the abundance of alpine flowers and wild life.
Although individual days are not too hard, the days are long and the total trip requires us to have good fitness and a high level of stamina. Our accommodation will be a mixture of traditional mountain huts, hostels and hotels.
Brief itinerary:
Day 1:
Arrive Chamonix valley and meet with leader in the evening for welcome and briefing.
Day 2:
We take the lift from Les Houches (993m) in the Chamonix valley and climb to Col de Tricot (2120m). From here we descent below the breathtaking Dome du Gouter and Aiguille de Bionnasay to the Nant Borrant hut (1450m).
Day 3:
From Nant Borrant we start the ascend over three cols - Col du Bonhomme (2329m), Col de la Croix de Bonhomme (2479m) and Col des Fours (2665m). From here we descend to La Ville des Glaciers (1789m) followed by a short ascent to Refuge des Mottets (1870m).
Day 4:
We leave Refuge des Mottets and ascend to Col de la Seigne (2516m). We are now in Italy and begin the mainly descending journey along the beautiful Val Veny into Courmayeur (1226m).
Day 5:
From Courmayeur (1226m) we climb to the Mont de la Saxe and follow the ridge line above the Ferret valley. Another descent takes us over the Entre deux Sauts pass (2524m) and into the Malatra valley where we descend to Rifugio Bonatti (2025m).
Day 6:
From Rifugio Bonatti we continue the traverse above the Ferret valley. We temporarily drop down into the valley before beginning our ascend to Grand Col Ferret (2537m). We now enter Switzerland and descend through idyllic valleys to the village of Ferret (1705m). From here, we travel by local post bus to the charming lake side village Champex (1477m).
Day 7:
Leaving Champex (1477m), we ascend to the Fenêtre d’Arpette (2665m), which we cross and descend into Trient (1297m).
Day 8:
We leave Trient (1297m) and return into France via Col de Balme and descend to Argentière (1244m). We are now back in the Chamonix valley.
Day 9:
Depart Chamonix.
Private groups and self-guided options
Many people prefer to walk the Tour du Mont Blanc as a private group; at their own pace and on dates that suit their schedule. We can organise private Tour du Mont Blanc holidays at any time during the summer season and we can tailor-make the itinerary if you wish to shorten or lengthen the tour, add rest days, include luggage transfers between stages or simply do the Tour du Mont Blanc on a self-guided basis. Feel free to contact us if you have specific requirements for your Tour du Mont Blanc trek.
Tour du Mont Blanc trek
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The daily organisation was excellent and Mark's knowledge of the geology, history and geography of the area made for an unforgettable experience. For a while we were on top of the world!. We had a fantastic and memorable time and we will be using Alpine Treks again to explore other routes in the Alps.
Lindsay and Terry Crowther
Trekking and walking holidays: Chamonix Spring Walking ; Best of Mont Blanc Walking ; Tour du Mont Blanc trek ; Haute Route trek, Chamonix to Zermatt ; Gran Paradiso trek.
Tailor made trekking and walking: Weekend Explorer trek ; Trekking skills weekend ; Tailor made trekking ; Tailor made trekking expeditions.
Snowshoeing in the Alps: Best of Mont Blanc snowshoe week ; Weekend Explorer Snowshoeing ; Tailor made snowshoeing.
Corporate activities
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