The last stage of the Tour du Mont Blanc is a 17 km (10.5 mile) hike along the Grand Balcon Sud to the café and cable car terminus on Le Brevent, the premier spot for the dead-on view of the summit of Mont Blanc with its snowy glacial cap.
This stage had an elevation gain of 772 m (2550 ft) and a long (9 km/5.5 mile), difficult 1546 m (5100 ft) descent into Les Houches.
La Flegere to Les Houches on TMB
From La Flegere the TMB winds along the Grand Balcon Sud with spectacular views of the Aiguilles Rouge and Mont Blanc. The first 5 km or so are fairly easy, winding through grassy uplands to Plan Praz, a station for the cable car up from Chamonix.
From here paragliders take off and can be seen hanging in the airy heights above the town. Plan Praz has a restaurant and gift shop, but is slightly off the TMB.
The bulk of the elevation gain of the day is between Plan Praz and the summit of Le Brevent (2526 m/8336 ft). The cable car station at the top has a small café with a splendid view of Mont Blanc and Chamonix 1500 m (5000 ft.) below.
From Le Brevent the TMB drops endlessly to Les Houches with a chance for refreshments or an overnight stop at Refuge de Bellachat. After entering the forest, the TMB skirts the boundary of the Parc Merlet zoo and then passes the huge concrete statue of Le Christ Roi before terminating at Les Houches.
Those who don’t care to make the knee-pounding descent into Les Houches, or those who began by walking from Chamonix to Les Houches, can take the cable car down from Le Brevent to Chamonix and end their Tour du Mont Blanc there.
Other Things to Do in the Chamonix Region
- The Tramway du Mont Blanc takes sightseers to the “Eagles Nest” overlooking the Bionnassay Glacier.
- A rack-and-pinion train runs from Chamonix to Montenvers with a view of the Mer de Glace glacier and the Grande Jorasses.
- The Aiguille du Midi cable car runs up to nearly 13,000 feet and a 360-degree view of the heart of the Mont Blanc massif.
And for those who can’t stop hiking:
- The La Grande Traversee Des Alps (GR5), a 400-mile trek from Geneva to Nice, runs through Chamonix.
- The 110-miles Haute Route to Zermatt originates in Chamonix and follows parts of the TMB as far as Champex.
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