Tour du Mont Blanc Is Classic Summer Hike
TMB Crosses Through France, Switzerland, and Italy
Aug 4, 2009
The Tour du Mont Blanc is one of the world’s most famous hiking treks. It is strenuous, with several days of more than 5000-foot elevation gains and losses over only a few miles. However, with a little training and a lot of patience, any reasonably fit person can attempt the trek.
Planning for the Tour du Mont Blanc
The only time the trek should be attempted is between late June and late September. Any deviation on one side or the other and a hiker may encounter dangerous snow and ice at the higher elevations.
Before leaving, familiarize yourself with the route. The best guide is Tour of Mont Blanc by Kev Reynolds (Cicerone, 1997).
Train for the TMB by hiking six or more miles two or three times a week for several months before leaving, finishing the training period with some hikes that include steep elevation gains and losses. Training for going down 3000 feet is as important as training to go up that distance.
Next make sure your backpack is as light as possible, remembering that every night can be spent in an inn, so sleeping bags and tents aren’t necessary. Rain gear and warm clothes, however, are essential. Check with the airline about whether it allows passengers to bring trekking poles as carry-on luggage.
Most TMB hikers fly into Geneva and take a bus, private car service, or train to Chamonix, France. The train, however, has two transfers and is an arduous trip if you are flying to Europe from the United States.
Can People Hike the Tour du Mont Blanc Without a Guide?
Many hikers choose to join a group or hire a guide for the Tour du Mont Blanc, but this is not necessary. One advantage of a tour is that the company usually transports baggage from town to town and makes hotel arrangements, lightening the load considerably.
The downside of a tour is the regimentation of sticking to a schedule and being always with a group instead of being able to dawdle in some spots or speed up or skip sections. Early and late in the season, reservations more than a day or so in advance are not necessary.
Typical Itinerary for Tour du Mont Blanc
The usual route for the Tour du Mont Blanc is counter-clockwise, starting in Les Houches, a small town about 6 km from Chamonix. It is possible to stop at Les Houches on the way from the airport rather than continuing to Chamonix, but the town is small, has fewer hotels, less nightlife and shopping.
If you stay in Chamonix to acclimate, the hike to Les Hoches is not very interesting, being mostly along the road. An alternative is to take one of the convenient trains that run up and down the Arve River valley.
A typical TMB itinerary is:
- Day One: Les Houches to Les Contamines
- Day Two: Les Contamines to Les Chapieux
- Day Three: Les Chapieux to Courmayeur crossing the 8300-foot Col de la Signe from France into Italy.
- Day Four: Rest Day in Courmayeur
- Day Five: Courmayeur to La Fouly crossing the Grand Col Ferret from Italy into Switzerland.
- Day Six: La Fouly to Champex
- Day Seven: Rest day in Champex
- Day Eight: Champex to Col de la Forclaz via either the Bovine trail or the more strenuous Fenetre d’Arpette, which is more than 8700-feet at its highest point.
- Day Nine: Col de la Forclaz to Tre-le-Champ via the Col de Balme from Switzerland into France.
- Day Ten: Tre-le-Champ to Brevant/Chamonix or Les Hoches
Variant Itineraries for the Tour du Mont Blanc
Unlike the “must-take-every-step” attitudes of thru-hikers on the Appalachian Trail, for example, hikers on the TMB frequently skip sections, take cable cars to eliminate steep climbs, and leave the official trail to grab public transport into towns. The routes are also infinitely variable, with opportunities to stay high in the gorgeous refuges that provide substantial meals, wine, and beds, even private rooms. A number of side trips can also be taken that add variety to the basic itinerary.
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