Tour of Mont Blanc - A trekking guide

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• Contents
• Introduction
• Sample Route
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Were it to stand alone with no near neighbour to lend it scale, the great snow- and ice-crusted dome of Mont Blanc would still lay claim to the title of Monarch of the Alps. At 4807m (15,771ft) the summit stands a good 3700m (12,000ft) above Chamonix, and is 3km higher than the nearest habitation on the Italian flank. On blue-sky days it dazzles in the sunshine or floats on a raft of cloud, commanding one’s attention with its dominating height, for it has a regal presence equal both to its appearance and its stature. That presence is not always benign, of course, for the mountain also dictates the weather and controls the climate of its surrounding valleys. But catch it in a benevolent mood, and those valleys bask in its glory.

Mont Blanc does not stand alone, however, and the large number of attendant peaks and aiguilles, savage rock walls, ridges and tumbling glaciers, rather than detract from its grandeur, simply add to it with their own individuality – courtiers whose impressive company would grace any massif anywhere in the world. The Grandes Jorasses, Aiguille Noire, the Verte and Drus, Aiguille du Midi, Mont Maudit and Mont Dolent, on which the borders of three countries meet, each of these (and there are many more) would stand out in any mountain crowd. Here they attend court, subdued only by altitude.

Mont Blanc then is more than just the highest mountain in Europe west of the Caucasus. Indeed, it’s more than a big mountain massif, it’s a mountain range, compact and complete in itself. According to Roger Frison-Roche, this beautiful 25km-long wall of rock, snow and ice has some 400 summits and more than 40 glaciers that scour the heartland and add lustre to every scene. Carrying the frontiers of three countries, France, Italy and Switzerland, it is moated by seven valleys – those of the Arve, Montjoie, des Glaciers, Veni, the two Vals Ferret (one Italian, the other Swiss), and the Vallée du Trient – valleys that define the limits of the range, and through which winds the route of the Tour of Mont Blanc (TMB), a trekker’s route that revels in some of the most exquisite mountain scenery of all.

THE TOUR OF MONT BLANC

Over a period of 10 to 12 days the TMB entices walkers on a circuit of this magnificent mountain block, making a journey of around 170km (105 miles), with an accumulated height gain and loss of something like 10,000m (32,800ft). Depending on the precise route taken (for there are variations), there are 10 or 11 passes to cross as the tour progresses from one valley to the next. Each of these valleys enjoys unforgettable views, and each has its own individual character – the bustling, tourist-centred Vallée de l’Arve (the Chamonix valley), the sparsely inhabited Vallée des Glaciers, the pastoral Swiss Val Ferret, to name but three.

That the TMB is the most popular long walk in Europe is not in doubt. In excess of 10,000 people embark on this circuit each summer. Why? Well, everyone’s heard of Mont Blanc, and anyone with more than a passing interest in mountains will know of its stunning scenery. Beyond this, the TMB’s reputation as one of the great walks of the world has long been established. Longer, in fact, than any other alpine route.

The first pedestrian tour around Mont Blanc took place as long ago as 1767, when Horace Bénédict de Saussure and friends set out from Chamonix with an entourage of guides, porters and mules to explore the range by way of the Col du Bonhomme, Col de la Seigne, Courmayeur and the Grand St Bernard Pass. Saussure was imbued with a love of mountains in general and Mont Blanc in particular, and in all he made three full tours of the range, sleeping in beds where available, but otherwise accepting with equanimity the hay of a simple alp hut or chalet. As a scientist he travelled to expand his knowledge of the range and its structure, taking time to meditate on the geology, but also to eulogize its beauty.

Sixty years later J. D. Forbes, the Professor of Natural Philosophy at Edinburgh, succeeded Saussure by combining scientific observation with a true love of mountains, and made his own tour of Mont Blanc in 1839, concluding that ‘the most successful of Alpine travellers will, if disposed to be candid, admit that the happiest, if not the proudest, moments of their experiences, had been spent on some of the more majestic passes of the Alps, or on some summits not of the highest class.’

Such sentiments have been shared by many tens of thousands who have followed in his footsteps.

The TMB became increasingly popular during the mid-Victorian age, when it was almost invariably experienced on the back of a mule, but the growth of outdoor activities in the 20th century established the route as the ultimate long mountain walk. And it’s not hard to see why.

THE ROUTE

Being a circular route, the Tour of Mont Blanc could be walked in either a clockwise or an anti-clockwise direction, and started from any one of a number of places. By tradition it has begun in the Chamonix valley (the Vallée de l’Arve), but not in Chamonix itself, for in order to make the most of the splendid views afforded of Mont Blanc from the slopes of the Aiguilles Rouges chain, the route avoids the bed of the valley except to cross it at either end. Instead, by tradition the TMB begins about 7km downvalley from Chamonix, in Les Houches, and tackles the circuit in an anti-clockwise direction.

From here the way climbs to Col de Voza, then divides. One option descends on the far side to Bionnassay, Le Champel and Les Contamines in the Val Montjoie which cuts along the western edge of the Mont Blanc range. The other, and more challenging, option goes up the slope towards the Bionnassay glacier, then descends below its snout before climbing to Col de Tricot, dropping to the delightful Chalets de Miage, then climbing again to cross a shoulder of Mont Truc before descending at last to Les Contamines, where the two routes coincide.

An hour’s gentle valley stroll leads to the celebrated church of Notre-Dame de la Gorge, beside which a paved mule path dating from Roman times rises into a lovely hanging valley that grows wilder as height is gained towards Col du Bonhomme, which in turn directs the route up another 150m to the Col de la Croix du Bonhomme at 2483m (8146ft). On the south side of the saddle stands a large refuge owned by the CAF (Club Alpin Français), enjoying fine views to Mont Pourri and the Tarentaise mountains.

The continuing route of the TMB descends to the Vallée des Glaciers, but here again there are two ways of achieving this. The most direct goes straight down below the refuge to join the valley at the hamlet of Les Chapieux, while the alternative cuts left at the Col de la Croix and heads up to the barren Col des Fours, from which a surprise view is gained of Mont Blanc peering above a distant ridge linking the Trélatète with Aiguille des Glaciers. Descent from Col des Fours is by way of a steep slope of scree and pasture leading to farm buildings at the Ville des Glaciers, some way upvalley beyond Les Chapieux. A short walk up a track from here brings you to the Refuge des Mottets, ideally situated at the foot of the climb to Col de la Seigne.

The 2516m (8255ft) saddle of Col de la Seigne is at once the gateway into Italy and a magnificent viewpoint. Mont Blanc is seen to advantage from here, set off as it is by the contrast of a deep sweeping valley, the limestone slabs of the Pyramides Calcaire and a long view which shows the Italian flank of the range in sharp profile. It’s one of the finest panoramas of the whole walk, and one to absorb at leisure.

When at last you tear yourself away, a path descends gently across pastures into the Vallon de la Lée Blanche, in effect the upper reaches of Val Veni, which cuts directly below the mountains’ feet. Before reaching the valley bed, however, Rifugio Elisabetta is seen off to the left, backed by the Trélatète and Glacier de la Lée Blanche that cascades behind the hut. Easy walking brings the TMB down to Lac Combal and the huge moraine wall of the Miage glacier, then the path swings to the right and makes a long ascent of hillside which directs the route to the ski slopes of Col Chécrouit. Until these are reached, this stage of the trek is quite simply magnificent. Step by step the route parallels the south side of the Mont Blanc range with views of indescribable beauty, sometimes doubled and inverted by reflection in a wayside pool. In fact the walk from Col de la Seigne to Col Chécrouit would alone make the TMB worth tackling.

At the col the way forks once more. The direct route to Courmayeur descends via the crowded but attractive village of Dolonne, while the alternative option cuts down into the Val Veni opposite the Brenva glacier, then curves round the base of Mont Chétif for a final road walk into town.

Courmayeur is to the Italian side of Mont Blanc what Chamonix is to the French, but it’s much smaller and better contained than its counterpart on the other side of the mountain, has long been known for its mineral springs and today enjoys an atmosphere conducive to relaxation. Should you feel in need of a day’s rest, Courmayeur is the place for it.

Yet again the TMB walker is faced with a choice of routes. Above Rifugio Bertone, the main TMB has been routed along the bewitchingly scenic north flank of Mont de la Saxe to Rifugio Bonatti, while its former course – a more demanding one now used as a variante – continues steeply uphill to gain the Mont de la Saxe ridge, famed as a belvedere from which to study the Grandes Jorasses across the depths of Val Ferret. At the end of this ridge Col Sapin lies at the head of the little Val Sapin through which a bad-weather alternative route rises from Courmayeur. From the col the two variantes cross the head of the Armina glen, then climb to Pas Entre-Deux-Sauts at 2524m (8281ft) which gives access to the pastoral Vallon de Malatra, and there join the main route at the Bonatti hut, named after the celebrated Italian mountaineer. From here the way remains high above the Val Ferret on another gloriously scenic path, only descending to the bed of the valley just below Rifugio Elena which lies at its head.

Above the Elena refuge the tour crosses into Switzerland at the Col du Grand Ferret (2537m, 8323ft), then slopes down across a succession of pastures to the Swiss Val Ferret, a gentle valley that marks the eastern extent of the Mont Blanc range. There are several small villages and hamlets of timber and stone buildings strung along the valley, and the TMB visits most of them. Apart from an optional high trail between the dairy farm of La Peule, and the hamlet of Ferret, the route stays low, gaining snatches of views rather than the more open vistas of the Italian flank, yet it’s a very pleasant walk all the same, with plenty of variety to maintain one’s interest.
Towards the northern end of the valley the path climbs through forest and emerges at the lakeside resort of Champex, from where backward views are dominated by the Grand Combin. Out of Champex the route divides once more. The generally accepted main route passes through the hamlets of Champex d’en Haut and Champex d’en Bas, then follows an undulating course in and out of woodland and over high pastureland to the Bovine alp (with views into the Rhône valley) before reaching the road pass of Col de la Forclaz overlooking the Vallée du Trient and the village from which it takes its name.

The alternative to the Bovine route is a tough but rewarding crossing of the steep and rocky Fenêtre d’Arpette, which at 2665m (8743ft) shares with Col des Fours (the alternative route to the Vallée des Glaciers) the honour of being the highest point on the Tour of Mont Blanc. The Fenêtre provides a sudden, spectacular view as you emerge through a narrow gap to be confronted by the icefall of the Trient glacier just ahead. The way then leads down alongside the glacier to a path which accompanies a bisse, or irrigation channel, but with another option to consider. The bisse path contours along the hillside to the Col de la Forclaz, where it meets the Bovine option, while a second route crosses the glacial torrent on a footbridge, then faces yet another choice. Either continue downvalley to Trient, or bear left and climb the western hillside to Refuge les Grands.

Col de Balme on the Franco-Swiss border is the next place to aim for. One route climbs to the pass from Trient through a little valley drained by the Nant Noir stream, the other tackles a steeply sloping hillside above Refuge les Grands, the two routes joining at the refuge on the summit of the pass. Col de Balme reintroduces TMB walkers to France and the Vallée de l’Arve spread out below. A broad path swings down the slope to Le Tour at the head of the valley, but another and more scenic trail goes along the crest of the Aiguillette des Posettes before dropping steeply to the hamlet of Tré-le-Champ.

On leaving Tré-le-Champ the TMB climbs at first through forest, then over more open and rocky ground within the Réserve Naturelle des Aiguilles Rouges. Reaching the base of the Aiguillette d’Argentière, the way ascends a series of metal ladders, rungs and handrails fixed against abrupt rock walls – definitely not for the faint-hearted! Fortunately an easier alternative is provided on a path that enters the nature reserve at Col des Montets, and the two routes amalgamate at the top of the ladder route where a huge cairn stands at a junction of paths looking across to the Mer de Glace and along the chain of mountains to Mont Blanc. The onward route eases along the hillside 1000m or more above the valley, passing below a fine waterfall and eventually reaching the Refuge la Flégère set beside a cableway that rises from Les Praz de Chamonix. Across the valley the ice river of the Mer de Glace directs your gaze past the Aiguille Verte and Drus to the big wall of the Grandes Jorasses, a stunning view that ensures a night spent at La Flégère will be truly memorable. An alternative trail visits the higher Refuge du Lac Blanc and the justifiably famous tarn beside it.

The final stage of the Mont Blanc circuit is a constant adoration of the Monarch of the Alps as the way continues high above the valley, crosses the hillside to the ski area of Plan Praz, then goes up a winding trail to Col de Brévent, where you may be lucky to catch sight of the elusive bouquetin, or ibex, followed by an undemanding climb to the summit of Le Brévent itself. The 2526m (8287ft) crown of this mountain was acknowledged more than two centuries ago as presenting an unrivalled view of Mont Blanc, and it’s fitting that the TMB should come here on the final day. A simple restaurant on the very summit provides ample excuse to sit with a cool drink to enjoy that wonderful panorama and reflect on the journey that has brought you this far, before making the steep and knee-trembling descent all the way to the valley bed 1500m (4900ft) below, then up to Les Houches, where the long walk began.

Or, of course, you could tackle the route in a clockwise direction.

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