Tour of Mont Blanc - A trekking guide

The Tour of Mont Blanc (170km, 105 miles) is a classic walk, circumnavigating the Mont Blanc massif in about eleven days. The guide follows an established route around the massif, taking the walker into France, Switzerland and Italy. The tour is described in both anti-clockwise and clockwise directions.

The complete route of the TMB is contained on a single sheet at 1:50,000 scale. Published by Rando Éditions in conjunction with IGN (the Institut Géographique National), the number is A1, and has the title Pays du Mont Blanc. The route is clearly outlined in red, with huts and campsites also marked. Curiously, the village of Trient is not shown as such, but the sheet is GPS compatible.

A second one-sheet coverage of the TMB route is to be found on a 1:60,000 map published by Éditions Libris with IGN cartography, and assistance from the Association Grande Traversée des Alpes: number 02 Mont Blanc.

The route has been waymarked with varying degrees of enthusiasm and efficiency, and is either in the form of red–white bands painted on rocks, trees or buildings; or a yellow diamond outlined in black bearing the letters TMB. Sometimes an accompanying arrow indicates the direction of travel.

In the Swiss section metal signposts are used at major trail junctions, and the TMB route will be indicated on the finger post, usually with an indication of the length of time expected to reach the next named location.

As is often the case in mountain regions, waymarks are most prolific where the route is obvious, while on awkward terrain (where signs would be welcome) waymarking is sometimes annoyingly absent. That having been said, route-finding should not cause any undue problems.