Article
In July, get 15% off selected guidebooks to walking in Italy! The perfect destination to combine culinary and hiking excellence.
Shop the Outlet
Mont Blanc Walks
50 day walks and 4 multi-day treks
ISBN
9781852848194
Availability
Published
Published
14 Jan 2016
Reprinted
20 Aug 2024
Edition
Third
Pages
288
Size
17.20 x 11.60 x 1.50cm
Weight
310g
Delivery & Returns
Free Royal Mail 48 postage on UK orders. European postage is £3.50 per item. Worldwide postage is £5.50 per item. If you're not happy with your purchase for any reason, we'll give you a full refund.
More information...
Guidebook to 50 day walks in the Mont Blanc region near Chamonix and Courmayeur, plus outlines of 4 multi-day treks around both sides of the Mont Blanc massif. The walks range from 3 to 20km and cover a variety of terrains from easy valley walks to more challenging routes over boulders, scree and on via ferratas.
Seasons
Unsurprisingly, summer is the usual season for walking in the mountains, as its when they tend to benefit from more stable weather conditions: it's also when the huts are open and the lifts are working. So to have maximum choice of walks that's the time to come. This season extends from late June to mid-September and is busiest between 14 July (Bastille Day in France) to 15 August (Assumption). Earlier, in June the weather is often hot and sunny and the days are long, but snow often remains above 2000m or lower, and can seriously interrupt a high level walk, and facilities may be closed, as is also the case in September and October: the chance of snow is far less in autumn, too.Centres
Chamonix; Courmayeur; Ferret; Les Houches; Plaine Joux; Servoz; VallorcineDifficulty
Walks are presented as one of three grades: • Grade 1 walks are of a standard that any reasonably fit person can manage, not involving more than about 500m of ascent and/or descent. Paths are good and usually waymarked. Grade 1 walks do not call for more than basic map-reading skills. • Grade 2 walks are usually quite long and involve up to about 1000m ascent and/or descent. Terrain can be rough but paths which are quite good and waymarked. • Grade 3 routes are long, often with no trail or where the path is difficult to find; there could be some scrambling, and there is considerable height gain and loss. These walks should only be undertaken by experienced walkers who have already hiked in the Alps.Must See
54 alpine walks centred around Chamonix, the 'capital of mountaineering' Sublime high-altitude landscapes: glaciers, flower-decked slopes and rocky trails Gastronoic specialities including cheese, chocolate and ice cream Chamonix alpine museum, cable cars and mountain railways for the bad weather days All routes feature a detailed route description and mapping and are illustrated with spectacular photographyISBN
9781852848194
Availability
Published
Published
14 Jan 2016
Reprinted
20 Aug 2024
Edition
Third
Pages
288
Size
17.20 x 11.60 x 1.50cm
Weight
310g
Delivery & Returns
Free Royal Mail 48 postage on UK orders. European postage is £3.50 per item. Worldwide postage is £5.50 per item. If you're not happy with your purchase for any reason, we'll give you a full refund.
More information...
-
Overview
-
A guidebook to 50 day walks in the Mont Blanc region near Chamonix and Courmayeur, plus outlines of 4 multi-day treks around both sides of the Mont Blanc massif.
The day walks are 2–13 miles (3–20km) in length and range from high-level walks to easy summits, mountain huts, viewpoints and mountain lakes, as well as less strenuous valley walks. The multi-day treks range from 14–33 miles (22–52km) and include Vallorcine to Plaine Joux and Servoz, the Aiguilles Rouges and the Italian Val Ferret.
- 1:100,000 sketch maps (1:200,000 scale for treks) included
- Bases include Les Houches, Chamonix, Argentiere and Courmayeur
- Information on access, accommodation and recommended mapping
- Walks are graded (1-3) according to difficulty
- Valley walks included for bad weather or rest days
-
Table of Contents
-
CONTENTS
Map Key
Mont Blanc area map
Introduction
The Region
How it all Started
Glaciers
Via Ferratas
Animals and Birds
Flowers and Trees
Transhumance and Alpages
When to Go
Getting There
Alpine Accommodation
Language
Currency
Maps
Safety
Security and Rescue
Guided Walking
Walking with Dogs
Mountain Biking
Trail Running
Things not to be Missed
How to Use this Guide
Chapter 1 – St Gervais Les Bains and Les Contamines-Montjoie
1 Mont Truc
2 Mont Joly
3 Lac d’Armancette
4 Col de la Fenêtre
5 Tête Nord des Fours
6 Lacs and Monts Jovet
Chapter 2 – Servoz and the Plateau d’Assy
7 Lac Vert
8 Pointe Noire de Pormenaz
9 The Dérochoir and the Désert de Platé
Chapter 3 – Les Houches
10 Le Prarion
11 Mont Vorassay
12 Aiguillette des Houches
Chapter 4 – Chamonix
13 Chamonix Valley Walk
14 La Chapeau and Tête des Prapators
15 Montenvers
16 Montagne de Blaitière
17 Chalet de Cerro
18 Montagne de la Côte
19 Refuge de Bel Lachat and Le Brévent
20 Grand Balcon Sud – La Flégère to Planpraz
21 Lac Blanc
22 Tête de Villy
23 Col de Salenton
24 Lac Cornu and Lacs Noirs
Chapter 5 – Argentière
25 Argentière Valley Walk
26 Pierre à Bosson
27 Tête du Grand Chantet
28 Aiguillette d’Argentière – Les Chéserys
29 Argentière Glacier Pointe de Vue
30 Aiguillette des Posettes
31 Refuge Albert Premier
32 Croix de Fer
Chapter 6 – Vallorcine
33 Vallorcine Valley Walk
34 Pointe de la Terrasse and Tré-les-Eaux Valley
35 Cheval Blanc
36 Dinosaur Tracks
37 Bel Oiseau
38 Col de Barberine and Fontanabran
39 Refuge de la Pierre à Bérard
40 Mont Buet by the Normal Route
41 Refuge de Loriaz
42 Emosson from Loriaz
43 Mont Buet by the north ridge
Chapter 7 – Courmayeur
44 Punta della Croce
45 Mont Fortin
46 Mont Chétif
47 Col and Lac Liconi
48 Mont de la Saxe
49 Tête Entre Deux Sauts
50 Tête de Ferret
Chapter 8 – Multi-day Treks
51 Vallorcine to Plaine Joux
52 Tour of the Aiguilles Rouges
53 Vallorcine to Servoz
54 Italian Val Ferret Circuit
Appendix A Mont Blanc Region Tourist Offices
Appendix B Useful Terms and Glossary
Appendix C Transport in the Chamonix and Courmayeur Valleys
Appendix D Rainy Day/Rest Day Activities
Appendix E Hut Etiquette
Appendix F Climbing Peaks and Hiring Guides
-
Updates
-
June 2019
Updates
WALK 17 CHALET DE CERRO
The Chalet de Cerro is, like many in this area, a café or crémerie on a site where there has been a shelter and viewing point since tourists started showing an interest in the glaciers. When the Bossons glacier was much deeper it was very popular to hire a guide for a crossing. And even without setting foot on the glaciers, back in the late 19th and early 20th century the views from either side of the glacier weere quite stunning.
Things have changed over the last century and the retreat of the glaciers has been especially marked these last decades. To the extent that the glacier views are very different now.
The hike up to the Chalet de Cerro remains a pleasant outing, but you need to go onwards 30-45 minutes to get any glaical views. And even then, the view is of the edge of the glacier in profile but nothing more. This is no longer the place to study glaciology, but it will bring home the fact that the climate is changing and this change is having a huge effect on our mountains.
Route
The route to the chalet is correctly described. Once at the chalet follow a well-marked trail from tbhe terrace. This goes up the moraine, past several viewpoints. Eventually it is clear you can not safely go any further.
My description of views on P124 is no longer correct. But it should be pointed out it's still a good walk.
WALK 18 MONTAGNE DE LA COTE
The views from the Chalet du Glacier des Bossons and the Chalet des Pyramides are also compromised by the retreat of the glacier. Again, still worth going but just in the last few years the glacier has lost a massive amount of ice and is a shadow of its former self. However, the Montagne de la Côte is a great walk, especially with the added historical interest described in the book.
By Hilary Sharp
Hilary Sharp is British, a qualified Accompagnatrice en Montagne (International Mountain Leader), and is based permanently in France. After 23 years living in the Alps she now lives in northern Provence, within easy driving distance of the southern French Alps. She runs her own trekking business, Trekking in the Alps and Provence, guiding walks in winter, spring and summer (hilaryalp@gmail.com; www.trekkinginthealps.com; www.trekkinginprovence.com). Her love of walking and climbing has taken her to many parts of Europe and further afield. Hilary occasionally contributes to British walking magazines and is author of Trekking and Climbing in the Western Alps (New Holland, 2002).
View author profile
