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The Tour of Mont Blanc has always been regarded as a lifetime trek by a large number of hikers. After successfully climbing the summit of Mt. Blanc (without having seen anything from the top: Mt. Blanc was surrounded by white clouds, as demonstrated by this post recounting the climb) I had put the Tour of Mont Blanc on my list of things to do.
In this post, Iโll describe the Mont Blanc trek, including all the stages and GPS coordinates. Iโll also mention a few shortcuts: Davideโmy travel buddy on this tripโand I took a couple of them. The first ruleโand certainly the most important oneโfor the Mont Blanc Circuit is to always have a Plan B ready!
You can find the VIDEO of the trek here.
This trek is one of the most beautiful in the world!
Tour of Mont Blanc, first stage: trekking from Courmayeur to Refuge Elena
Davide and I decided to start the TMB from Courmayeur. From Italy it is definitely the most convenient place to start this trek. From the center of Courmayeur a climb covers 800 meters of elevation gain and leads up to the Bertone refuge. This climb is decidedly steep in places: it took us about two hours to reach the Bertone refuge, from where one can appreciate splendid views of Courmayeur and the Mont Blanc range. From the Bertone refuge there is a path that stays at altitude and reaches the Bonatti refuge.
The views on this two and a half hour route are truly incredible! Both Davide and I were surprised by the beauty of this route. Courmayeur’s Mont Blanc stands out with its mass, but there is also a chance to admire the Dent du Gรฉant, les Grands Jorasses and Punta Helbronner. Personally, I also admired the engineering work of the Mont Blanc tunnel, which can be perfectly observed along this stretch. There is no shortage of rivers that make this stretch from the Bertone refuge to the Bonatti refuge magnificent!
At the Bonatti refuge we stopped to eat polenta with sausages: fatigue was beginning to set in. From the Bonatti refuge the trail approaches the Ferret valley, which is actually reached after a 300-meter descent: at the end of this there is a refuge/camping site, on the side of the Dora Baltea (this section is about an hour and a half long). A final climb, about 300 meters in elevation gain and about 50 minutes long, leads up to Rifugio Elena, where we finished the first stage of the TMB. The stage from Courmayeur to Rifugio Elena was 21 kilometers long, with an elevation gain of about 1,500 meters (TRACK). It was certainly a tiring, but beautiful stage!
Here is a VIDEO of a section of the first stage!
Tour of Mont Blanc, second stage: trekking Refuge Elena to La Fouly
From the Elena Refuge a climb of about 450 meters leads up to the Grand Col de Ferret, located at an elevation of 2,537 meters. Behind us we could observe the Val Ferret. Davide and I found the weather quite wolfish. We reached the summit in about an hour: here we found cold, clouds and some snow. We were now in Switzerland! On the descent we had to pay attention to some snowy sections: nothing to worry about, however! We stopped at the La Peule alpine pasture, at an altitude of 2,071 meters, for tea with cookies: this break was useful to recalculate the following days, as we would find rain on the fifth day of the Tour du Mont Blanc and snow at high altitude.
We left La Peule and in about an hour and a half reached La Fouly, where we camped. La Fouly is a small Swiss village where everything is very expensive! A plate of cold cuts costs about 30 euros! The campsite, where we pitched our tent, turned out to be splendid. This stage from Refugio Elena to La Fouly was 13 kilometers long, with an elevation gain of about 500 meters: it is definitely one of the easiest stages of our Mont Blanc Tour!
Tour du Mont Blanc, stage three: from Champex-Lac to Charamillon
The rain on the fifth day forced us to move up the timetable. We thus well decided to take the bus from La Fouly to Champex-Lac, skipping about 12 kilometers of the TMB. This stretch is considered by many to be boring. Ahead of us we had a very difficult stage: we wanted to get as close as possible to Chamonix. For this day we had not booked anything to sleep. We had two options: either the public campsite in Trient or the Charamillon hut. After reaching Champex-Lac by bus (one hour, via Orsieres, cost 12 euros) we started walking. The first four kilometers were mostly flat: from the 1350 meters of the Plan de l’Au refuge, however, a steep climb begins, leading up to the 1987 meters of the Bovine refuge. This refuge is a kind of Swiss postcard: Davide and I saw many cows and the Martigny valley from above!
From the Bovine hut you have to climb an additional 80 meters before descending to the Col de la Forclaz, at an altitude of 1,500 meters-I had visited this pass during the Tour Mont Blanc by road bike (LINK of the Tour). At the Col de la Forclaz we had something to eat, drank a beer, and decided to make it all the way to the Charamillon hut: our legs were still spinning nicely!
A half-hour descent brought us to the public campsite in Trient: we were glad not to stop because we were not convinced by the order and cleanliness of the place. From the 1350 meters of Trient, however, another long climb awaited us: we had to get to the 2200 meters of the Col de la Balme. The climb is initially very steep and follows a cart track: there are several wooden benches where you can rest. At 1900 meters the climb becomes easier: both Davide and I, however, were very tired and we struggled quite a bit to complete the climb. From the Col de la Balme to the Charamillon hut was only half an hour away: we arrived at 7:30 p.m., after a very hard stage of 23 km and 1,600 meters of elevation gain!
Tour du Mont Blanc, stage four: from Charamillon to Flegere
At the Charamillon hut we slept in tents and took advantage of the excellent half-board (among the best on the entire Tour Mont Blanc). From the Charamillon refuge (VIDEO) you can appreciate a splendid view of the summit of Mont Blanc: truly spectacular! This view accompanied us throughout the descent that took us first to Le Tour and then up to Tre-le-Champ, at the beautiful refuge la Boerne.
From here we decided to take the Col de Montets detour: both Davide and I wanted to avoid a section of the route characterized by four steep stairs. From the 1,450 meters of the Col de Montets we climbed up to the 2,350 meters of Lac Blanc, passing through Lacs Cheserys. The views along this stretch are truly crazy! In fact, Mont Blanc is perfectly admirable for most of this stage!
From Lac Blanc (where there is a very expensive refuge: 10 euros for a Moretti beer) we descended to the 1,870 meters of La Flegere refuge, where we stopped to sleep. We had successfully completed our stage of 16 kilometers and 1,100 meters of elevation gain and, most importantly, we were ready to enjoy a well-deserved rest day!
Mont Blanc tour, relaxation in Les Houches
The weather forecast was correct. This day was characterized by a lot of rain. Davide and I well decided not to walk and take the cable car from La Flegere hut (18 euros) to Plan Praz, and a bus from Plan Praz to Les Houches (2 euros). We took advantage of the day to relax at the excellent BB Prakka (here is the Booking page)..
The choice was absolutely correct, as the downpour was the big star of the day! Because of the rain, we were unable to cover 17 kilometers and 700 meters of elevation gain.
Tour Mont Blanc, stage five: from Les Houches to Nant Borrant
After the day of rain and relaxation we were ready to set off again. From Les Houches we had to reach the Nant Borrant refuge, located in the Contamines area. We had two options: pass the col de Voza or by the col de Tricot. Several hikers told us that the col de Tricot is definitely more beautiful, but the descent, especially with a backpack of about 16 kilos, is not easy. Davide and I therefore decided to descend the col de Voza, partly because the weather was still not the best.
The 500-meter climb up the col de Voza was not beautiful. One walks along the famous ski slopes of Les Houches, such as the Kandahar. The views are never unforgettable. The most special part of the day was from Les Contamines to the Nant Borrant refuge. In fact, the Bon-Nant River area is very popular with the French: families take advantage of the recreational activities in this alpine area.
From the beautiful church of Notre-Dame de la Gorge, the final climb begins: the 300 meters to the Nant Borrant hut become spectacular toward the end, as there is a beautiful canyon where a mountain stream rushes past.
Tour Mont Blanc, stage six: from Nant Borrant to Refuge Nova
From the Nant Borrant refuge a 900-meter climb leads up to the Col du Bonhomme. There is the Refuge de la Balme (yes, exactly the same name as the col of the third stage) at 1,750 meters: it is a perfect place to halve the effort. From the Col du Bonhomme there is a splendid view of the Dome du Gouter, which is on the climbing route to the summit of Mont Blanc.
An additional 100 meters of ascent leads up to the Bonhomme Refuge. In this section you can appreciate the beautiful Lac de la Gittaz, a man-made lake in the Cormet de Roseland area (wonderful climb for the road bike!) From the Bonhomme Refuge, Davide, myself, and a Spanish couple decided to take the trail to the small village of Chapieux. The alternative is to take a slightly steeper trail that cuts through part of the Tour Mont Blanc, via the Col des Fours.
In Chapieux we slept at the Refuge Nova: there is no internet in the whole village! Here you can find a small store that sells some kind of food.
This stage was 13 kilometers long with an elevation gain of 1,000 meters: here is the TRACK.
Tour Mont Blanc, stage 7: from Ville des Glacieres to Refuge Elisabeth
From Chapieux it is possible to take a shuttle that skips tedious five kilometers of road. The shuttle costs 4 euros and the first leaves at 7:30 a.m., with a frequency of about half an hour. You must make reservations the night before in Chapieux, near the tourist office: the shuttles tend to fill up easily.
Davide and I, therefore, started the eighth stage from Ville des Glacieres. An easy thirty-minute walk leads to Refuge des Mottets: this is the last French refuge before returning to Italy. The climb to Col de la Seigne covers 700 meters of elevation gain, but neither Davide nor I found it complicated. The views of the French and Italian valleys from the pass are magnificent!
After about twenty minutes of descent it is possible to find La Casermetta. This was a military outpost, used as early as Roman times. This place is remembered for the fascist attack on France in 1940, when the transalpines were already on their knees after the French invasion: despite this, the Italian army suffered heavy losses. The visit to the Casermetta is definitely worthwhile! Here, in fact, you can learn more about the history of the place, the flora and fauna. Next to the Casermetta, moreover, it is possible to see granite pyramids, which contrast with the rocky mountains typical of the Bianco range. An additional half-hour hike took us to the Elisabetta Shelter, completing 9 kilometers and 800 meters of elevation gain (TRACK).
Tour Mont Blanc, stage 8: from Refuge Elisabeth to Maison Vieille and Courmayeur
The last stage is among the most beautiful of the entire Tour Mont Blanc! First of all, the Refuge Elisabeth is located in a beautiful mountainous area, surrounded by glaciers and small waterfalls. After the Cabane du Combal, the last ascent of the Tour Mont Blanc begins. 450 meters of elevation gain leads to an incredible vantage point: the Mont Blanc chain is truly stunning from this place.
A descent leads down to the Vieille Maison Refuge. Before arriving there, however, there is the most beautiful spot on the entire Mont Blanc Tour. From Lake Checrouit, in fact, you can see the Mont Blanc range, including the summit, reflected in the small mountain lake. In my opinion, this is the most beautiful point of all eight days of the Mont Blanc Tour!
From the Vielle Maison Refuge it is possible to walk an additional hour and a half to Courmayeur or take two chairlifts, at a cost of 16 euros. Davide and I decided to eat polenta and sausages and drink a nice beer: our heads had decreed the Mont Blanc Tour to be over! The last stage is 11 kilometers long with an elevation gain of 500 meters: TRACK.
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MT. WHITE TREKKING TOUR INFORMATION
- My Tour of Mont Blanc lasted eight stages, 130 kilometers and 8,600 meters of elevation gain. I shortened the Tour by about 30 kilometers and 1,500 meters of elevation gain.
- Mont Blanc huts should be booked well in advance. On average, hikers book in November for the following summer season. Davide and I moved only three weeks in advance. We had to call several refuges and bring a tent, as some places were totally full. Amazingly, we found room at the Elisabeth Refuge by booking the day before (miracle!) and the Charamillon Refuge by booking the same day (tent was necessary, there were no beds).
- Not booking in advance put us in the situation of taking some risks, but in return we were able to choose where to sleep on the first stages. In this way we were able to walk the stage leading to Flegere with the sun. As I said in the beginning, the Tour du Mont Blanc deserves respect and adaptability!
- Tenting is subject to strict laws. In Val d’Aosta, you cannot camp below an altitude of 2,500 meters. In France and Switzerland, on the other hand, bivouacs are accepted, but not always: in some areas there is a ban on camping. I found the campsite at La Fouly (32 euros for two people) very nice and clean.
- The shelters operate on a half-board mode. The cost of dormitory night, dinner and breakfast is around 60 euros. There is often the possibility of drinking excellent draft beer, which is very welcome! Less pleasant is the snoring of people, especially at the Elena Shelter, whose dormitory houses a large number of people.
- In some refuges there is divine dining: Charamillon, Nova and Elisabeth stand out.
- Where to start the Tour of Mont Blanc? The most convenient places to start the Tour of Mont Blanc are Les Houches and Courmayeur. Certainly Italian hikers find it very convenient to start from Courmayeur, which can be reached by Flixbus from Turin or by bus from Aosta, which is connected by train to Turin.
- Is the Tour of Mont Blanc difficult? Technically, the Tour du Mont Blanc is not difficult. We avoided the four artificial staircases leading to the La Flegere hut (stage 4), the Col de Tricot (stage 5) and the Fenetre de Arpille (stage 3): these detours would have been difficult with an 18-pound backpack. In particular, the Fenetre de Arpille in mid-July was still characterized by snow, making the walk complicated. There are no particular difficulties for those suffering from vertigo. Some climbs of the Tour Mont Blanc are very steep and tiring. Definitely the TMB is not an easy walk in the park!
- When to ride the Tour of Mont Blanc? You can tackle the Tour of Mont Blanc from mid-June to mid-September. 90 percent of refuges can be found on the Tour Mont Blanc website, where you can make reservations directly. I recommend, however, calling the refuges to see if there is availability that does not appear on the website.
- I found the behavior of the Col de Balme Refuge very bad on the third stage. It did not respond to emails, phone calls and Instagram messages. We had no reservations at the refuge, fortunately.
- For the Mont Blanc Tour you need sports shirts, shorts, a pair of long-sleeved thermal jerseys, a sweatshirt, a wind jacket, lots of sunscreen. Generally you will find shelters or small villages every two to three hours of walking. Without a tent I recommend traveling as light as possible. I used to carry about 18 kilograms of backpack with me, which made the fatigue increase a lot.
- The Tour of Mont Blanc is almost always completed counterclockwise. David and I, therefore, decided to follow this route. In my opinion, however, it is quite possible to walk the Tour Mont Blanc clockwise.
- How many days are needed to complete the Tour of Mont Blanc? To complete the Mont Blanc Tour in its entirety requires, in my opinion, at least nine days. Personally, however, I have no regrets about not walking the mentioned trails. I strongly recommend not to exceed 1,500 meters of elevation gain per day-the fatigue is felt so much!
- The most beautiful stages of the Tour Mont Blanc for me are the first (Bertone, Bonatti), the fourth (towards Flegere), and the last (Lake Checrouit). The summit of Mont Blanc is perfectly admirable in the La Balme – Flegere section (and walking to Les Houches), descending from Col de la Saigne and Lake Checrouit.
- Courmayeur is a great base for sleeping-I recommend staying the night before the Tour du Mont Blanc starts and also the night after to celebrate the success of the TMB. I slept very well at Ottoz Meuble (here is the Booking page), located in an excellent location. Restaurant Tunnel is a good choice for good food at good prices. Petit Bistrot and Cafรฉ des skieurs are good places to drink beer and genepy!
