Tour du Mont Blanc

The Tour du Mont Blanc may be one of the greatest treks in the world.  Crossing through three countries, it's a long and challenging route. It spans 170 km and is a tough hike, climbing to passes and descending to valleys in some of the most beautiful scenery in the world. 

105 miles | 170 km | 35,000 ft | 10,500m climb | 8 days

Our Itinerary 

Day 1: Les Houches to Les Contamines

Day 2: Les Contamines to Refuge du Col de la Croix du Bonhomme

Day 3: Refuge du Col de la Croix du Bonhomme - Rifugio Elisabetta*

Day 4:  Rifugio Elisabetta to Courmayer*

Day 4: Courmayer to Rifugio Bonatti

Day 5: Rifugio Bonatti to La Fouly

Day 6: La Fouly to Trient

Day 7:  Trient to Le Tour

Day 8: Le Tour to Chamonix

*We had to rearrange the trip a the last moment and weren't able to secure lodging in between Les Chapieux and Courmayer so ending up taking a 200+ Euro taxi over the pass from Les Chapieux and Courmayer.  Though we missed some stunning scenery, we hadn't planned a break day, and were not up to doing two stages in a day, so instead indulged in some gelato in Courmayer and rested for the continuation of the hike. 

Day 1:  Les Houches to Les Contamines

We started off the hike with a lovely cable car ride up and very doable walk to start the hike.

Accommodation: Chalet des Contamines (FFCAM)

Day 2: Les Contamines to Refuge du Col de la Croix du Bonhomme

This is the most exhilarating day of hiking I'd had to date. We started out the last in our refuge - hikers are early risers, and searched to town for sunscreen - make sure you bring some!  Then we headed up through the valley past a church and followed a river up to cow pastures. From there we kept climbing past another refuge and up to snow crossings.  I'd never hiked over deep snow before and a Swiss woman we promised we'd name our first born child after, lent us her hiking poles to make the crossings more stable. Climbing up further, we finally reached the Col de Bonhomme! We celebrated with chocolate and crossed a few more hairy snowbridges to the refuge. 

Accommodation: Refuge du Col de la Croix du Bonhomme

Day 3: Refuge du Col de la Croix du Bonhomme - Rifugio Elisabetta*

Realizing we weren't going to make it all the way to Courmayer in one day, we hiked down to Les Chapieux and called a very expensive cab to Courmayer, missing  two traditional stages of the hike.  I hope to come back to it one day, but for now its a casualty of trying to plan without a proper map. 

Accommodation: Rifugio Elisabetta

Day 4: Rifugio Elisabetta to Courmayer*

A rest day in Courmayer! Gelato for days.  Being young and in good shape, we didn't think we needed a rest day, but it was quite nice - though something I again forgot about a few years later on the longer Haute Route. 

PLAN A REST DAY :) 


Accommodation: Hotel Tavernier

Day 5: Courmayer to Rifugio Bonatti

Back on the trail after our day and half of rest started with a steep climb up, but we were aided by our brand new hiking poles from Courmayer.  It was a day of fantastic views climbing and a delicious pasta and wine lunch at Rifugio Giorgio Bertone. Filled up on pasta we still had many gorgeous miles overlooking the Mt. Blanc massive left until reaching Rifigio Bonatti. 

Accommodation: Rifugio Bonatti

Day 6:  Rifugio Bonatti to La Fouly

Accommodation: Hotel du Col de Fenêtre

Day 7: La Fouly to Trient

With a very rainy forecast, we took the  bad weather route instead of the route through Fenetre d'Arpette. Having done Fenetre d'Arpette on the Haute Route, I would not recommend for those without sure footing on slippery loose rocks, and the will to go through a boulder field.  We stopped at a small restaurant serving cake at the col, but overall saw little but heard many Swiss cow bells on the route.  We stayed at the Col de la Forclaz, but those taking Fenetre d'Arpette might want to stay in Trient. 

Accommodation: Hôtel du Col de la Forclaz

Day 8: Trient to Le Tour

After hiking on a wide forested path to Trient, we started a steep ascent up to Col de Balme.  Once we passed the treeline, the hike was downright balmy and perfect.  We frolicked in the flowered meadows up and round the Col de Balme, and took the ski lift down into Trient.  

Accommodation: Chalet Alpin du Tour

Day 9:  Le Tour to Chamonix

Leaving my hiking buddy behind to get over a cold, I started through Trelechamp, towards Planpraz. Without a GPS, I found myself lost many times, but with many signs to Planpraz and the Col du Brevent and knowing a general heading, I soon made it above the tree line to the most spectacular scenery of Mt. Blanc.  The high route through Les Aiguilles Rouges is one of the most scenic hikes in the world, and though not too demanding did have a set of ladders to climb.  Soon I arrived at Planpraz, but on the way up to Le Brevent, just past the col, I encountered another deep snowfield, so headed back down to meet my hiking buddy for some rose at Planpraz.  I came back 3 years later to hike up to Le Brevent, and with no snow, it was a much chiller experience. 

Accommodation: Park Hotel Suisse & Spa Highly recommend for their rooftop pool, hot tub, and massages after a long hike.  

What NOT to do? (That we did- whoops, live and learn)

The Tour du Mt. Blanc has gotten more and more crowded over the years, and if you're planning to stay in the refuges (highly recommend), you must book far in advance.  We did that, but before all the materials came in the mail, and online sites were not what they are today just a few years ago.  We ended up planning to stay at huts on higher routes, which may have been fine if not for the next point, and then had to change our itinerary - including an expensive taxi ride to make the rest of the reservations. 

We did our hike the first week of July, which is the earliest time recommended, but 2018 was a particular heavy snow year, and many passes still had some spooky snow crossings.  In planning the Haute Route, we're not starting until mid-July. 

Especially because of the early start, and high snow, trekking poles were so helpful on some of the snow crossings.  We met some badass Swiss ladies who let us borrow their poles for the unstable parts, but promptly picked up on our at Courmayer.  There is a bit of a faux pa of using hiking poles in the US, but I'm a convert. 

The hike is incredibly well marked, but there's a few places this would have helped and the apps are pretty affordable to track yourself on the trails.  

This one I'd probably do again because who wouldn't have a pasta and wine lunch in Italy? But it a rough rest of the hike...