Tour du Mont Blanc
A loop around the Mont Blanc massif through France, Italy and Switzerland, classically starting and ending in Les Houches.
At a glance
- Loop from and back to
- Les Houches
- Length
- 170 km
- On foot
- 7–10 days
- Countries
- France, Italy, and Switzerland
- Best months
- June–September
About the trail
The route crosses a string of high passes between the valleys of Chamonix, Courmayeur and Champex, sleeping in mountain huts and village inns along the way. It is usually walked anticlockwise, and over the whole loop the climbing adds up to about 10,000 m.
The Col de la Seigne leads from France into Italy, with the south face of Mont Blanc and the Val Veny below. From Courmayeur the path follows the Val Ferret under the Grandes Jorasses and crosses the Grand Col Ferret into Switzerland. From Champex it climbs back to France over the Col de Balme, with the Aiguilles of Chamonix ahead.
Huts are busy in July and August and need booking well ahead. The usual season runs from mid-June to mid-September, when the passes are mostly free of snow and the refuges are open.