Tour du Mont Blanc

The Tour du Mont Blanc or TMB is one of the most popular long-distance walks in Europe. It circles the Mont Blanc massif, covering a distance of roughly 170 kilometres (110 mi) with 10 kilometres (6.2 mi) of ascent/descent and passes through parts of Switzerland, Italy and France.

Mt Blanc Massif from the French side of the Tour du Mont Blanc
The official TMB sign
Mont Blanc from the TMB, Aiguilles Rouges
Mont Blanc massif (west). TMB route shown dotted
Mont Blanc massif (east)

It is considered one of the classic long-distance hiking trails. The circular route is normally walked in a counter-clockwise direction in 11 days.[1] It is also the route of an annual mountain marathon in which the men's winner normally covers the entire distance in less than 22 hours (typically less than 26 for female competitors).

Route

Usual start points are Les Houches in the Chamonix valley or Les Contamines in the Montjoie valley (in France), Courmayeur from the Italian side, and either Champex or a point near Martigny in Switzerland. The route passes through seven valleys around the Mont-Blanc massif, an anti-clockwise start in Chamonix would lead through the Chamonix (or Arve) valley, then Montjoie, Vallée des Glaciers, Italian Val Veni, Val Ferret, Swiss Val Ferret, and either the Arpette or Trient valley in Switzerland, dependent on the route chosen.

The ‘official’ route has changed over the course of the years and many alternatives, or ‘Variantes’, exist to the standard route. Some of these take the intrepid walker onto paths requiring greater fitness, awareness and skill. Others provide less demanding options, which are often quicker than the accepted route, but provide lesser viewpoints onto the mountain ranges. For a part of the way, between the summit of Brevent and the Col de la Croix du Bonhomme, the route coincides with the European long-distance footpath GR5 as it makes its way from the North Sea to the Mediterranean Sea. A link can also be made with the walkers' Haute Route from Chamonix to Zermatt in the Swiss Alps.

The highest points on any variant of the trail are the Col des Fours in France and the Fenêtre d'Arpette in Switzerland, both at an altitude of 2,665 m (8,743 ft). This is not high enough to cause altitude sickness for most people, nevertheless the trail provides a tough physical challenge. Experience of walking in mountain country is vital and, because mountain weather can change very rapidly, participants on the Tour du Mont Blanc should be suitably equipped.

Plentiful accommodation exists along the entire route, allowing it to be broken into segments to suit any fit person. This takes a variety of forms, from separate bedrooms to large mixed-sex dormitories. Cooked meals are available at most. With a start at Les Houches one might expect overnight stops at Les Contamines, Col de la Croix du Bonhomme refuge or Les Chapieux (depending on variant route taken), Elisabetta Soldini refuge, Courmayeur, Elena refuge, Champex, Trient village, Argentiere, La Flegere refuge and finally back to Les Houches. Despite the abundance of choice, the popularity of the trail can lead to problems finding accommodation. It is, however, possible to book accommodation in advance.

Legs


Leg#StartDestinationKilometerHoursAscent MeterDescent Meter
1 Les Houches Les Contamines16 km5:00646 m633 m
2 Les Contamines Les Chapieux18 km7:301316 m929 m
3 Les Chapieux Rifugio Elisabetta15 km4:301004 m258 m
4 Rifugio Elisabetta Courmayeur18 km5:00460 m1560 m
5 Courmayeur Rifugio Bonatti12 km4:30860 m101 m
6 Rifugio Bonatti La Fouly20 km6:30895 m1410 m
7 La Fouly Champex15 km4:00420 m565 m
8 Champex Col de la Forclaz16 km4:30742 m682 m
9 Col de la Forclaz Tre-le-Champ13 km5:301069 m1178 m
10 Tre-le-Champ Refuge Flegere8 km3:30733 m257 m
11 Refuge Flegere Les Houches17 km6:30772 m1546 m
Total:168 km57h8,917 m9,119 m

[2]

UltraMarathon

The route of the Tour du Mont Blanc is used for an annual ultramarathon event called the Ultra-Trail du Mont-Blanc. The winning time is usually around 20 hours to complete the entire circuit.[3]

References
  1. Reynolds, Kev (2015). Tour of Mont Blanc: Complete two-way trekking guide. Cicerone Press Limited. ISBN 978-1852847791.
  2. Trekking Tour of Mont Blanc-Kev Reynolds
  3. "UTMB: Results of a race". ultratrailmb.com. UTMB. Retrieved 30 January 2016.

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