Tour du Mont Blanc
Trekking 5 days

Program of the Tour du Mont Blanc Hiking Stay:

Day 1 
Saint Gervais - Mont Joly - Aiguille Croche - Col du Joly - Night in the Hut

Vertical Drop: + 1000 and - 800 m
Walking time: 6 to 7 hours approximately

We meet at the Saint Gervais Le Fayet SNCF Train station at 8:00 am to check the equipment and get to know each other, around 8:15 am we take the Chemin des Thermes to arrive at the Bettex cable car. We then begin the ascent of Mont Joly, the view of Mont Blanc is magnificent, we cross a superb ridge to arrive at the Aiguille Croche then a good descent brings us to our refuge.

Day 2 
Refuge - Col d'Enclave - Night in the Hut

Vertical Drop: + 1300 m and - 600 m
Walking time: about 7 hours

We will get started from our Hut following a balcony path up above the valley floor where the classic TMB path passes by, here the path is wild without 4x4 buses carrying plenty of luggage: we will be travelling light to discover the most beautiful paths around Mont Blanc. We will take a break at the Jovet Lake before going up a steep and aerial path to the Col d'Enclave,depending on the weather we will go through the col des Fours and the Bonhomme which is an easier passage, from up there we will get a great view on the wild valley that extends below us. We will eat at the Pass, before resuming our way to reach our refuge either in the valley or at the feet of the glaciers depending on the reservations.

Day 3 
Refuge - Col de la Seigne - Col des Chavannes - Mont Fortin - Hotel in Courmayeur

Vertical Drop: + 1000 m and - 1000 m
Walking time: 8 to 9 hours

We will leave the refuge early in the morning, towards the Col de la Seigne by a path under the glaciers of the Aiguille de Glaciers. The day will be quite long but very beautiful: we will never get tired of the Italian side of Mont Blanc; depending on the weather and your shape we will reach Mont Chécroui via the Col des Chavannes and Mont Fortin where we will get an Himalayan view on Mont Blanc Southern Face, from Lac de Miage to the summit: the South Face is 3,500 m high.

Night in B&B in a 3-star hotel. Free dinner, you can enjoy Italian cuisine in a good restaurant in the center of Courmayeur.

Day 4 
COURMAYEUR - CHAMONIX - MER DE GLACE OR TESTA BERNARDA - CHAMONIX

Vertical Drop: + 1250 m and - 900 m in Italy as in France
Walking time: 7 hours

We will have several possible options today, depending on the weather we will hike in Italy or France (if you have taken the Mountaineering Option to cross the Vallée Blanche, you will find the information below). For what concerns the Hike in Italy, we will climb to Testa Bernarda: a great belvedere on the Mont Blanc Massif and on its Italian side, we will be facing the Grandes Jorasses. The climb to reach Testa Bernarda is quite fast, we will pass by Refuge Bertone where we can have a coffee; the climb becomes less steep afterwards, the day can be shortened depending on the shape of the group or the weather. If the weather is better on the French side, we will take the Mont Blanc Tunnel before, to then continue the day discovering the fascinating Mer de Glace. In such a case, we will be starting down from the Chamonix Valley taking a path, which is little known and less crowded, to reach the Mer de Glace. We will then climb to Signal Forbes and pass under the Aiguilles de Chamonix. We will walk back down to Chamonix by feet, in order to avoid taking the Aiguille du Midi cable car.

Mountaineering Initiation Option in Supplement (see Prices in "Dates & Prices"):

Courmayeur - Entrèves - Pointe Helbronner - Crossing the Vallée Blanche - Aiguille du Midi - Chamonix Night in a hotel

Vertical Drop: + 800m and - 800m
Walking time: about 6 hours

You will meet your Mountain Guides in Courmayeur, to check the equipment before taking the shuttle to the Sky Way, a recently renovated panoramic cable car that will take you to Punta Helbronner (3472m).

On the top you will discover the Mountaineering World by walking on the Glacier des Géants, your Mountain Guides will have formed ropes to evolve on the glacier of the Vallée Blanche. You will pass at the feet of the Tour Ronde, Mont blanc du Tacul, Mont Maudit and Grand Capucin. You will then end this crossing by climbing the Aiguille du Midi to reach the Cable Car departure, where you will take some time to enjoy the view. You will finally get off by the cable car in Chamonix.

Day 5 
Chamonix - South Balconies - Lac Blanc - Chamonix

Vertical Drop: + 1200 m and - 1200 m
Walking time: 7 to 8 hours

Depending on the weather and on the group's shape, your Trekking Guide will propose you a day on the South Balconies between Lac Blanc and The Brévent, where the view on the whole Mont Blanc Massif is great: you will finish the tour in style before returning to Chamonix train station.

End of the Trekking, everyone resumes his journey from 5.30 p.m.

Those who want to return to Saint Gervais, the starting point of the Trek, can easily take a train to Saint Gervais (departures are regular every hour or so at a price of 15 euros).

For those who wish to stay in Chamonix an additional night, here are some addresses:

Hôtel Le Terminus

Hôtel Des Deux Gares

Hôtel de La Chaumière

For les Thermes de Saint Gervais

How to prepare your backpack for your Tour du Mont Blanc Trekking

The hiking backpack

If possible take a light backpack with good carrying, the backpack itself should not exceed 1,5 kilos.

Backpack for 7 days:

• Small size: 45 liters
• Large size: 50 liters

Your backpack must have 10 to 15 liters of space for the food that you will carry for lunch and sometimes for the day after.

Kilos to carry - it is better to wash than to carry:

• Small size: 6/7 kilos max, without water and food
• Large size: 8/9 kilos max, without water and food

Count 2 liters of water and 1 kilo of food for the day.

Covid 19 Special:

• a pair of light shoes or slippers to walk inside the hut
• a light sleeping sheet for the refuge 
• a pillowcase or light inflatable cushion for the refuge
• hydroalcollic gel and masks

Head to toe material for your hiking trip:

• one cap or hat for the sun
• one hat for the cold
• one buff or neck warmer, optional but very pleasant in bad weather
• one type Goretex jacket or equivalent for bad weather
• one pair of gloves, waterproof if possible
• waterproof extra pair of ski gloves for altitude treks
• one warm fleece or thick down to withstand freezing temperatures
• two sweaters: one light and one warmer, if it's cold we will put all layers on
• three technical t-shirts 
• three underwear and 3 or 4 warm socks, you can wash them in the streams near the hut (take a solid soap to the washing)
• one warm pant
•  a pair of tights
• one lighter pant, some come off to make shorts
• one short pant
• one over-pants in waterproof fabric or Gore tex type for Treks with altitude passes around 3000 meters
• a light rain cape or waterproof bag protector
• a waterproof bag to keep your spare clothes dry
• a plastic or waterproof bag for dirty items
• a change of clothes for the refuge
• a pair of good quality mountain shoes with Vibram type sole or equivalent, if possible try them on before starting your hiking trip, beware of old shoes which can deteriorate very quickly in the middle of the mountains.

Do not forget:

• sunscreen index 30 to 50
• a pair of category 3 sunglasses
• one light headlamp
• cash and your identity papers

Toiletries:

• a light, quick-drying hand towel, hiking type
• one body soap
• one toothbrush with small toothpaste or a tube already started
• one small shampoo (small size - specialty stores sell small bottles that you will keep your whole life as a hiker)
• a pair of aarplugs to better sleep at night 

Pharmacy & others:

• your usual or personal treatments
• a light survival blanket
• a nail clipper
• what to make small dressings
• a few compresses and sticking plaster or better Strappal

Your guide will have a more complete pharmacy in the event of a more serious accident.

A small book or card game (less than 150 grams) ... if you want !

Necessary for meals:

• a light Opinel type knife
• a fork and a spoon
• a nice specialty to share with the rest of the team, liquid or solid

The hiker's enemy is weight, but a frozen or wet hiker is a hiker without pleasure! So take the time to properly prepare your backpack.

Physical level 3/5

For sporty people, we will have some good walking days and make some beautiful summits, you are confirmed in the activity or welcome in Trail initiation! Effort corresponding to approximately 900 - 1200 m of elevation gain in trekking.

Technical Level 3/5

Difficult trekking, there are several vertiginous, physical and technical passages, the path is sometimes equipped with cables and ladders to help the progression, it is not a Via Ferrata but we are obliged to use them. You must master the activity, you are independent in the mountains in easy passages, the guide will help you in difficult passages.
Weather forecast learning and learning of walking progression techniques with a mountain rope.
Maximum 10 people per trekking guide.

Useful Info to plan your TMB Trekking Tour

Insurance

Cancellation and repatriation insurance is advised as well as other insurance guaranteeing search and mountain rescue (10,000 Euros guarantee approximately).

How to reach Saint Gervais les Bains

• By train, access by TGV to Saint Gervais les Bains - Le Fayet;
• By car from Annecy or Geneva, access by expressway to Saint Gervais les Bains - Le Fayet, which is 2.5 hours from Lyon.

Meeting on the first day:

In front of the Saint Gervais Le Fayet SNCF Train station at 8:00 am, to get to know each other and have a coffee together by the Mont Blanc Tramway. 

For those arriving by car, there is a free parking where you can leave your car for the week right next to the train station. 

For those arriving by train, you will find your Trekking Guide waiting for you in front of the SNCF Train Station. 

For those who would like to arrive one day earlier or leave one day later in order to enjoy the Thermal baths, here below some links to some Hotels in Saint Gervais to organise your trip as you prefer: 

Hôtel Le Terminus

Hôtel Des Deux Gares

Hôtel de La Chaumière

For les Thermes de Saint Gervais