12
25 438
Start at your hotel in Chamonix. Enjoy dinner (not included) in one of the town's many delightful restaurants.2-Star Hotel
From Chamonix, take the Le Brevent teleferique (cable car) to the mid station at Plan Praz and walk to the top of the La Flegere cable car (1877m/6158ft). The trail today is named the 'Grand Balcon Sud' and is on the opposite side of the valley from Mont Blanc, affording excellent views of the whole massif lying to your south. Initially the route contours and then climbs to reach the high point of the day, Lac Blanc (2352m/7715ft). The trail descends past the photogenic lac de Cheserys and then downwards again to Argentiere (1240m/3720ft). In the afternoon there is a very short section of ladders/steep steps with handrails to descend.(Due to maintenance on the Flegere cable car, this walk has been amended from our previously advertised walk to Lac Blanc. This trek is 4km longer than the original and is equally beautiful). 2-Star Hotel
Distance in Km: 14
Distance in Miles: 8.7
Altitude Gain: 500
Altitude Loss: 1000
A short walk to Montroc at the top of the Chamonix valley where the path begins the ascent to the Aiguillette de Posettes (2201m/7200ft), descends a little and then climbs towards the Col de Balme (2,191m/7190ft) where it crosses the border from France to Switzerland. Excellent views all morning of Aiguille d'Argentière and Aiguille du Tour and its glacier. You will then head to the small Swiss hamlet of Trient (1,296m/4250ft), with good views of the Trient Glacier. There is a sting in the tail today as you finish with a steep climb from Trient to our Auberge at the Col de la Forclaz (1527m/5010ft).Auberge
Distance in Km: 17
Distance in Miles: 10
Altitude Gain: 1190
Altitude Loss: 1060
Leaving the Col de la Forclaz, with views directly down into the Rhône Valley and the Swiss town of Martigny the route follows an historic path used to take the cows to high pasture, the 'Bovine route' (2049m/6720ft). The trail takes you through meadows and high alpine pastures before descending to the charming town of Champex (1486m/4880ft) set beside a picturesque alpine lake. 3-Star Hotel
Distance in Km: 13
Distance in Miles: 8
Altitude Gain: 730
Altitude Loss: 750
Now on the east side of the main Mont Blanc Massif the path turns south, descending through woods to the Val Ferret and on to Issert (1,055m/3460ft) and other small, pretty, alpine farming villages. This is a good day for flowers, including orchids. Continue up the valley to the remote village La Fouly (1600m/5250ft). This is at the foot of Mont Dolent, whose summit is at the meeting point of France, Switzerland and Italy. Auberge
Distance in Km: 15
Distance in Miles: 9
Altitude Gain: 440
Altitude Loss: 540
Still following the same valley and the river 'La Drance', the path climbs to the 'Grand Col Ferret' (2537m/8320ft), the highest pass of the tour. Now in Italy, the valley is also called 'Val Ferret'. The mountain views from the Col are stunning with the Grandes Jorasses dominating the scene. The path descends into the valley to Arp Nouva (1,770m/5800ft) then climbs and traverses a little to the refuge Walter Bonatti. (2025m/6640ft). The rooms are 2 and 4 bed. This is a splendid place to spend a night and is a true mountain hut experience (there is no baggage delivery to the hut!). There is the option to change this hut night to a hotel night in Courmayeur. Please inform your sales consultant if you would like to have this option. In this case baggage will be delivered. Depending on hotel availability there should be no change in price but dinner will not be included.Mountain Refuge
Distance in Km: 17
Distance in Miles: 10
Altitude Gain: 950
Altitude Loss: 770
If you spent the night in Courmayeur, after a short local bus ride you will re-join the path and climb to the Refuge Walter Bonatti. Walking from the Refuge (2025m/6640ft) the path follows a beautiful contouring route around Mont de la Saxe to Courmayeur. The views of the south Mont Blanc massif are exceptional as are those of the towering, cliffy peak of the 'Grandes Jorasses' and the glaciers which crowd the northern flank of the Val Ferret. In the afternoon there is a long and reasonably steep descent to Courmayeur (1,230m/4030m) a town that boasts superb ice creams!3-Star Hotel
Distance in Km: 13
Distance in Miles: 8
Altitude Gain: 270
Altitude Loss: 840
After a short local bus ride to La Vissaille (1660m/5450ft) in the Val Veny the TMB path climbs gently beneath the massive glacier de Miage and past Lac Combal before the gradient becomes steeper again as it follows the old Roman road and heads for today's pass: the 'Col de la Seigne' (2,516m/8250ft), which marks our re-entry into France. A fairly steep descent brings us through to la Ville des Glaciers (1,789m/5870ft) and finally after quite a long walking day to Les Chapieux (1,553m/5090ft), a small, remote hamlet inhabited only during the summer months. Auberge
Distance in Km: 20
Distance in Miles: 12
Altitude Gain: 870
Altitude Loss: 970
Having now reached the southwest corner of the circuit the route turns north to climb once again. First there is a steep sustained climb to the Col de la Croix du Bonhomme (2,478m/8130ft), before contouring around to the Col du Bonhomme (2,328m/7640ft). From here the path descends steeply through meadows and over a Roman bridge and finally to the village of Les Contamines (1180m/5900ft). 2-Star Hotel
Distance in Km: 17
Distance in Miles: 10
Altitude Gain: 930
Altitude Loss: 1340
Today is a challenging day with plenty of ups and downs. From Les Contamines the path re-joins the TMB route ascending to the Chalets de Miage (1,560m/5120ft). From here the trail climbs steeply to the Col de Tricot (2,119m/6950ft) before descending and passing very close to the snout of the Glacier de Bionnassay. There are good views of the north side of the Mont Blanc Massif. The path then re-ascends to reach the Col de Voza (1,652m/5418ft) and ahead lies the Chamonix Valley and the final descent to the village of Les Houches (993m/3225ft). 2-Star Hotel
Distance in Km: 16
Distance in Miles: 9
Altitude Gain: 1200
Altitude Loss: 1370
Crossing to the north side of the Chamonix Valley the path climbs steeply through pine forest and then on open mountainsides to reach the high point of the day at Brevent (2,525m/8290ft). This is a long walking day but will probably afford the best views of the French side of Mont Blanc and its neighbouring peaks that will be seen on the whole trek. The path then descend to Plan Praz (1970m/6460ft) from where you can take an optional cable car to Chamonix (1,061m) for a well-deserved drink.2-Star Hotel
Distance in Km: 12
Distance in Miles: 7
Altitude Gain: 1550
Altitude Loss: 520
7 nights 2 and 3-star hotels, 3 nights auberges and 1 night mountain refuge10
days point-to-point self-guided walking with baggage transfers8 days
challenging and 2 days moderate walkingAltitude maximum 2537m, average
1525m Self-guided holiday. Min. age 12 yearsNot possible for Solo Travellers
(guided options possible)
Included in the trip are all breakfasts and 7 dinners. Evening meals are
taken in the hotel in which you are staying or in a nearby restaurant. For
dinners not included expect to pay €20 for a good 3 course menu (not
including drinks). Lunch prices can vary depending on whether you have a
picnic or eat in a restaurant, but €15 is a good estimate for a sit down
meal. You can order a packed lunch from the hotel in which you are staying
when you check in.Typical Meals:Continental Breakfast will normally include
coffee, tea, hot chocolate, French bread, croissant and conserves.Evening
meal: a first course of soup, salad or charcuterie, a main course of meat
with one or two vegetables or rice or pasta, a dessert course.Beer, wine,
bottled water, other drinks, coffee or tea are not included in the price of
evening meals taken in restaurants.Vegetarians: Although vegetarianism is not
common in this part of Europe and most meals are based on meat and fish there
are no problems catering for vegetarians as long as they are prepared to be
flexible. If you eat a vegan diet you should expect that the variety of food
may be limited whilst on this trip. As this kind of diet is relatively
uncommon in this region we cannot guarantee that the hotels and restaurants
will provide meals that have the necessary variety to be considered
satisfying when on a more restricted diet.Drinks: Please note that drinks are
not included and you will be expected to pay directly for any wine/tea/coffee
taken at dinner.
7 nights 2 and 3-star hotels, 3 nights auberges and 1 night mountain refuge10
days point-to-point self-guided walking with baggage transfers8 days
challenging and 2 days moderate walkingAltitude maximum 2537m, average
1525m Self-guided holiday. Min. age 12 yearsNot possible for Solo Travellers
(guided options possible)
Activity level 5 - Challenging10 days walking; 2 days Moderate, 8 days
ChallengingTrekking the Tour du Mont Blanc is a wonderful experience and
challenge. Many choose to enjoy this trek with a guided group and this offers
numerous advantages. If you think you would prefer trekking within a group
being led by a qualified and informative mountain leader, Exodus run one and
two week versions of this trip, either camping or hotel based. Please see
trip codes TWO, TWB and TWP. Some people prefer to trek independently,
without the constraints of a group. Please consider carefully if this trip is
for you. Although the Tour du Mont Blanc is a well trekked route please only
book an self-guided trek if you are an experienced mountain walker and have
trekked independently in challenging mountain terrain. Bearing this in mind,
this trip has a minimum of 2 people on each booking as solo travellers are
not permitted.Please consider if you have the skills to remain safe in bad
weather, bad visibility, snow and snow covered paths, steep, loose or
slippery ground, possibly all at the same time. Although comprehensive route
notes and local information will be provided, we would still expect
travellers on this trip to have good navigational and first aid skills and be
able to find and understand a weather forecast for the region and assess the
dangers. Finally please be aware that not everyone will speak English. It is
your responsibility to assess your own abilities and choose if it is safe to
trek on any given day. On bad weather days you may need to turn back and take
public transport to the next hotel. We will provide suggestions for this in
the route notes.The Tour du Mont Blanc has many variations and options and is
not one set route. We have provided notes for what we believe is the best
route. That said you may choose to follow variations and in which case our
estimated timings and distances will no longer be valid.Most of the days are
long, quite often involving an ascent of 900-1200m (3000-4000 feet),
equivalent to 3 to 4 hours walking uphill, followed by a similar descent.
Although the paths are well maintained there are sections that are rough
underfoot. You need to be confident that your fitness will allow you to
enjoyably walk at a consistent and steady pace allowing you to finish the day
at a reasonable time. You will also enjoy the trek a great deal more if your
fitness allows you to walk the route in relative ease.This trek is graded
Activity level 5 - Challenging as it has 2 easier moderate graded days and 8
challenging graded days. A Challenging graded day would be equivalent to
walking up Scafell Pike or Ben Nevis and take between 3 to 5 hours of walking
up hill and up to 9 hours in total depending on the pace. We recommend that
you make a special effort to get in good physical condition for the trip.
Walking hours stated are given as approximates only. Timings stated include
lunch and photo stops and will vary depending on the pace of your group.We
suggest this as a family trip for children over 12. That said, although there
are on some days options to take public transport, please consider carefully
the fitness of you children before booking this trip. If you would like
further advice please do ask a sales consultant.Please note: We book hotels
when you book the holiday so there will be approximately a weeks
delay before you receive a definitive confirmation. This adds a lot of
flexibility as it allows you to select any departure date you want well as
add free days to the trip enroute if you wish. We need to contact 10
different hotels and we don’t always get our first choice and may have to
look for other similar hotels locally and the price may increase or
decrease marginally because of this. It is also the case that occasionally
on the refuge night (night 6) and also in Les Chapieux (night 8) there may
only be dormitory accommodation available. If this is the case we will book
a dormitory for you and put you on the wait list for a room. If there are
any discounts because we have had to use a dormitories or cheaper hotels then
we will refund you locally in cash at the start of your holiday. If there
are any moderate additions to the price due to an upgraded room or hotel then
you will be charged this addition when you make final payment.We ask you to
pay a deposit before we book the hotels. We also require you
to accept the risk that there may be up to two dormitory nights. If after
you have asked us to make the booking you choose to cancel or change the
dates then there will be a £50 per person admin fee charged. If we can’t
make the booking for you due to no availability, or there are more than 2
dormitory nights, or we could not find a hotel at only a moderate increase
in price then you can cancel with no penalty.
Hotels, Auberges and 1 night in refugeYou will spend 5 nights in 2-star hotels , 2 nights in 3-star hotels, 3
nights in an auberge and 1 night in a mountain refuge. The hotels have
ensuite facilities but depending on the availability there may be shared
facilities in the auberge and refuge. Couples travelling together will have
their own room but we cannot always say whether this will be twin or double
or even very occasionally a room with bunk beds. It is also possible that on
day six, Refuge Bonatti, and day 8, Les Chapieux, where availability of rooms
are very limited that only shared dormitory space will be available.
Dormitories are for the most part 8 to 12 bed rooms with separate bunkbeds.
If you accept a dormitory option then we will put you on the wait list to be
upgraded to rooms if a room becomes available. If it does not then we will
refund you the difference in Euros locally at the beginning of the trip.
Single traveller supplement is not available for this trip. A single room
is on a request basis.
Auberge in La
As this is a self-guided holiday there is no group and no leader. The route
notes contain an emergency assistance telephone number. In an emergency, the
hotel is normally able to dispatch a taxi or pick you up themselves. They may
wish to charge for this service.
Included in the trip are all breakfasts and 7 dinners. Evening meals are
taken in the hotel in which you are staying or in a nearby restaurant. For
dinners not included expect to pay €20 for a good 3 course menu (not
including drinks). Lunch prices can vary depending on whether you have a
picnic or eat in a restaurant, but €15 is a good estimate for a sit down
meal. You can order a packed lunch from the hotel in which you are staying
when you check in.Typical Meals:Continental Breakfast will normally include
coffee, tea, hot chocolate, French bread, croissant and conserves.Evening
meal: a first course of soup, salad or charcuterie, a main course of meat
with one or two vegetables or rice or pasta, a dessert course.Beer, wine,
bottled water, other drinks, coffee or tea are not included in the price of
evening meals taken in restaurants.Vegetarians: Although vegetarianism is not
common in this part of Europe and most meals are based on meat and fish there
are no problems catering for vegetarians as long as they are prepared to be
flexible. If you eat a vegan diet you should expect that the variety of food
may be limited whilst on this trip. As this kind of diet is relatively
uncommon in this region we cannot guarantee that the hotels and restaurants
will provide meals that have the necessary variety to be considered
satisfying when on a more restricted diet.Drinks: Please note that drinks are
not included and you will be expected to pay directly for any wine/tea/coffee
taken at dinner.
Your luggage is transported from hotel to hotel for you. It will be your
responsibility to ensure that your bag is left in the correct place for
pickup (at 08.00) and has the correct label attached. Bags need to be 15kg or
less, with no medicine, food, drink or money to be left in these. The
suggested walking itinerary involves a local bus on day 8 and optional buses
on days 6 & 7. For departures in the months of June and September the bus
schedules cannot be guaranteed; instead it may be necessary to take a shared
transfer or as a last resort; a taxi (approx €60; the hotel can help
arrange this for you). Please take this into consideration when choosing your
date of departure.
Travelling land only: 12 days starting in Chamonix and ending
in Chamonix Your trip starts in Chamonix on day 1 of the itinerary. Details
of how to reach the start hotel are given in the Final Joining
Instructions. Full joining instructions including route notes, hotel list,
and local emergency numbers will be sent to you as part of our Final Joining
Instructions. If you do not receive these at least a week before departure,
or require them earlier please contact our office or your travel agent.
Please note, you will receive your maps upon arrival.Flights from the
UKGeneva is easily accessible with many budget and non-budget airlines from
the following airports in the UK: Bristol, Manchester, Gatwick, Luton,
Liverpool, Edinburgh – Easyjet. Heathrow – BA. City, Heathrow – Swiss
Air. Please speak to the sales consultant at the time of booking if you would
like Exodus to book your international flights.Take the TrainBoth Geneva
Airport and Chamonix are easy to reach by train. Times and prices are
available to view on http://uk.voyages-sncf.com/en/It is only possible to
reserve train seats 3 months before your departure date and our sales team
will be happy to book this for you in cooperation with Rail Europe.
Airport transfers are not included on this trip.A shared transfer (with
others who have booked with them also) will cost from €35 one way if booked
in advance with Mountain Drop Offs. Book on their website ‐
www.mountaindropoffs.com and quote the following promotional code EXOCHX.
Unfortunately the discounted rates only run from 17 June to 10 September.
Outside this time the full price will be charged.
From late June to early October fair weather is to be expected, but all
mountain ranges create their own weather patterns and the Alps are no
exception. It can and does rain and especially on the high passes it can be
surprisingly cold at times. Expected daytime temperatures are in the range of
15 to 25ºC in the valleys (although it can sometimes reach 30ºC in
July/August), 5 to 15ºC on the passes (though it will feel colder if wet and
windy) and 5 to 15ºC in the valleys at night; possibly a little lower early
and late in the season. There is always the possibility of snow, even in
August, and in September trips may find snow on the passes. Please note that
on late season treks (September) the days are shorter and you will need to
make early starts to make the most of the available daylight hours.
As well as casual clothes for travel we recommend you bring the
following:Walking boots with good ankle support and a strong soleA good
quality waterproof/windproof jacket and waterproof trousersHat and gloves
(even for August)A warm 2/3 season fleece jacket or lightweight down
jacketDay sack with 30-40 litres capacitySun cream, sun hat, sun glasses2
litre water bottle/CamelbakWalking poles are highly recommendedIt is
advisable to take a compass if you are skilled at using oneA French language
book would be useful as English is not widely spokenAll luggage is
transported between the hotels by a support vehicle (but not to your room).
Bags need to be at the collection point each morning by 8.00 am and depending
on the day may not arrive at the next hotel until 18.00, but usually earlier.
Please note that we must limit you to one item of luggage each, weighing a
maximum of 15kg per person to be carried in the support vehicle. Valuables
and medicine should be carried with you. Excess baggage can be left in the
hotel store in Chamonix. You should pack your belongings in a sturdy kitbag
or holdall; suitcases should not be used, as they cannot be packed easily in
our support vehicle. Exodus kitbags are available for purchase at £25, which
includes postage, packaging and VAT. Please note that they are only available
to residents of the UK.If you are staying in a dormitory you will need to
bring a travel towel and a sleep sheet to use with the blankets/duvets that
are provided.
Swimming costume/trunksTowelUmbrellaGaiters
The cost of the lunches varies depending on whether you buy picnic
ingredients from a shop, prepared picnics from the hotel or eat in refuge on
the hill. 5€ to €18 per lunch should suffice. For the free dinners allow
€20-30 each. You will also need money for drinks in cafés or huts during
the day's walk and drinks in restaurants where we take our evening meal.
Typically a large café au lait or a soft drink would cost between €4-5,
and a glass of beer €4 - 5. A bottle of wine can be bought for
approximately €10-16 in these restaurants.Cable Car – Day 2 ascent, 11
decent. A return ticket (valid for both journeys. 16.50€Local bus journey:
Day 8 and optional day 6 and 7 approx. 3€ per journey.
Travel insuranceSingle accommodation (on request at a supplement) - this is
only possible for single passengers travelling with others on the same
booking (Solo Travellers cannot book this trip)Visas or vaccinationsTravel
to/from the start/end points
Ved skriftlig aksept av vårt tilbud bekrefter du/dere at våre betingelser er både lest og forstått og at evt kansellerings gebyrer kan tilkomme ved en evt. avbestilling av reisen.