Tour du Mont Blanc Camping Trek

We provide 14 breakfasts, 10 picnic lunches, eight home-cooked three-course group meals in camp and four group meals in local restaurants. Due to the small size and remoteness of several of these restaurants, and for speed when serving a large group, these will be set menus. Breakfast: Usually consist of coffee, tea, cereal, yoghurt, fresh fruit, bread and conserves. Lunch: Picnic-style lunches will normally include bread, cold meat, cheese, sometimes boiled eggs or tinned fish, fresh salad and fresh fruit. You may wish to bring (or purchase locally) snack bars for an extra energy boost during the day. Evening meal: Whether in camp or in a nearby restaurant, we endeavour to make dinner something to look forward to. Each day there will be a freshly prepared menu for the whole group, consisting of a soup, salad or similar; a main course of meat, fish or vegetarian served with a selection of vegetables and carbohydrates; and a dessert. Beer, wine, bottled water, coffee, tea or other drinks are not included in the price of evening meals taken in restaurants. Coffee and tea are included with the evening meal when we eat in camp and beer and wine are also available for purchase at a modest cost. Vegetarians: We happily cater for vegetarians – please inform us at the time of booking. Vegans: If you adhere to a vegan diet, you may find the variety of food offered to be limited, since veganism is relatively uncommon in this region. The feedback we receive for the food we serve is great but please be aware that facilities are limited and practicality forces us to put our efforts into making one excellent group meal with a vegetarian option. Of course, any allergies will be respected.

From late June to early October, expect fair weather. However, all mountain ranges create their own weather patterns and the Alps are no exception. It does rain and can be surprisingly cold at times, especially on the high passes. Daytime temperatures are in the range of 15C-25C (59F-77F) in the valleys, although it can sometimes reach 30C (86F) in July and August; 5C-15C (41F-59F) on the passes, though it will feel colder if wet and windy; and 5C to 15C (41F-59F) in the valleys at night, possibly a little lower early and late in the season. There is always the possibility of lying snow, especially in the early season, and snowfall even in August and September, when we may find new snow on the passes. Please note, the days are shorter on September treks, so we start early to make the most of the available daylight.

This trip is graded Activity Level 4 (Moderate & Challenging) – it involves 10 days of walking; two days at a Moderate level and eight days at a Challenging level. For more information on our trip gradings, visit the Activity Level Guidelines page. If you have any queries about the difficulty of the trip, please contact us.

Walking profile: Most days are long, quite often involving an ascent of 900m-1,200m (or 3,000ft-4,000ft), equivalent to three to four hours walking uphill, followed by a similar descent. On Day 2, there are two metal ladders to descend from Lac Blanc. These are secured against the rock, consist of approximately 12 steps and are not difficult to climb down. The route throughout is non-technical; however, we will be walking mountain paths and this trip is not advised for severe vertigo sufferers. Please be aware that on Days 6 and 8, we take a short bus transfer to avoid trekking on busy roads.

Terrain: Although the paths are well maintained, there are sections that are rough underfoot with sometimes loose rocks, so you need to be confident in your footing and balance.

Route: Most people trek the Tour du Mont Blanc anticlockwise. From years of experience, we have discovered that trekking the route clockwise allows for quieter trails and avoids a tough ascent on the first couple of days. The views and walks are just as beautiful in this direction.

Preparation: As this is a group adventure, you need to be confident your fitness will allow you to enjoyably walk at a consistent and steady pace that matches the group average, allowing the group 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. A Challenging-graded day would be equivalent to walking between three and five hours uphill and a similar time downhill, so up to nine hours in total depending on the pace (including breaks).

Due to the lower altitude, climate and overall comfort of this trek, it is graded Activity Level 4 (Moderate & Challenging). The Activity Level reflects the overall endurance required for this trip, not just the ease of any particular walk. Other treks with a higher Activity Level, requiring a higher overall endurance due to their remoteness, lack of facilities or average weather etc, may have shorter, easier walks. Please read the daily itineraries below when making comparisons to other walks/trips you may have done before.

Opting out: If you are unable to walk during the itinerary and want to opt out of a day, please note this can sometimes be a little tricky, depending on your position on the circuit. To reach the next point, you will need to take a public bus (which run at limited times) or taxi (which can be expensive in more remote locations). Our support vehicle is not suitable for carrying passengers so please be aware of this when deciding to book this trip. If you miss a part of the itinerary, any extra transport, hotel and food cost will be at your expense.

GPS measurements:All ascents, descents and distances listed have been measured by our local partner using satellite-based mapping software. Please note, GPS measuring devices can give differing results, especially in mountainous terrain and on winding paths. Measurements stated throughout these trip notes are given to help you understand the types of terrain and distances you will encounter. Timings stated include lunch and photo stops and will vary depending on the pace of your group.