New for 2013, we are glad to announce some new options on the brilliant Tour du Mont Blanc. This trek in the French, Italian and Swiss Alps typically takes 11 daily stages, across a fortnight's holiday. Our guided TMBs can now be joined for one week, in either the North or South halves. These match up to our full TMBs, to give people options to come and go. Please ask us for more details and we hope to see you on the trail!

Tour du Mont Blanc North (Guided)
Tour du Mont Blanc South (Guided)

(Simon writes) As every year, we check out the TMB immediately before the summer season. This means recces in late June, which this year were spread among Joy, Pete, Anna-Maria and Chris, and me, covering various sections each.


Col du Bonhomme from an unusual angle, by Pete

Our TMB clients are receiving our Season Update, which collects our notes from these recces. We update everyone on changed logistics around the route and on the snow level. Snow this early summer is almost non-existent on the TMB, in great contrast to 2010 when it was abundant still at the end of June.


Walking up towards Lac de Combal and Rif Elisabetta

Many day walkers were out and about near Lac de Combal in some splendid late-June sun.


Bavarian Gentians in the sun


Refuge Bonhomme under a cloud

Please join us on the TMB, whether in 2011 or 2012. We have spaces left on some of our guided TMBs this summer, and availability for self-guided trips at various points. It's exhilarating to see the season start again.

Tour du Mont Blanc (Self-Guided)
Tour du Mont Blanc (Guided)

Here are photos from our recce today, to check the condition of a key Tour du Mont Blanc col - Col du Bonhomme.

This is a snowy start to the Alpine summer. However, the spread of snows is uneven. Today was the last piece in our June pre-season research, making it right up to the minute before our clients start trekking tomorrow, 1st July. We've sent out our updates - about route changes and local facilities as well as conditions - and the season is about to start.

Research and photos by Pete Ellis.


Approach to Col du Bonhomme


Tracks from Col du Bonhomme


The wear line across the slopes

We can still book TMB treks throughout this summer, although certain dates are trickier than others. Please contact us!

Tour du Mont Blanc

For 2010 we will be offering three scheduled guided treks each on the Tour du Mont Blanc and Walker's Haute Route. Here are the dates:

Tour du Mont Blanc (Guided)

3-17 July 2010
31 July to 14 August 2010
4-18 September 2010

Walker's Haute Route (Guided)

17 to 31 July 2010
14 to 28 August 2010
31 August to 14 September 2010

Please contact us for more info or to book in. We are looking forward to summer 2010 already!

Simon looked over part of the TMB in Italy this June as part of our annual pre-season recces. Here are 3 photos:


A quiet Courmayeur, distinctly early season


Mont Chetif and Monte Bianco from the climb to friendly Rifugio Bertone


A peaceful barn tucked away in the Armina valley

Three good options exist on the stage from Courmayeur. Each suits different people and weather. All are of course highly scenic... how could they fail to be?

Tour du Mont Blanc

Cycling fan or in search of spectacle? 2009's Tour de France route gives lots of scope for viewing while on one of our trips to the Alps, as follows. Come and see it...

... on a chalet holiday in the French Tarentaise
The Tour de France spends the night of 21 July in Bourg Saint Maurice, having dropped down from Col du Petit Saint Bernard and before heading off over the Cormet de Roselend. Bourg Saint Maurice is a pleasant town local to our chalet holiday in the Tarentaise. There's plenty to do in the area as it is, as well as our easy Alpine walks, but the added bonus of the Tour will make this a special week.

French Alps Multi-Activity

... on a break in Chamonix
Chamonix is not visited by this year's TdF, but is handily placed on the train line between two viewing places. Take the Mont Blanc Express in one direction on 19 or 21 July to see the riders at Martigny; take it in the other direction on the 22nd to see them pass through Sallanches.

Chamonix Mountain Walking

... on the Tour du Mont Blanc
As in 2007, the Tours coincide near les Chapieux. This time they're riding from Bourg Saint Maurice to Beaufort rather than the other way round. So, with a bit of spare time on 22 July you can catch the riders as they labour up the slopes to the Cormet de Roselend.

Tour du Mont Blanc

... on the Walker's Haute Route - in Switzerland!
Unusually for the TdF, two nights will be spent in Switzerland. On 19 July this gives a chance for Haute Route trekkers to follow the race in the valley between Sembrancher and Le Chable before its uphill finish in Verbier. The race rests in this resort on the 20th before restarting from Martigny on 21 July, again passing Sembrancher on the way to Col du Grand Saint Bernard.

Walker's Haute Route

Please contact us for greater detail. Timings are key, both of your start dates and of your walking times, and we can advise on the ins and outs.

Each August a race is held on a circuit of Mont Blanc, roughly following the Tour du Mont Blanc route. In 2007 look out for the race on 24-26 August, starting and finishing in Chamonix. The course is 163km long and climbs more than 8,900m. The fastest competitors expect to run it in under 25 hours and there is a limit of 46 hours for everyone. Around 2,500 runners took part in 2006 - watching them fly by is a real spectacle and was remarked upon by some of our clients last year. Disruption to walkers should be minimal.

Ultra Trail Mont Blanc - the official website of the race

On the last day in June and first day in July, Chamonix hosted a weekend of racing. There were two main events: the 21km Cross, which left Chamonix for Argentiere along the valley, then climbed up via La Flegere to Planpraz; and the Marathon which did the same but added a loop over Col des Montets, past Vallorcine and back over Col des Posettes to Le Tour and Argentiere. The Marathon was won by Nick Sharp from Britain in a time of 3h 27m 26s.

Mont Blanc Marathon - find out more about the weekend's events

The 8th stage of the Tour de France, the world's most famous cycle race and arguably the biggest sporting event in the world, met the route of the Tour du Mont Blanc this summer. On Sunday 15 July 2007 it was possible to watch the 165km stage between Le Grand Bornand and Tignes, from a vantage point near the village of les Chapieux on the TMB. The stage was won by Michael Rasmussen from Denmark in a time of 4h 49m 40s after a long solo breakaway. Rasmussen's ride also gave him the leader's yellow jersey, thanks to the time he made up on the previous holder.

Tour de France - the official website of Le Tour

Les Chapieux is a staging post on the typical Tour du Mont Blanc route, two stages from the start in Les Houches. It marks the Southern extent of the Mont Blanc circuit. Our accommodation in les Chapieux is a welcoming auberge that makes a good base for exploring the surrounding Beaufortain Alps. The route also passed a few km from our chalet in the Tarentaise, up the hill from Bourg St. Maurice, where we run summer walking and multi-activity holidays.

Tour du Mont Blanc - our popular self-guided walking holiday along this classic trail
French Alps Multi-Activity - rafting, mountain biking, paragliding, you name it!

Are you interested in the Tour du Mont Blanc but would you prefer to spend only one week on trek? As well as our main TMB holiday we offer the route in two week-long trips. Choose the Northern or Southern half then walk the other section in the future! The 6-stage Tour du Mont Blanc North leaves the Italian Val Ferret and follows the TMB route via Champex to the Chamonix valley. High-mountain glacial scenery and charming valley floors characterise the stages; your accommodation is varied, characterful and friendly.

Tour du Mont Blanc North

Guided and Self-Guided Holidays