FRANCE · ITALY · SWITZERLAND · MONT BLANC MASSIF · 45.83°N 6.86°E · SUMMER · JUN–SEP
Tour du Mont Blanc
The classic circuit of the highest mountain in Western Europe: three countries, eleven days, ten-thousand metres of ascent, and the mountain itself watching over every one of them. The benchmark alpine trek, walked properly.
THE ROUTE, CHARTED
The elevation profile
GPS-logged. Camps and key points marked; the shape of the route is the honest version of the brochure.
DAY BY DAY · 11 DAYS
The itinerary
Over the Col de Voza beneath the toy train, then woods and pastures to Les Contamines. A gentle opener with the massif introducing itself in instalments above the trees.
The Roman road out of Notre-Dame de la Gorge starts a proper mountain day: two cols, marmot escort service, and a high refuge with soup that has converted vegetarians to seconds.
Weather permitting, the 2,665m variant over stony barrens to Ville des Glaciers and up to Refuge des Mottets; otherwise the valley line by Les Chapieux. Either way, tomorrow is Italy.
The border col at 2,516m flips the massif to its wilder southern face: the Miage glacier, Val Veny's moraines, and the descent to Courmayeur with the Grandes Jorasses ahead.
Morning free among Italy's finest mountain town distractions — coffee, cheese, bookshop, repeat. Afternoon climb to Rifugio Bertone on its balcony, one of the great short walks anywhere.
Arguably the finest walking day in the Alps: the balcony path opposite the Grandes Jorasses, level enough to let you stare, all the way to Rifugio Bonatti and onward to Arnuva.
Up the grassy ramp to the 2,537m col where Italy hands over to Switzerland without ceremony, then a long green descent through La Fouly's larches to the orchard village of Praz de Fort.
Past Champex's improbable lake, then the Bovine route's forest and pasture with the Rhône valley a kilometre below your bootlaces. Cowbells provide the soundtrack; the alpage sells cheese.
The big variant, conditions allowing: 2,665m of boulder-field window between the Trient glacier and the valley. As hard as anything on the tour and worth double. Trient's pink chapel below marks dinner.
Back into France over the col at 2,191m, where Mont Blanc reappears head-on and stays with you past the Aiguillette des Posettes to Tré-le-Champ. The last col; nobody hurries it.
Ladders and balconies opposite the whole Chamonix skyline, past Lac Blanc if snow allows, descending to Les Houches to close the circle. Eleven days, one mountain, no regrets.
WHY THIS ROUTE
The expedition
Some routes are famous for good reasons. The TMB circles the Mont Blanc massif through France, Italy and Switzerland, and every day rearranges the same glaciers into a new argument for walking it: the Miage's grey tongue, the Grandes Jorasses' north wall, the aiguilles above Chamonix like a row of drawn knives. We take eleven days where trail runners take one — the point is to be here, not to have been here — sleeping in refuges and two village inns, with one deliberate half-day in Courmayeur for espresso and salumi. Ascent totals 10,200m; no single day exceeds 1,200m. Honest note: July and August paths are busy — we run variants over the Fenêtre d'Arpette and Col des Fours (weather permitting) precisely to trade crowds for effort.
HIGHLIGHTS
- Three countries on foot in eleven days
- The Fenêtre d'Arpette variant, 2,665m
- Courmayeur half-day — Italy doing what Italy does
- Refuges plus two proper village inns
- Glacier views on ten days out of eleven
- Luggage transfer on four road-touching nights
STRAIGHT ANSWER
Is this for you?
You should be able to say yes — honestly — to all of these:
- You can walk six-to-seven-hour days on rough ground, back to back, and enjoy most of them.
- You would rather be told the truth about a hard day than sold an easy one.
Grade 3 means grade 3. If you're not sure, ring us — we'd rather lose a booking than carry a struggle.
THE LEDGER
What £1,650 covers
INCLUDED
- Wildtrace guide (Ben Okonkwo) at a max ratio of 1:8
- All hut, refuge or lodge nights as described, with evening meals
- Group safety kit: inReach satellite comms and expedition first aid
- Pre-trip video call, training plan and the real kit list
NOT INCLUDED
- International travel to the start point
- Personal travel insurance covering trekking to 2,665m — required, checked before departure
- Visas and permits payable on entry, where applicable
- Tips for local crew (we publish a guideline per trip)
- Sleeping bag — bring your own or hire ours (£30/trip)
- Lunches and drinks on travel days
PACK THIS, NOT EVERYTHING
Kit, previewed
The items that matter most on this route. The full list — with honest notes on what not to buy — lives in the kit room and is sent on booking.
Broken-in boots matched to the terrain. Broken-in is the load-bearing phrase.
Waterproof jacket and trousers you actually trust.
A day pack that fits — 30–35L covers almost every trip.
Headtorch plus spare batteries. Early starts are a feature.
Sheet sleeping-bag liner and earplugs. Dormitory diplomacy in two items.
2L capacity plus purification where the trip notes say so.
A proper insulated jacket. Evenings are where trips are enjoyed or endured.
WHO'S TAKING YOU
Your guide
Ben Okonkwo
IML · ALPINE LEADInternational Mountain Leader with twelve Alpine seasons. Leads the big European tours. Has carried a cafetière over every col in the Vanoise and regrets none of it.
HOW WE RUN IT
Max 8 walkers. inReach satellite comms carried and checked daily. Escape routes planned before we sell a single place. And the weather rule that built this company: we turn back. That's the deal. Full detail on our safety page.
NO PAYMENT AT THIS STAGE
Ask about this trip
Send this and a guide rings you back — Tuesday or Thursday evening, usually. Fifteen minutes, honest questions both ways, no hard sell.
IF THIS, THEN ALSO
