Mont Blanc Area

The Mont Blanc region is one of the world's great walking areas, with a myriad of varied walks in superb mountain scenery, with huge peaks and spires, glaciers galore, high meadows and comfortable (often atmosphere-starved) villages and towns in the deep valleys. Superb paths, plentiful huts and usually easy access to the delights of French and Italian cooking make this a paradise for walkers, albeit an occasionally damp one.

See also the superb neighbouring Aiguilles Rouges. These are arguably even better walking than Mont Blanc itself - particularly if you want multi-day but less trodden walks.

Around the dominating massif of western Europe's highest mountain (at 4,808m) is a ring of French, Swiss and Italian towns, perfect base camps for day excursions into the hills, or roadheads for longer treks.

As well as the famous long-distance trails;

• • The Tour du Mt Blanc (TMB), the 8-day Big Daddy of the region
  • The 4/5-day Tour of the Aiguilles Rouges in the spectacular neighbouring Aiguilles Rouges
  • The Tour du Pays de Mt Blanc, which circuits the Aiguilles Rouges, and covers similar ground to the Tour of the Aiguilles Rouges
  • Other multi-day walks in the Aiguilles Rouges
  • The great GR5 (Grand Traverse des Alps), which threads southward to the west of the Mont Blanc Massif

and other long-distance walks (it is easy to create your own with the good maps and plentiful refuges), the region has endless outstanding day walks and overnighters.

The must-take Cicerone book arranges the area's day walks by base towns: Chamonix, Argentiere, Vallarcine, Cormayeur etc, and we have arranged our walks following this logic. The selection is endless - don't just think of the walks here: your circumstances may mean other walks (the Cicerone features 50 in the region) give you even greater joy. 

You can find a myriad of walks, wherever you are, on the map of the area (although these tend to be adequately- rather than well marked).

From St Gervais-les-Bains and les Contamines

• • Mont Joly: Mont Joly is the high point of the next ridge west and has outstanding views back onto Mont Blanc and its glaciers.
  • Lac D'Armacette.
  • Col de la Fenetre: easy access to high ground and glorious views.
  • Tete Nord du Fours - along part of the TMB.

From Les Houches

• • Aiguillettes des Houches.

From Chamonix

• • Lac Blanc and the Eastern Aiguilles Traverse and the south-eastern Aiguilles Rouges.
  • Le Chapeau and Tete des Prepators: an easy path (family starter-walk) leading into a tougher ridge ascent. Superb glacier and mountain views.
  • Grand Balcon Nord, a superb 2-hour climb to Signal Forbes, high above the vast Mer de Glace glacier, then a traverse across the Mont Blanc massif's northern slopes, high above the Chamonix Valley.
  • Montagne de la Cete: quite a tough but remarkable ascent of a ridge between two glaciers.

From Argentiere

• • Aiguillette d'Argentiere: a fine, long half-day circuit to a (lowish) nearly-needle, with the increased excitement of a short section of Via Ferrata.
  • Aiguillette des Posettes: Cicerone says it: "perfection is rare in this world, but the Aiguillette des Posettes comes pretty close." Quite a long, steady climb to this peak on the Aiguilles Rouges side, but much of it is outstanding.
  • Refuge Albert Premier: 4 hours of great walking from a cable car to this hut-with-a-view between a high Mont Blanc ridge and the Glacier du Tour. It is very popular, though.
  • Croix de Fer: a wonderful summit-laden half day circuit on easyish paths from a cable car to a peak in Switzerland. Much less uphill slogging than most!

From Vallorcine

• • The Aiguilles Rouges to the north-west are particularly fine walking. See the Cicerone for a number of great walks.
  • Mt Buet: an essential climb up the Aiguilles Rouges' highest summit.
  • Refuge de la Pierre - Berand.
  • Pointe de la Terrasse: fine one or two day trek to a gorgeous viewpoint.
  • Cheval Blanc: Two day walk to a well known and loved but remote mountaintop.

From Cormayeur (Italy - nicer but more chichi than Chamonix)

• • Punta della Croce: half day circuit to a very special viewpoint. Can be overcrowded at its lower sections.
  • Mout Chetif: 6 hour slog to superb viewpoint over Mont Blanc.
  • Mont della Saxe: tough full day slog to one of the best of all Mont Blanc viewpoints.
  • Tete de Ferret: peak on the Italian-Swiss border. Near the TMB, with fine, wide views.