Description
Day 1: Les Houches – Les Contamines.
5 hrs 30 walking time – Accommodation: B&B or refuge – 650 m (2,130 ft) ascent / 1,300 m (4,260 ft) descent.
Today, you will meet the group and your guide at the car park for the Bellevue cable car at 9 am. The day begins with a cable car ride up the mountain to the start of the hike. Following a beautiful route along the foot of the glaciers, you will go through the Col de Tricot (2,120 m / 6,950 ft) mountain pass and cross the Alpage du Truc mountain pastures. Night in the village of Les Contamines.
Day 2: Les Contamines – Les Mottets.
7 hrs walking time – Accommodation: Refuge – 1,450 m (4,750 ft) ascent / 800 m (2,620 ft) descent.
This morning you’ll head up the path following the Roman road to the Col du Bonhomme (2,408 m / 7,900 ft) and the Col des Fours (2,665 m / 8,740 ft). After a picnic with panoramic views, your route then takes you into the Les Chapieux valley, at the end of the Tarentaise, home of Beaufort cheese production !
Day 3: Les Mottets – Maison Vieille.
6 hrs walking time – Accommodation: Refuge – 1,100 m (3,600 ft) ascent / 1,050 m (3,450 ft) descent.
Today, you have a magnificent day ahead with views of Mont Blanc beckoning! Start with a climb up to the Col de la Seigne (2,514 m / 8,250 ft), which marks the border between France and Italy. You will then enter the Aosta Valley via Val Veni. The Italian side of Monte Bianco is revealed, and the warm and welcoming atmosphere of the Maison Vieille refuge awaits at the end of this stage.
Day 4: Maison Vieille – Refuge Bonatti.
6 hrs walking time – Accommodation: Night in a refuge without luggage – 1,100 m (3,600 ft) ascent / 1,000 m (3,280 ft) descent.
The fourth day of the walk starts with a descent into Courmayeur, the Italian “Chamonix”, passing through the old village. You will then climb back up to Val Sapin and the Bertone refuge. You will end the day at the Bonatti refuge, named after a famous Italian mountaineer and facing the impressive Frébouze glacier.
Day 5: Refuge Bonatti – La Fouly.
6 hrs 30 walking time – Accommodation: at an inn – 900 m (2,950 ft) ascent / 1,300 m (4,265 ft) descent.
Mont Dolent, the meeting point between France, Switzerland and Italy, stands ahead of you on today’s trail. On arrival at the Grand Col Ferret (2,537 m / 8,320 ft), Switzerland will welcome you! A pleasant descent to the mountain pastures of La Peule and La Fouly, a small village located at an altitude of 1,600 m (5,250 ft) in the heart of the Valais canton.
Day 6: La Fouly – Champex.
6 hrs 30 walking time – Accommodation: at an inn – 650 m (2,130 ft) ascent / 650 m (2,130 ft) descent.
Today, you will discover Val Ferret in Switzerland and its small traditional villages, before arriving in Champex with its pretty lake. This stage ends with a short climb to our accommodation for the night, a comfortable inn with a soothing atmosphere.
Day 7: Champex – Trient.
Night in an inn. Option 1: 715 m (2,345 ft) ascent / 925 m (3,030 ft) descent / 5 hours walking time. Option 2: 915 m (3,000 ft) ascent / 1,260 m (4,130 ft) descent – 7 hours walking time.
On this seventh day of walking, you can look forward to a superb high-level traverse above Martigny. In the distance, the vineyards of the Rhone Valley bear witness to Swiss wine production. Descent towards the small village of Trient along the Bisse du Trient irrigation channel. Depending on how the group feels and current conditions, there may be an option to take the majestic alpine route via the Fenêtre d’Arpette (2,665 m / 8,740 ft). Your guide will decide on the best option.
Day 8: Trient – Le Tour.
5 hrs walking time – Accommodation: at a B&B – 1,000 m (3,280 ft) ascent / 850 m (2,790 ft) descent.
Now it’s time to return to France. As the day progresses, the views over the Chamonix valley open up and becoming more and more stunning. Spend the night in a cosy B&B in the small village of Le Tour.
Day 9: Le Tour – Chamonix – Les Houches.
7 hrs walking time – 1,350 m (4,430 ft) ascent / 850 m (2,790 ft) descent.
On the last day of your hike, set off for the Aiguilles Rouges nature reserve. The path follows a high-level route with fantastic views of Mont Blanc – definitely one of the most famous landscapes in the Chamonix valley! You will then walk down to La Flégère and another magnificent traverse to Planpraz. Take the cable car down to the centre of Chamonix and then a bus to Les Houches. You have now come full circle!
Additional info
- Spoken languages :EnglishFrench
Prices
Child: from 1,195 €.
