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 ALPES ATLAS TREKKING Trekking dans les Alpes et au Maroc 12 bis, bd Jacques Replat 74000 Annecy Haute Savoie - France 00 33 (0)4 50 57 38 30   |
ITINERARY OF YOUR HIKE ON MONT BLANC CLASSIC OR BIVOUACKING - CAMPINGVideo of your Trekking on Mont Blanc   After packsaddling the mule, we start this “Trekking on Mont Blanc” mountain hiking holiday by taking a Roman road, which crosses a bridge from the same era and the attractive gorges of the Bon Nant mountain stream. We enter a nature reserve and after two hours of hiking we reach the Balme mountain refuge (1706m). Then, the “Trekking on Mont Blanc” mountain hike takes us across stretches of névé, before we reach the Bonhomme pass (2329m) at the base of the Tête sud de Fours mountain after a good two-hour hike. A trek of just one hour takes us to the Bonhomme mountain refuge.  Two options are open to us: either the hike goes straight back down via the mountain hamlet of Chapieux, or a last little climb lasting around forty minutes joins the Fours pass (2665m) at the base of the mountain of the same name. A high-altitude atmosphere of isolation reigns, and ibex roam. We are overtaken by a desire to contemplate our environment, and succumb to it... The weather will dictate which direction we choose, given that on the mountain, the weather changes fast...  A good hour and a half downhill hike later we arrive at Ville des Glaciers (1789m). This group of mountain farms is home to a cheese-maker who produces an AMAZING Beaufort, and a Sérac in a traditional cauldron heated by a wood fire. He will pay great attention to explaining how he works (he loves to) and will give you a tour of the cellar where you can taste as much mountain cheese as you like! A 20-minute hike later, we reach the Les Mottets mountain refuge (1870m).  Our trek on Mont Blanc takes us climbing up to the La Seigne pass (2516m), in the shadow of the Aiguille des glaciers mountain, which both straddle the border with Italy and which we reach after a two and a half hour hike. We get a view of Mont Blanc and a number of other mountains in the Mont Blanc massif, of Val Véni and the Italian Val Ferret (among others - the muleteer will tell you more there and then!). Once more, we are immersed in contemplation … Our route around Mont Blanc then takes us on a downhill hike lasting around eighty minutes and taking us to the banks of Lake Combal which we will skirt around for twenty minutes or so. The guide will provide a few quick explanations about the evolution of mountain lakes and on the way in which their ecosystems develop.  The next stage of our trek takes us on an uphill hike towards a number of old all-stone mountain sheepfolds. We have an uninterrupted view of an array of glaciers, from the Aiguille des Glaciers mountain to the Grandes Jorasses, including the Miage (among very many others) and its lake, above which we have a satisfying picnic after our hike. We drift into contemplation yet again… and absorb the energy of the elements we have experienced from the outset… The next section of the Mont Blanc trek is a hike along a magnificent mountainside path with views of many mountains, glaciers, marmots and mountain flowers including the most emblematic of them all: the Edelweiss! One hour and forty minutes of pure bliss later we arrive at the “Maison Vielle” mountain refuge. Tired not only after hiking but also after so much contemplation, a night above our destination Courmayeur is essential! As we have done during previous nights, we can gaze at the stars and learn to recognise the constellations of the zodiac, pick out the Milky Way, identify the North Star, differentiate between the look of a star and a planet... and even tell two or three planets apart!  We overlook Courmayeur which we will reach in an hour and a half of downhill hiking and where we will be free for a few hours to stroll and eat ice cream while gazing at the Dent du Géant (Giant's Tooth) mountain and the two Mont Blanc peaks (Mont Blanc and Mont Blanc de Courmayeur, which is 100 metres lower than Mont Blanc. They are linked by a sliver of perennial snow). If you are feeling the strain a little and an old war-wound is threatening to flare up, you can continue the trek around Mont Blanc with a twenty-minute bus journey down to the Arp Nouva (New Alpine Pasture) terminus in the Italian Val Ferret.  This is the starting point for the hiking trail which will lead us to Grand col Ferret (2537m), just below the Tête de Ferret mountain. The muleteer and his associates (the mules!) will be there; you can’t miss them! The trek around Mont Blanc takes us up this mountain in two and three quarter hours (to the pass) against a stunning backdrop with the high peaks of the Grandes Jorasses mountains in the foreground, and the le Dolent mountain, at the foot of which are magnificent glaciers. All the mountain landscapes here are shaped by very marked glacial erosion. The muleteer will bring it to life with the simplest explanations, in a nutshell... (Phew!) Halfway along the route is the Helena mountain refuge. From the terrace the view is amazing and provides an ideal setting for a drink... or for taking a little time alone to contemplate the scenery.  The route from Grand col Ferret takes the trek around Mont Blanc into Switzerland, where we hike downhill for around an hour to the high mountain farm of La Peule (2090m). Tour of the mountain cheese factory and cellar.  The rural surroundings of Val Ferret Suisse await us. The trek on Mont Blanc takes us the full length of the valley to the mountain village of Champex-le-Lac. For those who wish to, it is possible to take the bus if an old war wound is again making itself known; it is sometimes a good idea to take it easy. Ringed by the mountains of le Dolent (which straddles the Franco-Swiss-Italian borders), l'A Neuve (with its glacier), Catogne, Ferret and la Fouly, we stroll through the Swiss section of Val Ferret with wooden mountain buildings on piles dotted all around us, the oldest of which date from 1723. Background explanations provided.  The trek around Mont Blanc now takes us along the edge of the Champex mountain lake and through the mountain village of the same name (1466m). Our hiking itinerary then takes us across unbridged mountain streams, where you have to find the stepping stone at the right distance for you, at the risk of attracting laughter from those who have made it across without putting a foot wrong. It's not very difficult but a little concentration is needed... In any case, halfway through our climb, we often all dip our feet (or even more) in the stream while we nibble on a cereal bar! It’s the type of break you will remember from your trek…  The hike around Mont Blanc then takes us to the Bovine high mountain pasture (1987m), where there is a traditional old mountain chalet which is full of character. From its setting in the pasture it overlooks the Rhône valley (though the famous river is still a stream in Switzerland!). The river is flanked by Pinot Noir and Fendant vines which stretch to the bases of the mountains, and flows into Lac Léman, which we can pick out between the Dents du Midi and Diablerets mountains. We overlook Martigny, which is also surrounded by vines, and Verbier. There is a full programme to stimulate conversation during a soirée on the terrace of this old mountain chalet, perched high up in the stars, which seem to cluster all around us. In the mountains, they come much closer than you might have thought! The hike around Mont Blanc takes us down through the mountainside larch forest to the clearing of the la Giète mountain chalet. It seems a long way from the civilised world, and we cross the clearing to reach La Forclaz pass (90 minutes walk from Bovine), still skirting around the flank of the mountain. This trek through Mont Blanc country takes us along a “bisse”, an irrigation channel fed by a glacier (explanations provided), and overlooks the pretty mountainside village of Trient (1326m), surrounded by the mountains of l'Arpille, Génépi, l’Aiguille des Grands and La croix de Fer.  Our trek around Mont Blanc then takes us on a two-hour hike to the magnificent (to say the least) all-stone (including the roof) Herbagères mountain sheepfold, built in the 18th century. A last 25-minute effort takes us to the Balme pass (2191m) where there is a mountain refuge of the same name. It is also the gateway to France. Here again, the view is exceptional. We see all the mountains in the Mont Blanc massif. Our eyes our drawn first and foremost to the impressive contrast between the Chamonix valley and the Aiguilles Rouges and Mont Blanc peaks. The latter is dotted with hollow coombs, raised granite spurs and creeping glaciers. Again, a few pointers on the geological background are necessary. A picnic is a must! Contemplation...  We now take a last downhill walk to the mountain hamlet of le Tour, which only takes two hours. The group goes its separate ways at about 4pm (sniff!). We all embrace, overcome by having shared special moments and made new friends, and separate with joy in our hearts! We resolve that next summer… we’ll do it again, for sure! Here again or somewhere else, but we’ll do it again!
Home Itinerary trekking on Mont Blanc Fact sheet for camping and trekking on Mont Blanc FAQ Differences between a donkey, a mule and a horse Riddles Your contactable muleteer! Books of trails Slideshow Video of your Trekking on Mont Blanc Conditions of sale TOUR DU MONT BLANC CAMPING LOW COST €325 Tour of the Mont Blanc camping €345 (with a traditional supper in farm of high mountain pasture) Classic tour of Mont Blanc €495 Mont Blanc panoramas €720 Lake Annecy panoramas €620 Weekend outings (Lake Annecy - Chamonix Mont Blanc) Trekking and Other Holidays in Morocco €320  Copyright Les textes, images et vidéo de ce site sont protégés par le code de la propriété intellectuelle auprès de l' I.N.P.I. et de la S.C.A.M. |
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