A single spectacular day on Europe's most famous long-distance trail — from Chamonix over the Col de Balme with views of Mont Blanc, Western Europe's highest peak.

Arrêts de ce circuit (12)

1. 1
   Le Tour Village This day section of the Tour du Mont Blanc begins in the village of Le Tour at the head of the Chamonix Valley. The full TMB circles Mont Blanc through three countries in 11 days — today's route crosses from France into Switzerland over the Col de Balme. No permits required. Mountain huts offer water and meals but carry emergency supplies.
2. 2
   Charamillon Gondola Station The gondola saves 500 metres of climbing — a pragmatic shortcut that many TMB trekkers take. Below, the Chamonix Valley stretches south toward the Aiguille du Midi and the massif of Mont Blanc. The glaciers are visibly smaller than photographs from even twenty years ago.
3. 3
   Alpine Meadow Traverse Above the tree line, the trail crosses alpine meadows thick with wildflowers in summer — gentian, edelweiss, and alpine anemone. Marmots whistle from their burrows. The path is well-marked with red and white paint blazes — the standard GR trail marking system.
4. 4
   Aiguillette des Posettes A side peak offering a panoramic view of the entire Mont Blanc massif. The summit at 2,201 metres provides views of the Glacier du Tour — a river of ice descending from the Aiguille du Tour. On clear days, visibility extends into the Italian and Swiss Alps.
5. 5
   Col de Balme Ascent The trail steepens toward the Col de Balme — the pass that marks the border between France and Switzerland. The terrain transitions from alpine meadow to rocky moraine as elevation increases. Snow patches linger into July.
6. 6
   Col de Balme At 2,191 metres, the Col de Balme is a natural balcony above two countries. To the south, Mont Blanc rises to 4,808 metres — Western Europe's highest peak, armoured in glaciers. To the north, the Swiss Vallée du Trient descends toward the Rhone Valley.
7. 7
   Refuge du Col de Balme The mountain hut sits at the pass — a welcome stop for hot soup and local cheese. Mountain refuges on the TMB are part of the experience, operated by guardian families who maintain the alpine hospitality tradition. The terrace view is extraordinary.
8. 8
   Swiss Descent — Herbagères The descent into Switzerland passes through the hamlet of Herbagères — stone-built chalets with cattle grazing on steep slopes. The landscape shifts noticeably; Swiss alpine meadows are meticulously maintained by generations of farming tradition.
9. 9
   Les Grands Viewpoint Looking back toward the Col de Balme, the scale of Mont Blanc dominates the southern horizon. The Glacier du Trient is visible to the southeast — another ice river in retreat. The valley narrows as the trail drops through pine forest.
10. 10
    Trient Village The trail reaches the Swiss village of Trient — a TMB staging post with gites and restaurants. The church bell marks the hours as it has for centuries. From here, the TMB continues toward Champex-Lac and eventually Italy, but today's magnificent traverse is complete.
11. 11
    Bisse du Trient Viewpoint A short walk from Trient leads to the historic bisse — an irrigation channel carved into the mountainside centuries ago. The engineering is elegant: water from high glacial streams directed along contour lines to sustain farming in the valley below.
12. 12
    Trient Station Return The Swiss postal bus or train returns you to Chamonix through the Vallorcine valley. The journey passes through the Mont Blanc tunnel border zone — one of the great engineering achievements of the 20th century, driven straight through the mountain.

Le contenu des circuits est fourni à titre de divertissement et d’information générale uniquement. Vérifiez les détails pratiques de manière indépendante. Ne remplace pas les conseils officiels.