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Mont Blanc Walks

50 day walks and 4 multi-day treks

ISBN

9781852848194

Availability

Published

14 Jan 2016

Reprinted

20 Aug 2024

Edition

Third

Pages

288

Size

17.20 x 11.60 x 1.50cm

Weight

310g

Delivery & Returns

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Guidebook to 50 day walks in the Mont Blanc region near Chamonix and Courmayeur, plus outlines of 4 multi-day treks around both sides of the Mont Blanc massif. The walks range from 3 to 20km and cover a variety of terrains from easy valley walks to more challenging routes over boulders, scree and on via ferratas.

Seasons

Unsurprisingly, summer is the usual season for walking in the mountains, as its when they tend to benefit from more stable weather conditions: it's also when the huts are open and the lifts are working. So to have maximum choice of walks that's the time to come. This season extends from late June to mid-September and is busiest between 14 July (Bastille Day in France) to 15 August (Assumption). Earlier, in June the weather is often hot and sunny and the days are long, but snow often remains above 2000m or lower, and can seriously interrupt a high level walk, and facilities may be closed, as is also the case in September and October: the chance of snow is far less in autumn, too.

Centres

Chamonix; Courmayeur; Ferret; Les Houches; Plaine Joux; Servoz; Vallorcine

Difficulty

Walks are presented as one of three grades: • Grade 1 walks are of a standard that any reasonably fit person can manage, not involving more than about 500m of ascent and/or descent. Paths are good and usually waymarked. Grade 1 walks do not call for more than basic map-reading skills. • Grade 2 walks are usually quite long and involve up to about 1000m ascent and/or descent. Terrain can be rough but paths which are quite good and waymarked. • Grade 3 routes are long, often with no trail or where the path is difficult to find; there could be some scrambling, and there is considerable height gain and loss. These walks should only be undertaken by experienced walkers who have already hiked in the Alps.

Must See

54 alpine walks centred around Chamonix, the 'capital of mountaineering' Sublime high-altitude landscapes: glaciers, flower-decked slopes and rocky trails Gastronoic specialities including cheese, chocolate and ice cream Chamonix alpine museum, cable cars and mountain railways for the bad weather days All routes feature a detailed route description and mapping and are illustrated with spectacular photography

ISBN

9781852848194

Availability

Published

14 Jan 2016

Reprinted

20 Aug 2024

Edition

Third

Pages

288

Size

17.20 x 11.60 x 1.50cm

Weight

310g

Delivery & Returns

Overview

A guidebook to 50 day walks in the Mont Blanc region near Chamonix and Courmayeur, plus outlines of 4 multi-day treks around both sides of the Mont Blanc massif.

The day walks are 2–13 miles (3–20km) in length and range from high-level walks to easy summits, mountain huts, viewpoints and mountain lakes, as well as less strenuous valley walks. The multi-day treks range from 14–33 miles (22–52km) and include Vallorcine to Plaine Joux and Servoz, the Aiguilles Rouges and the Italian Val Ferret.

1:100,000 sketch maps (1:200,000 scale for treks) included
Bases include Les Houches, Chamonix, Argentiere and Courmayeur
Information on access, accommodation and recommended mapping
Walks are graded (1-3) according to difficulty
Valley walks included for bad weather or rest days

Table of Contents

CONTENTS

Map Key

Mont Blanc area map

Introduction

The Region

How it all Started

Glaciers

Via Ferratas

Animals and Birds

Flowers and Trees

Transhumance and Alpages

When to Go

Getting There

Alpine Accommodation

Language

Currency

Maps

Safety

Security and Rescue

Guided Walking

Walking with Dogs

Mountain Biking

Trail Running

Things not to be Missed

How to Use this Guide

Chapter 1 – St Gervais Les Bains and Les Contamines-Montjoie

1 Mont Truc

2 Mont Joly

3 Lac d’Armancette

4 Col de la Fenêtre

5 Tête Nord des Fours

6 Lacs and Monts Jovet

Chapter 2 – Servoz and the Plateau d’Assy

7 Lac Vert

8 Pointe Noire de Pormenaz

9 The Dérochoir and the Désert de Platé

Chapter 3 – Les Houches

10 Le Prarion

11 Mont Vorassay

12 Aiguillette des Houches

Chapter 4 – Chamonix

13 Chamonix Valley Walk

14 La Chapeau and Tête des Prapators

15 Montenvers

16 Montagne de Blaitière

17 Chalet de Cerro

18 Montagne de la Côte

19 Refuge de Bel Lachat and Le Brévent

20 Grand Balcon Sud – La Flégère to Planpraz

21 Lac Blanc

22 Tête de Villy

23 Col de Salenton

24 Lac Cornu and Lacs Noirs

Chapter 5 – Argentière

25 Argentière Valley Walk

26 Pierre à Bosson

27 Tête du Grand Chantet

28 Aiguillette d’Argentière – Les Chéserys

29 Argentière Glacier Pointe de Vue

30 Aiguillette des Posettes

31 Refuge Albert Premier

32 Croix de Fer

Chapter 6 – Vallorcine

33 Vallorcine Valley Walk

34 Pointe de la Terrasse and Tré-les-Eaux Valley

35 Cheval Blanc

36 Dinosaur Tracks

37 Bel Oiseau

38 Col de Barberine and Fontanabran

39 Refuge de la Pierre à Bérard

40 Mont Buet by the Normal Route

41 Refuge de Loriaz

42 Emosson from Loriaz

43 Mont Buet by the north ridge

Chapter 7 – Courmayeur

44 Punta della Croce

45 Mont Fortin

46 Mont Chétif

47 Col and Lac Liconi

48 Mont de la Saxe

49 Tête Entre Deux Sauts

50 Tête de Ferret

Chapter 8 – Multi-day Treks

51 Vallorcine to Plaine Joux

52 Tour of the Aiguilles Rouges

53 Vallorcine to Servoz

54 Italian Val Ferret Circuit

Appendix A Mont Blanc Region Tourist Offices

Appendix B Useful Terms and Glossary

Appendix C Transport in the Chamonix and Courmayeur Valleys

Appendix D Rainy Day/Rest Day Activities

Appendix E Hut Etiquette

Appendix F Climbing Peaks and Hiring Guides

Updates

June 2019

Updates

WALK 17 CHALET DE CERRO

The Chalet de Cerro is, like many in this area, a café or crémerie on a site where there has been a shelter and viewing point since tourists started showing an interest in the glaciers. When the Bossons glacier was much deeper it was very popular to hire a guide for a crossing. And even without setting foot on the glaciers, back in the late 19th and early 20th century the views from either side of the glacier weere quite stunning.
Things have changed over the last century and the retreat of the glaciers has been especially marked these last decades. To the extent that the glacier views are very different now.
The hike up to the Chalet de Cerro remains a pleasant outing, but you need to go onwards 30-45 minutes to get any glaical views. And even then, the view is of the edge of the glacier in profile but nothing more. This is no longer the place to study glaciology, but it will bring home the fact that the climate is changing and this change is having a huge effect on our mountains.

Route
The route to the chalet is correctly described. Once at the chalet follow a well-marked trail from tbhe terrace. This goes up the moraine, past several viewpoints. Eventually it is clear you can not safely go any further.
My description of views on P124 is no longer correct. But it should be pointed out it's still a good walk.

WALK 18 MONTAGNE DE LA COTE

The views from the Chalet du Glacier des Bossons and the Chalet des Pyramides are also compromised by the retreat of the glacier. Again, still worth going but just in the last few years the glacier has lost a massive amount of ice and is a shadow of its former self. However, the Montagne de la Côte is a great walk, especially with the added historical interest described in the book.

By Hilary Sharp

Hilary Sharp is British, a qualified Accompagnatrice en Montagne (International Mountain Leader), and is based permanently in France. After 23 years living in the Alps she now lives in northern Provence, within easy driving distance of the southern French Alps. She runs her own trekking business, Trekking in the Alps and Provence, guiding walks in winter, spring and summer (hilaryalp@gmail.com; www.trekkinginthealps.com; www.trekkinginprovence.com). Her love of walking and climbing has taken her to many parts of Europe and further afield. Hilary occasionally contributes to British walking magazines and is author of Trekking and Climbing in the Western Alps (New Holland, 2002).

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