dossier

Tour de Mont Blanc

Travel Information
Season: MidJune to mid September (fixed starting dates, in 2008 starting every on selected Saturdays and Sundays from June 14 to August 24). This hotel trek tends to fill up so bookearly!

Joining point: Either at the Swiss (not French) arrivals area ofGeneva airport shortly after scheduled arrival time of the Swissair flightsused by UK-based fights-included customers – this is normally late morning onDay 1 – see below) or at the first hotel in Les Houches.

First hotel: Auberge du Beau Site at Les Houches in the Chamonix valley.

Nearest airport: Geneva. Coach transfers to and from Geneva take approx 1.5hours each way and are not included in the tour. This coach transfer connectswith the arrival and departure of our groups from London. This coach transferis available at a charge of $96 roundtrip, or $48 one way.

Public transport between Geneva and Les Houches: Land only clients who making their own way can also takea bus from Geneva airport direct to Les Houches (twice daily, not Sunday pm).The same bus also stops at Geneva bus station in the city centre. There arealso train services on two different routes from Geneva to Chamonix and LesHouches: (a) on Swiss railways from Geneva Airport via Geneva Cornavin (centralstation), changing trains at Martigny and Le Chatelard, from Le Chatelardonwards on French railways; (b) on French Railways (SNCF) from Geneva EauxVives, changing trains at Le Fayet. Although trains stop at Les Houches thestation is some distance from the village and there is no phone or taxi rank atthe station, so if you are arriving by train with baggage it is better totravel to Chamonix and take a taxi from there to your hotel in Les Houches.Train timetables will be available on the Internet, but note that there is achangeover to new summer timetables at the end of May.

End of Tour:The tour ends on day 14 (normally a Friday) at Les Houches. Bus transfers backto Geneva as for outward journey to connect with our group flights, or use publictransport.

If on anescorted tour:

These instructions are essentially the same as forthe self guided tours. The maindifference is that you will be met in the evening at your hotel on the firstnight by the leader on the escorted tours for a trek briefing. The leader will escort you around the routeevery day and normally eat with you in the evenings as well. They will look after your safety, grouporganization, make sure you get into the right hotels, and take care ofnavigation. Hence on the escorted toursyou are not provided with route notes and maps as on the self guided tours.

Level of Difficulty
Grade: Wegrade this tour as moderate to strenuous; anyone used to hill walking/mountainhiking with a daily height gain/loss of 3,300 feet (1000 metres) per day shouldfind the tour within their capability. Some potential customers have asked usabout whether there are any vertigo-inducing localities on the TMB, or if ahead for heights is needed. The answer in short is 'No' – provided you stick tothe basic TMB as described in our route notes and defined on the maps; andavoid the 'variations'. Of course you always need to take care where you putyour feet. (Some of the variations and alternatives pose no problem – we makeit clear in the notes, which in our opinion do require a 'head for heights').Now if you were to ask us about the cable cars….

Day Stages: Averageduration of walking per day is 6 to 7 hours. Some of the walks can be shortenedif desired by the use of cable cars or (in Italy) a local bus service.

Waymarking and routefinding: This is a well-trodden trail and the waymarking andsignposting is mostly good, particularly where the route coincides with the GR5French long distance trail. There are however differences between the styles andthoroughness of waymarking in the 3 countries. These differences are explainedin the route notes. It is advisable to have with you and be familiar with theuse of a small pocket compass as the cloud may occasionally be down on the highpasses. On self guided tours (but not escorted tours) we provide you withdetailed route descriptions (exclusive to Breakaway Adventures) and excellentscales, which show the whole of our TMB route (ie including the Italian andSwiss sectors) and detailed French walkers’ maps (TOP 25 series) at 1:25,000.

Accommodation & Meals
Of the total of 13 nights, 11 nights are spent inhotels of 2* or similar standard (occasionally 3*). Of these 11 nights, 3 are 'half-board' (dinner, bed andbreakfast), the remainder bed and breakfast only. The other 2 nights are insimple auberges more akin to mountain refuges. These two nights are'half-board'. Where dinner is not included there is a choice of places to eatat nearby. Lunches can be provided by most hotels if requested; but there areplaces to shop for picnic lunches in local towns and villages, or to eat enroute in refuges and cafes (although please note that some may not be openfor treks starting in June). These are described in our route notes.

Night 1:The tour starts in the village of Les Houches at a 3-star chalet-style hotelfacing the Mont Blanc range. There are 21 rooms with bath/shower, toliet andtelephone. The hotel has a shaded garden, a solarium-terrace and a games room.Dinner included.

Night 2: Our hotel in Les Contamines is a comfortable2-star hotel with 16 rooms (most rooms are en suite). Les Contamines is a skiresort in winter, and has several restaurants and bars, also a well-stockedsupermarket where you can stock up on ten-packs…B&B only.

Night 3:At the tiny and remote settlement of Les Chapieux, 15 km from the nearestvillage of Bourg St Maurice, we stay at a small but very welcoming auberge with12 rooms with basic comforts. No en suite, but towels are provided.Accommodation in twin / double rooms andevening meal is included. The price and menu are fixed; vegetarians shouldensure that we know of your requirements. Local specialities may includefondue, raclette, potee savoyarde, gratin, crozets de tarentaise etc (but notall at once). Packed lunches are available; there is also a little shop in thehamlet where such items as the local Beaufort cheese can be obtained.

Nights 4 & 5: For your 2 nights in Italy you stay at a modern 2-starhotel at La Palud (1370m), which is situated close to the station for the cablecar to Mont Blanc (Helbronner peak). All rooms have private facilities. Thereis a large terrace, a bar, and a TV lounge. It is a short bus ride to thehistoric town and modern shopping centre of Courmayeur. It is also possible towalk to Courmayeur via La Saxe. B&B only.

Night 6:For our first night in Switzerland in the unspoiled Val Ferret we stay at asmall, unclassified but very comfortable hotel (we would describe it as 2/3*standard) in the well-situated village of La Fouly. Each room has a bath orshower. The hotel has its own tennis court. B&B only.

Nights 7 & 8: Our hotel is in the little resort town of Champex-Lac atthe northeastern end of the Mont Blanc range. We will be using a 3-star hotel (allrooms en suite). Nearby there is a goodchoice of restaurants with specialities such as raclette, lake trout, and localfruit from the Valais. There is a small shop in the town for picnic materialsetc. The first night is half-board and the second one is Bed & Breakfast.

Night 9:For our last night in Switzerland we stay at a simple 'relais' or 'auberge'(inn) at the tiny village of Trient in the Val Trient. Accommodation is fairlybasic tonight, in two-bedded rooms but without private facilities. Evening mealis included. Cheese fondue has been known to appear as the main dish…sometimeswith potatoes rather than bread as the accompaniment. Packed lunches notavailable, but there is a good small grocery shop under the same roof as theinn where picnic materials can be obtained.

Night 10:Back in France we spend one night in the Hotel La Couronne located at the footof the valley's major skiing area in Argentiere. All the rooms are en-suite.B&B only.

Nights 11 & 12: We spend two nights at the famous mountain resort ofChamonix. In the comfortable 3-starhotel Hermitage all the rooms are fully en suite and include satellite TV. Asauna is also available. B&B only.

Night 13: Backat Les Houches at the same hotel as on night 1 and half-board again.

Extra nights
As this tour operates to fixed schedulesit is not practicable to add in extra nights.

Escorted Departures
Sunday July 13 to Saturday July 26, 2008

ITINERARY

Day 1: Fly to Geneva and transfer to Les Houches (see above). Coach/minibus from Geneva to Les Houches.

Day 2: Les Houches to Les Contamines: 19 kms (12mi) / 7 hours. A steady climb from Les Houches (950m) via Col de Voza (1653 m) and below the tip of the Bionassay glacier to the Col de Tricot (2120 m). There is a very steep descent from the col to the Chalets de Miage (1550m) followed by a short climb over Truc before descending through forest to Les Contamines (1170m). A demanding day. Many walkers start by taking the cable car up from Les Houches to Bellevue; this avoids the long slog and makes for a more enjoyable start to the tour.

Day 3: Les Contamines to Les Chapieux, 17.5 kms (11mi) / 7 hours. We ascend to the Col du Bonhomme (2329m) and then traverse to the slightly higher Col de la Croix de Bonhomme (2479m) with the opportunity of a diversion to the Tete Nord des Fours (2757m) before descending to Les Chapieux. Your bags are not carried to this point - you will next see them in Italy. You have to carry your wash bag and a change of clothing for two days (1 night).

Day 4: Les Chapieux to La Palud, 30 kms (19mi) / 9 hours. The walk can be shortened to around 20km (12mi) by using local buses along the Val Veni (Italy) – the bus service does not normally operate before 1 July. After a steady ascent past Ville de Glaciers we cross the Col de la Seigne (2516m) into Italy. The Elisabetta refuge is a popular lunch stop. In summer (not before July 1) there is a local bus service along the Val Veni from Cantine de la Visaille to La Saxe and Courmayeur, but purists can follow the strict TMB route high up on the south side of Val Veni, or follow delightful low-level paths along the Val Veni itself. From La Saxe or Courmayeur you can walk or catch the bus up to La Palud.

Day 5: In La Palud. A chance for a well-deserved rest. On a clear day you may like to take the cable car from La Palud to Pointe Heilbronner (3462m) on the crest of the Mont Blanc massif with views across the Glacier du Geant. Alternatively you can try one of the TMB variations, for instance from Courmayeur over Mont de la Saxe or Col Sapin, returning by bus from La Vachey or Pra Sec along Val Ferret to La Palud. This bus may not run before July 1. [Note: an additional map will be needed if you intend to do any of these TMB variations on the south side of the Italian Val Ferret. The 1:50,000 map 'Pays du Mont Blanc' published by Didier Richard covers this part of the route and shows the TMB. This map is not provided as part of the Breakaway package, but can be obtained from Breakaway or through a specialty travel book & map shop.

Day 6: La Palud to La Fouly. 28 kms (17mi) / 7 hours. The walk can be shortened by taking the bus to La Vachey or Arnuva. We pass close by Mont Dolent, and cross the Grand Col Ferret (2537m) to re-enter Switzerland. A worthwhile diversion can be made in good weather from Grand Col Ferret to the summit of the nearby peak of Tete de Ferret (2714m). From Grand Col Ferret we descend through alpine meadows past the summer pastures and barns of La Peula (refreshments available) and the tiny village of Ferret to our hotel in La Fouly (1595m).

Day 7: La Fouly to Champex. 17 kms (11mi)/4.5 hours. We follow the beautiful Swiss Val Ferret and pass through some pretty villages before leaving the valley to climb through woods to Champex in its picturesque lakeside setting. An easy day – in warm weather there is time to cool off in the open-air swimming pool.

Day 8: Rest day in Champex. A chance to stroll around the lake and visit the botanic gardens (open daily except Sundays and Mondays; small entry fee).

There is an abundance of day walks from Champex, of which one of the most challenging is from La Breya (upper cable car station at 2198m) to the mountain hut at Cabane d'Orny (2811m). Good weather and a head for heights are needed for this walk; we do not provide route notes but routefinding is simple in good weather. Another good walk from Champex-Lac is to follow the Val d'Arpette up towards the Fenetre d'Arpette.

For those who are starting to feel the lack of cultural stimulation it is possible to use the 'rest' day at Champex for an excursion by bus and narrow gauge train to the neighboring town of Martigny, where the renowned Pierre Giannada gallery (www.giannada.ch) puts on some mighty summer exhibitions. In 2000 50 original Van Gochs were on show every day for 5 months, while in 2001 it was the turn of Picasso…See the above website for what is on offer this year.

Day 9: Champex to Trient, 20km (12mi)/5 hours. We ascend through woods to reach the barns of Bovine (1987m; food and drinks usually available) and then descend to the Col de la Forclaz (1,526m; refreshments available including – in season - local tarte aux myrtilles (blueberry pie – recommended!). There is then the option of a walk to the Chalet du Glacier and a bit beyond for fine views of the Trient Glacier before descending to the village of Trient. Basic accommodation in rooms in a simple auberge (inn). There is a strenuous and challenging variation to today's route, over the Fenetre d'Arpette (2665m), but we do not describe or recommend this alternative – we consider that the 'Bovine' route is so scenic that it should not be missed.

Day 10: Trient to Argentiere, 20 kms (12mi)/ 6 hours. We cross into France via the Col de Balme (2191m) revealing the Chamonix Valley below and the Mont Blanc massif. On the way up to the col there is a longer but very scenic and satisfying alternative via Les Grands (head for heights an advantage at one point). The best way on from Col de Balme is via the spectacular but easy Posettes ridge, from the end of which there is a steep descent on good paths through forest to Tre le Champ and our hotel at Argentiere. For those who want a more leisurely day, a shorter (and still scenic) descent from Col de Balme to Argentiere is possible via Le Tour.

Day 11: Argentiere to Chamonix, 12 kms (7 mi)/5 hours. We climb via Tre le Champ (1417m) and Les Cheserys, and make a detour to the scenic Lac Blanc (2352m) before rejoining the Grand Balcon route, which looks across the Chamonix valley towards Mont Blanc. From La Flegere (1877) you can either descend to the valley at Les Praz de Chamonix on foot or by cable car. From Les Praz, you would make your way to the hotel either by bus or by walking through the pleasant environs; or continue along the Grand Balcon for another 2 hours to Plan Praz, from where there is another cable car (or rather gondola – an enclosed chair lift) and another footpath down to Chamonix. It is necessary to check the timetables and keep an eye on the time so as not to miss the last gondola down.

Day 12: In Chamonix. A chance to take the cable car up to the Aiguille du Midi (3842m/cost: 180Frs/pp/return but it's really worth it); or a train ride to Montenvers and the Mer de Glace glacier; or explore Chamonix and its surroundings. For those who might prefer something totally different from walking Chamonix boasts an Olympic standard pool and aquatic fun centre, a summer luge course, opportunities for that first paragliding flight (check your insurance), golf etc. There is also the very interesting Alpine Museumand new art gallery.

Day 13: Chamonix to Les Houches. 14 kms (8mi) / 6 hours. We rejoin the trail either at La Flegere, using the cable car from Les Praz de Chamonix, and continue along the Grand Balcon to Plan Praz or at Plan Praz via the Brevent cable car from Chamonix. From Plan Praz we ascend to Col de Brevent and on up to the peak of Le Brevent (2525m), one of the highest points of the tour. This day offers some of the finest views of the route. From Brevent we descend to Les Houches (1010m) and make our way to the hotel where we spend the last two nights. In case of bad weather or low cloud there are good low/medium level walks leading to Les Houches along the flanks of the Chamonix valley such as the 'Petit Balcon' and the 'Rive d'Arve'. These named walks are well marked and signposted.

Day 14. Departure from Les Houches. Coach to Geneva airport after breakfast.

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