Day Eight of the Tour du Mont Blanc

A Summer Hike Back into France over the Col de Balme

Aug 12, 2009

This stage rises up and over the Col de Balme from Switzerland into France and brings Mont Blanc itself back into view for the first time since Italy.

The traditional Tour du Mont Blanc route from Col de la Forclaz rises 6 km (3.7 miles) up to the Col de Balme and then higher yet to the Aiguillette des Posettes before dropping down to Tre-le-Champ. The day’s total elevation gain is 1069 m (3528 ft) and loss is 1178 m (3887 ft), according to Kev Reynolds’ Tour of Mont Blanc (Cicerone).

This stage is considerably harder than Day Seven for those who took the Bovine route from Champex to Col de la Forclaz and nearly as taxing as the Fenetre d'Arpette alternative.

Crossing from Switzerland into France on the Tour du Mont Blanc

From Col de la Forclaz the TMB drops into the village of Le Peuty and then rises steadily 863 m (2848 ft) to Col de Balme and the border between France and Switzerland. The Refuge du Col de Balme has 26 overnight places and offers refreshments to weary hikers who arrive at the top.

But there’s more ahead, a drop to the Col des Posettes and then a last climb 202 m (673 ft.) to a cairn at the summit of Aiguillette des Posettes. From this eyrie, the Vallee de L’Arve opens out below and the needles of the Mont Blanc aiguilles lie straight ahead.

From Aiguillette des Posettes it’s downhill about 3.5 km (2.2 miles) to Tre-le-Champ, where the Auberge la Boerne has 38 dormitory spaces. It’s worth calling ahead from Col de la Forclaz to make sure of a spot. If this inn is full, it’s only a short hike to Les Frasserands and the gite Le Moulin, with another 38 dormitory spaces, or even Argentiere, which has several hotels.

In bad weather, an alternate TMB trail leads down and to the right from the Col de Balme, leading to Tre-le-Champ at a lower, more sheltered altitude.

Yet another alternative is to take a longer hike up to Refuge Les Grands that then winds back and rejoins the main route at Col de Balme. At 18 km (11.1 miles) this variant is 5 km (3 miles) longer than the 13 km (8 mile) main route, but it is less traveled and provides spectacular scenery both east and west as it winds through alpine meadows. Because this choice does not descend into Le Peuty, the day ends at Tre-le-Champ with slightly less altitude gain and loss.

The Mont Blanc Express Provides a Bail-Out Option

From Les Frasserands weary hikers can catch one of the many trains that ply up and down the L’Arve Valley between St.-Gervais-Le-Fayet and Argentiere. The Mont Blanc Express runs between Martingny in Switzerland to Chamonix and stops at several points along the way.

For those continuing, Day Nine is one of the most challenging, including the famous passage delicat, a web of ladders that lead up a rocky mountainside. However, an alternative avoids the ladders for those with a fear of heights.

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