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Day Six of the Tour du Mont Blanc

Gentle Hike through Swiss Villages Ends with a Steep Climb

Aug 10, 2009 Lyda Phillips

Day Six of the Tour du Mont Blanc is a stroll through gorgeous Swiss countryside with a climb at the end up to Champex Lac, a beautiful spot for a rest day.

The Tour du Mont Blanc from La Fouly to Champex winds for 15 km (9 miles) along hillsides and through Swiss valleys and towns with only moderate elevation gains (420 m/1387 ft) and losses (565 m/1864 ft), according to Kev Reynolds’ Tour of Mont Blanc (Cicerone). This comes as a relief after the exertion of Day Five.

Hike from La Fouly to Issert Through Idyllic Swiss Villages

The first part of the TMB from La Fouly to Champex follows a rushing river, then hugs the east side of a ridge. After about 8 km (5 miles) the trail descends into a valley and follows a country road through several idyllic Swiss towns to the main road at Issert.

While lacking the jaw-dropping views of the past days, this stage of the TMB has its own, quieter charm. The meadows are filled with wildflowers, the pastures echo with cowbells, and the villages are tidy and quiet.

Issert is a good spot to stop for lunch before tackling the 411 m (1356 ft) climb up to Champex, a beautiful resort town surrounding an alpine lake and looking out on the snowy peaks of the Grand Combin to the east.

The entire walk takes about 4.5 hours, according to Reynolds.

Lovely Champex Is a Good Choice for a Zero Day

Champex offers a break from hiking with swimming, paddle boats, chair lifts up the mountains, and a number of watering holes for watching soccer.

Champex is in the French-speaking Canton of Valais, which produces some of the best wine in Switzerland. Most restaurant menus consist of locally produced traditional fare, such as fondue, rosti (fried potatoes with cheese and meat), charbonnade (thin slices of beef are cooked at the table over hot coals), or fresh lake trout. The ubiquitous pizza, pasta and steak are also available for less adventurous eaters.

The hotels are numerous and varied. For example, Au Club Alpine is a modest hiker hotel perfectly situated on the lake with a terrace café. The Hotel Splendide is a more upscale hotel perched on the eastern side of the mountains surrounding Champex, with glorious views. The Hotel du Glaciers is a popular three-star hotel on the main street, but it is often filled with TMB tour groups.

Day Seven of the Tour du Mont Blanc is another day of choices: high or low, hard or less hard. Sitting on the lakeside terraces of Champex is a good place to mull that decision over a glass of local wine.

The copyright of the article Day Six of the Tour du Mont Blanc in W Europe Travel is owned by Lyda Phillips. Permission to republish Day Six of the Tour du Mont Blanc in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.