Tour du Mont Blanc

The trip is broken down into 6 days running with a day either side to relax in Chamonix at the beginning and end. The route takes you from Chamonix, France through Italy and Switzerland and back into France.

ITINERARY IN DETAIL
Arrival Day

Check in from 4pm but you can use the hotel facilities from any point during the arrival day. Group welcome at 6.00pm at the hotel, followed by dinner in Chamonix at 7.00pm.

Day 1: Chamonix to Les Contamines

We start in Chamonix and head down the valley to Les Houches before making our way up over to Les Contamines. Our first night is spent here before we carry on to the steep climb over the Croix du Bonhomme.

Day 2: Les Contamines to Les Chapieux

The views from the Croix back down the valley and towards Geneva are incredible. From there we head down to spend our second night at Les Chapieux, a remote hamlet and our last stop before heading over into Italy.

Day 3: Les Chapieux to Courmayeur (Italy)

The next morning as the sun rises from behind the Aiguilles des Glaciers you will climb up to the Col de La Seigne. From here the route stretches into the horizon along the valley leading to the mountain pass 25 miles away which marks the border with Switzerland, a point where you will be standing the next day. We sweep down into Italy, staggering views of couloirs and rock buttresses towering on the left, leading up to Monte Bianco. The path undulates on nice smooth trails before a last climb, and then a steep descent into Courmayeur. At around halfway of the total route we will be staying here for pizza and a warm bed!

Day 4: Courmayeur to La Fouly (Switzerland)

Leaving Courmayeur early the next day following a steep ascent out of the valley you may see the sun rise over clouds carpeting the valleys far below. After a couple of hours running there will be time to stop for a refreshment at the Rifugio Bonatti hut, dedicated to the legendary Italian climber. Indeed, you will be passing some of his ground breaking first ascents as you run the route. From there we approach the fearsome Grand Col Ferret marking the Swiss border at 2537m. The trails down from the col are perfect. You will hear the cowbells from the lush green valley below, as you descend through the stunning scented mountain meadows into the little village of Le Fouly, our next stop, the first of two in Switzerland.

Day 5: La Fouly to Trient

The trail passes through forests running alongside the river and through tiny Swiss villages and fields of hay and wild flowers before heading up to Champex-Lac. Champex is a paradise in the mountains and sits at the juncture to another famous hiking route and potential running adventure – the Walker’s Haute Route. Three more high points stand between us and Chamonix, and around another 25 miles. The view from the next climb is hard to take in, since you can see all the way down to Martigny, 1500m below. Its broad flat valley leads to Zermatt and beyond. The path descends from here through some rocky and tree root covered trails to the Col de la Forclaz and then steeply down to Trient and its beautiful pink church and backdrop of dramatic glaciers, where we spend our last night on the trail.

Day 6: Trient to Chamonix (France)

Our last day, today we will complete our journey and return to Chamonix. A steep climb up from Trient provides one of the most impressive views on the whole route of the Mt Blanc Massif which dominates the horizon, its glacier pouring over into the Chamonix valley below and the end of our adventure. We trot down through the mountain trails into Chamonix to celebrate. It’s an amazing achievement, 104 miles / 168km and 9,000m ascent crossing over 3 countries.

Departure Day

Time to relax and explore Chamonix, maybe take a trip up the Aiguille du Midi, or just chill by the pool. If you wish to stay longer ask us for the hotel rate.

Overnight accommodation for the first and last nights in a 4* spa hotel, including breakfast (based on sharing a twin room)
Evening meal on the first night in Chamonix
Half board accommodation, except for the evening meal in Courmayeur and last night in Chamonix (based on sharing a twin room or small dormitory)
Packed lunch everyday running
Bag transport to each day’s destination
Qualified trail running guide, with you every step of the way
Technical instruction
Pre-trip training plan
Trees not Tees Certificate
Medal
Champagne at the finish
104 miles / 168km of some of the best scenery in Europe

Start from Chamonix, France and run through Italy and Switzerland. You will be running for 6 days, with a day either side for travelling and exploring Chamonix

Transport to/from Chamonix via Geneva can be booked with one of the many minibus operators, such as Chamexpress, Mountain Drop-Offs, Alpybus or Swiss Tours. The journey takes around 1.25hrs and needs to be booked before travelling.

The first and last nights are in the central 4* spa hotel Le Refuge des Aiglons (or similar alternative) including breakfast each morning, based on sharing a twin room. You can request a single room (supplement applicable). Amenities include the spa with heated outdoor pool, hot tub, steam room and sauna. The hotel also has an outdoor space to relax in, with views of Mont Blanc.

The evening meal on the first evening is included in your booking and is a great chance to meet the team and your guide. For the 6 stages there will be a mixture of village hotels and auberges with twin and triple/small dormitory rooms. We pick the best available on the route and include breakfast and evening meals (except for Courmayeur) as well as packed lunch each day you are running.

We average around 18 miles / 29km, plus 1,500m height change for each of the 6 days we are running. You’ll need to be prepared to be out on the trails for most of the day. We walk the uphills so there is time to soak up the scenery and pace ourselves for the duration of the trip. If it’s your first time to the Alps, you might be surprised by how much hiking can be involved, almost 50% of the route, but it is inevitable in such steep environments. It’s important to train before you arrive, particularly with multi-day hikes and runs. We recommend you have run a marathon distance in 4.5 hours or less and have some experience on alpine trails. Runners are grouped by ability to maximise your enjoyment. A free training plan is provided for you to follow in the lead up to the trip.

This adventure can also be easily booked for a private group, see our bespoke options.

Travel
Drinks
Snacks to sustain you on route
Evening meal in Courmayeur and last night in Chamonix
Personal insurance (required)

UK MANDATORY KIT LIST

CLOTHES:

Wicking top and shorts / leggings
Socks (eg: Bridgedale)
Trail running shoes (sufficient tread)
ACCESSORIES:

Fully Charged Mobile Phone including the number of your Run Leader and Event Director (charge before use and make sure it’s in a waterproof case or bag)
Whistle (normally found attached to your bag)
Personal first aid kit (eg: blister packs, sunscreen, inhaler etc)
Water bottles or bladder (if distance or weather requires it)
Snacks (if distance requires it)
Lightweight, comfortable running pack, max 12 litres (if distance requires it)
WEATHER DEPENDENT ITEMS:

Lightweight waterproof jacket
Sun hat / cap
Warm hat and gloves
Waterproof bags / dry bags
Please note: we will not be checking your kit on the day, unless there is adverse weather conditions. We highly recommend you bring these items for your safety.

EUROPE MANDATORY KIT LIST

CLOTHES:

Lightweight waterproof jacket (preferably Goretex / Pertex – must have taped seams, a hood and sleeves)
Lightweight waterproof trousers or leggings (optional for Intro to the Alps and Running & Yoga trip)
Wicking top and shorts / leggings
Sun hat / cap
Warm hat and gloves
Additional warm layer / thermal top (for when we stop or it gets cold)
Socks (eg: Bridgedale)
Trail running shoes (sufficient tread)
ACCESSORIES:

Fully Charged Mobile Phone including the number of your Run Leader and Event Director (charge before use and make sure it’s in a waterproof case or bag)
Lightweight, comfortable running pack (5-12 litres ideal for our weekend trips, 11-15 litres for longer trips)
Water Bottles / Bladder with minimum of 1 litre capacity in total
Sunglasses (the sun is very strong in the Alps)
Snacks to sustain you for the planned route (eg: TRIBE bars, trail mix, chocolate)
Salt Tablets / Electrolytes (e.g. Nuuns, especially in hot weather)
Emergency cash
Waterproof bags / dry bags to keep stuff dry
Headtorch (only on multiday trips eg: TMB for use in accommodation)
Whistle (normally found attached to your bag)
Personal first aid kit (eg: blister packs, sunscreen, asthma inhaler etc)
Foil blanket
We will be checking your kit for our European adventures.

POLES

Although not mandatory, we highly recommend trail running poles for our European adventures, especially if you are taking part in the TMB or similarly longer trips. They have been proven to help! We recommend Leki’s lightweight trail running poles due to their comfort, durability and design. We demonstrate how to use poles correctly on all of our trips in the Alps. If you would like a demonstration in the UK, just bring them along to the event and ask your guide.

RUNNING WATCH

This item is optional but extremely helpful for training also great for motivation for completing your trip, particularly in the Alps. We recommend the watches by COROS due to their incredible battery life and accuracy. If you would like to know more, just ask our guides to demonstrate on how to use COROS running watches during one of our events.