Day 1 | Chamonix

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Transfer from Geneva Airport to Chamonix. Depending on your time of arrival you'll have time to walk around the vibrant village of Chamonix, make last-minute gear shopping, or just relax at our chosen hotel in Chamonix. In the evening we will have a group safety briefing. Dinner tonight is not included.

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• Accommodation: Hotel Alpina, Mercure, or a similar 4* hotel. Twin or double rooms

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Day 2 | Les Houches – Les Contamines

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Today is the official start of our epic journey. We leave Chamonix towards Les Houches by bus. Once in Les Houches, we climb up heading to Bellevue where we can already admire the beautiful views of the valley. We continue toward the Tricot pass on a path that offers constant and beautiful views of the Bionassay Glacier. Once at the pass, we descend towards the quaint Miage valley on one of the prettiest corners of the Tour du Mont Blanc. We continue toward our overnight destination close to the village of Les Contamines.

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• The route: 11.2 mi / 18km  - High gain/loss +5020ft/1530m | -4790ft/1460m approx

• Highest point at 2110 m / 6922 ft

• Approximate time 4 - 6 hours​

• Accommodation: Refuge Nant Borrant (mountain hut) in shared dorms or Hotel Gai Soleil in rooms of 3 or 4 people. 

 

Day 3 | Les Contamines– Refuge de Mottets/Les Chapieux

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Easy riverside trails take us to the church of Notre Dame de la Gorge. After the church, we have a long and steep ascent leading to Col du Bonhomme. Depending on weather conditions the pass might show snow patches. A little bit higher we reach the second col of the day the Croix de Bonhomme at 2440 meters of altitude, where we will enjoy amazing views of the valleys on both sides. A nice and runnable trail takes us downhill to Les Chapieux, from here we will have a mix of a flat trail to a steady easy uphill towards Refuge Les Mottets at 1864 meters, which will be our hut for the night.

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• The route: 15mi / 24km  - High gain/loss +5413ft/1650m | -3083ft/940m approx.

• Highest point at 2440 m / 8000 ft

• Approximate time 6 - 7 hours

• Accommodation: Refuge Les Mottets or Auberge La Nova (mountain huts), in shared dorms​

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Day 4 | Refuge de Mottets – Courmayeur

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The day starts with a steep trail, but the views will be our boost to continue and finally cross the border into Italy at Col de la Seigne. Once on the col (or shoulder), you will admire the views of the French and the Italian valleys. On the Italian side, we will have a long descent into Val Veny. If we are lucky, the valley will be covered in yellow flowers with sparking glaciers descending off Mont Blanc. A long flat path will take us to the start of the steep trail towards the ridge on Mont Favre. The views are amazing at the ridge and the trail will give you an incredible sense of gratitude and freedom. We'll run towards Col Checrouit and then a final steep descent to Courmayeur (here you can choose if you decide to take the cable car or continue the descent by foot). To give you the freedom to explore Courmayeur on your own terms, dinner is not included tonight. 

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• The route: 15.5mi / 25km  - High gain/loss +4166ft/1270m | -6233ft/1900m approx 

• Alternative route: 13.6mi / 22km  - High gain/loss +4166ft/1270m | -3700ft/1130m approx (taking the cable car)

• Highest point at 2500 m / 8200 ft

• Approximate time 7 - 8 hours

• Accommodation: Hotel Crest et Duc, IH Courmayuer Hotel, or a similar 4* hotel. Twin or double rooms

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Day 5 | Courmayeur – La Fouly

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We start the day with a vertical climb towards Rifugio Bertone. After a quick Italian coffee, we follow an almost flat, beautiful, easy but high trail towards Rifugio Bonatti. The trail offers impressive views of Montt Blanc that you'll stay in your memory forever. We start the descent to Arnouva and then towards the beautiful Rifugio Elena, where we can enjoy a coffee or a drink.  We continue our way towards the high Gran Col Ferret. Once at the col you'll contemplate the spectacular views of the Swiss and the Italian valleys. A beautiful descent on a single trail will take us to our accommodation for the night at the end of Val Ferret. If you feel, you'll like to reduce the distance and elevation this day there is a couple of options by taking public transportation. 

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• The route: 18mi / 29km  - High gain/loss +6430ft/1960m | -5734ft/1748m approx.

• Alternative route: 8.7mi / 14km  - High gain/loss +2296ft/700m | -3280ft/1000m approx. (using public transport)

• Highest point at 2537 m / 8323 ft

• Approximate time 7 - 8 hours

• Accommodation: Hotel Edelweiss, Hotel Col du Fenetre, or similar. In shared dorms

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Day 6 | La Fouly – Col de Forclaz or Trient

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We start the day with an easy descent to the ancient village of Praz de Fort. We will get some water from the local fountains and continue our path to the start of the ascent towards Champex Lac. Leaving Champex Lac behind we head up through the forests on an easy-open path until Plan de l’Au where we start a steep ascent traversing around the mountain to La Giete. Once at the highest point, we run downhill towards Col de la Forclaz and continue our descent to the last Swiss village and its iconic pink church in Trient.

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• The route: 19mi / 31km  - High gain/loss +4855ft/1480m | -5577ft/1700m approx.

• Alternative route: 10.5 mi / 17km  - High gain/loss +3477ft/1060m | -4265ft/1300m approx. (using public transport)

• Highest point at 1470 meters

• Approximate time 7 - 8 hours​​

• Accommodation: Auberge Mont Blanc, Le Grande Ourse. In shared dorms

 

Day 7 | Trient - Chamonix

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We have a couple of uphills and downhills more until our final destination. On the way, we will have fantastic views of the Mont Blanc, the Aiguilles Rouges mountains and the Chamonix valley. We traverse the mountain before we start our last descent towards La Flegere and Chamonix.

 

We will celebrate this epic journey with a final dinner together. 

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• The route: 17mi / 28km  - High gain/loss +5741ft/1750m | -6430ft/1960m approx.

• Alternative route: 12.4 mi / 20km  - High gain/loss +5741ft/1750m | -3805ft/1160m approx. (using cable car)

• Highest point at 2065 meters

• Approximate time 7 - 8 hours

• Accommodation: Hotel Alpina, Mercure, or a similar 4* hotel. Twin or double rooms

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Day 8 | Chamonix

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A note about fitness: This adventure involves physical activity for around 7 hours per day. To participate comfortably in the tour, you will require a certain level of fitness. To make a self-assessment of whether or not this is for you, you should consider yourself to be in good shape, be accustomed to running/hiking, and be able to do it comfortably for at least 3 hours a day. Please consult a doctor if you feel that this might be a challenge before booking.

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The entire tour is done in English.

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*We reserve the right to change the itinerary without previous notice due to weather conditions, National Parks regulations or notifications and unforeseeable circumstances. 

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This tour is governed by the Terms and Conditions