The route
The Tour du Mont Blanc long-distance hiking trail is signposted and winds 170 kilometres around the Mont Blanc massif, passing through Switzerland, Italy and France. Once a year, the UTMB, an ultra trail marathon for runners, also takes place on this route. Despite the high number of hikers, mountain bikers are also allowed to ride the route. However, not in the main season from June to August. A large part of the tour leads through alpine terrain, beyond the tree line. Alpine experience, a mature riding technique and the stamina for longer carrying passages are essential.
Overnight stay
As a bikepacker, you are relatively flexible when it comes to sleeping and stage lengths. However, you also have to carry extra luggage for the night and additional food in high alpine terrain. Emergency bivouacking is generally permitted in the Alps, but not with a tent and only from sunset to dawn. Overnight stays in huts make the whole thing a few kilos easier. However, most of the huts along the route close in mid-September. The time window is therefore relatively short at just under two weeks. However, there are also some self-catering/sheltered huts.
If you still want to save on overnight luggage, you can plan the stages so that you reach a valley town in the evening. If the pandemic allows, the guesthouses and hotels (e.g. in Chamonix and Courmayeur) should be open again this autumn. But be careful: three countries, three different corona guidelines!
You can download the complete travel report "Around Mont Blanc" with stages from BIKE 7/2021 as a PDF in the download area below.
The Revier-Report costs 1.99 euros. Inside you will find the BIKE web code, which will take you to the download of the free GPS data for these tours.
- Stage 1: La Breya - alternative start (27.2 km I 1660 m elevation gain I 1860 m elevation gain | push/carry 520 m elevation gain I trail fun factor 4 out of 5 points)
- Stage 2: Grand Col Ferret - Flow with key technical sections (28.3 km I 1760 m elevation gain I 840 tm | push/carry 585 m elevation gain I trail fun factor 4 out of 5 points)
- Stage 3: Variant via Tête de la Tronche (32.3 km I 1690 m elevation gain I 1380 tm | push/carry 650 m elevation gain I trail fun factor 5 out of 5 points)
- Stage 4: Col de la Seigne and Col du Bonhomme (16.4 km I 1010 m elevation gain I 1050 tm | push/carry 700 m elevation gain I trail fun factor 3 out of 5 points)
- Stage 5: Col de la Fenêtre - From level S4 to S1, everything is included (36.3 km I 1510 m elevation gain I 2330 tm push/carry 500 m elevation gain I trail fun factor 5 out of 5 points)
- Stage 6: Crowning finale Col de Balme (35.6 km I 820 m (+740 m with lift) I 1730 tm | push/carry 70 m I trail fun factor 4 out of 5 points)
Catering
There are catered huts at regular intervals along the long-distance hiking trail. If you are travelling until mid-September, you won't have any problems stopping for refreshments. But if you want to cater for yourself, there are shops in La Fouly, Courmayeur (note: the supermarkets in the Italian Aosta Valley are closed at lunchtime!), Les Contamines-Montjoie and Chamonix.
Weather conditions
In September, the days in the Alps are much shorter and the nights at 2000 metres above sea level are around 0 degrees. Self-catering sleeping bags should be prepared for this. Thunderstorms are rare at this time of year, but not impossible. Short spells of snow or fog are even more likely. Three scenarios that can be particularly dangerous in the Western Alps. Therefore, always check the general weather conditions before setting off and cancel your tour if necessary.
General information
Up-to-date information on the original route with hut addresses, maps and weather conditions: www.autourdumontblanc.com
