Tour du Mont Blanc
Description
The Mont Blanc circumnavigation can be started at various locations, but preferably in Martigny in Switzerland. It is also easy to get here by public transport. From Martigny, take the mountain road to Champex and head down the first descent to Issert. However, the next ascent is already waiting for you, which now rides up 1500 meters to the Grand Col Ferret. If you're really fit, you can master it by riding right to the top, but most bikers will have to walk a few sections in the last section. The view up here is phenomenal with a direct view of the Mont Blanc massif. The descent to Courmayeur is steep and technical at first, but then follows the mountain road further down in Val Ferret. Courmayeur is the first stage town. On the second day, you climb up through the Val Veny at the foot of the main Mont Blanc summit to the Refugio Elisabetta and then reach French soil via the Col de la Seigne. This ascent is also completely rideable for strong bikers, the descent then leads to Les Chapieux. You then ride up the pass road to the Cormet de Roselend, which is also a regular feature of the Tour de France. The first part of the descent is also on the pass road until you turn right at Lac de Roselend, reach Lac de Gittaz and then head up the mountain in countless hairpin bends to Les Crétets. Finally, you reach the Col du Joly via a short descent and a counter-climb. Here, too, the view of the Mont Blanc massif is particularly impressive. The final ride of the second stage leads over fun single trails to Les Contamines. On the third day, you first roll downhill on the country road to Bionnay and then climb to the Col de Vozy. A first-class singletrail descent rides to Les Houches, from where you pass Chamoix via Argentière and Montroc to Le Tour. The final ascent to the Col de Balme awaits, although this can be done by chairlift (highly recommended). The descent from the Col de Balme to Le Peuty is one of the best trails of the Mont Blanc circumnavigation, although you then have to ride uphill again to the Col de la Forclaz. The descent to Martigny rides along marked hiking trails and country roads.
Map & GPX-Track
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Details of the tour
200 km
7650 m
7650 m
467 above sea level
2512 above sea level
3 days
Martigny
Martigny
1147
not suitable
Video
More tours nearby
User comments (8)
About the author: Thomas Giger
Note: This content has been automatically translated from German. Please report any incorrect translations.
Rode the tour in 4 days. Can't confirm what the previous speakers wrote. Very beautiful scenery in a few places. Otherwise a lot of pass roads, a lot of traffic, extremely many hikers on the TMB (sometimes groups of 30-40 people), also long climbs of up to 15 and more percent. Downhill trails could therefore often only be ridden with endless stop-and-go. We do a Transalp tour every year. I wouldn't ride this one again.
Hello Beat
I read your entry. We want to aim for this tour for summer 23. But your entry makes us skeptical. Which other Transalp were more beautiful in your opinion?
This tour is a scenic highlight and is second to none. I am still completely overwhelmed by the three days. I made my first stop at Refugio Bonatti, which is an additional 300 meters in altitude, but at the same time a dream setting.
See also: https://www.ride.ch/de/touren/balcon-val-ferret
Apart from that, the climbs are pretty energy-sapping and the descents always demand full concentration. The hiking routes (Tour de Mont Blanc) are very busy, but otherwise rather lonely.
Allow four days for scenery and leisurely breaks.
Here is the link to the three-part film about the Tor Tour.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XKBHMBLPgtA&list=PLkE2QD_wAvqBgAXeSFhWf…
Can anyone tell me how long the technically demanding passages are?
Rather s2 or s3?
Thank you very much
Mostly s2. From Col Ferret it is more likely to be s3, otherwise doable with a few exceptions. The uphill is rather tough :-)
For a long time, I had wanted to do a bike tour in the Mont Blanc region, which I had never seen in nature. So I searched the internet, but kept coming up with the Mont Blanc tour lasting several days, which is also presented here.
Unfortunately, my physical condition and technical skills are not up to the standard required for this tour, what a shame! So I looked for another way to enjoy the Mont Blanc scenery on an e-MTB and found and did something and was totally impressed by this huge mountain with its glacier. I made a video of the tour, which is now available on YouTube, including a description of the tour route. If there are others who would like to do a bike tour of Mont Blanc but are not fit enough for the big tour, this might be something for that type of biker too.
The YouTube link is: https://youtu.be/aaPq3VzbCHM
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