Mid-range mountain activities The Chamonix valley • Tour du Mont-Blanc • Mountain biking • Sport crags • winter season
Chamonix Valley

The valley of Chamonix offers a great range of walks and hikes with different level of difficulties at different altitudes. The marked and well-kept trails are listed and described in various guidebooks, among them we will quote : "Mont-Blanc Trails".

From a day walk to a tour with nights in huts, everybody can select hikes according to his/her abilities and wishes.

On the North side of the valley, between the Tour-Argentière and Les Houches areas, out of the dark pine forest, the trails flirt with the rock faces of the Aiguilles of Chamonix and with the glaciers.

On the South side (the Aiguilles Rouges range) from Col des Montets to Les Houches, a wonderful network of trails faces the majestic range of Aiguille Verte and of Mont-Blanc separated by the Mer de Glace glacier. Some of the itineraries lead to wonderful mountain lakes.

The upper valley offers, from the Tour or Vallorcine villages, other possibilities of walks in Alpine meadows or the climb of mount Buet : the highest point of the Aiguilles Rouges range (from the hamlet of le Buet).

Tour du Mont-Blanc

The Mont-Blanc tour is a loop of 250 km, in Alpine meadows, on the French, Italian and Swiss territories, possible for any trained hiker, able to walk on varied terrain with a loaded rucksack.

This itinerary can become difficult, even tricky until end of June beginning of July, when the passes are still covered with snow (light crampons, telescopic poles, sometimes an axe can be necessary)

This GR is normally done in eight to ten days, with an average of six hours of walk per day. Stops can be chosen according to physical abilities, training, weight to carry (campers) and weather conditions.

We warmly advise hikers without enough experience to join an association or a group run by a professional walking guide.

Accommodation
Along the tour you will find huts, halts (gites) and hotels where you will be served a meal and a breakfast. Dormitories are equipped with blankets; take with you a sleeping bag liner.
It is advisable and sometimes obligatory to reserve. Out of the opening periods (middle of June- middle of September), you can contact hut wardens at their private domicile (this information can be found on the page huts of our site).

Bivouac
The definition of a bivouac is a camp set up from sunset to sunrise.
In the valleys : camping and bivouacking are only allowed on equipped campsites.
On the mountain : bivouacking is tolerated in France, permitted in Val d’Aosta above 2500 m. It is forbidden in Switzerland.
Some of the huts or halts have equipped camp sites: contact the management for information.

Documentation
Various documents exist on Tour du Mont-Blanc among them :
• The guide of TMB edited by the Fédération Française de la Randonnée Pédestre
• The topographic map 1/50 000 carte en poche "Massif et Tour du Mont-Blanc" edited by LIBRIS
• The two topographic maps 1/25 000 IGN TOP 25 3630 OT and 3531 ET

Equipment
Good walking boots, a comfortable rucksack, some warm clothing, rain gear and a change of cloths, a small first aid kit, some food (shopping places available along the tour)…
All relevant information in the “Guide Pratique du Randonneur” (the hiker’s practical guide) edited by the Fédération Française de la Randonnée Pédestre.

Contacts
• Tourist Office of Les Houches : +33(0)4.50.55.50.62
• Tourist Office of Les Contamines : +33(0)4.50.47.01.58
• Tourist Office of Courmayeur : +39.0165.842.060
• Tourist Office of Champex : +41(0)27.783.12.27
• Tourist Office of Vallorcine : +33(0)4.50.54.60.71
• Bus company of Val Vény and Val Ferret : +39.0165.84.13.05/+39.0165.84.20.31
• Luggage porterage : Taxi Besson : +33(0)4.50.93.61.47 - taxibesson@hotmail.com / Taxi Miage : +33(0)4.50.47.74.89 - +33(0)6.08.63.65.34



MOUNTAIN BIKING

Mountain biking is forbidden by law inside Aiguilles Rouges natural reserve.

Mountain biking is strictly regulated from 1st July to 31 of August by law. The itineraries allowed during this period are listed on a map available at the Tourist Office and at the Office de Haute Montagne. You can also download it from here in PDF format (6600 ko, 2009 version).

They are divided in two categories : 7 to 30 km loops at the bottom of the valley offering various level of difficulties and five technical itineraries with large difference of height that can be reached by lifts Planpraz - Brévent, Flégère - Index, Charamillon - col de Balme, Vallorcine, Lognan.

Walkers and hikers also use some of these tours : be careful and polite; have a bell on our bike.

The Tourist Office of Les Houches, tel +33(0)4.50.55.50.32 offers a selection of itineraries.
SPORT CRAGS From the entrance of the Arve valley (Le Fayet) to the Swiss border, there are many training crags with different level of difficulties for the rock climbers.

The guidebook “Ecoles d’escalade de la Vallée de Chamonix” of François Burnier and Dominique Potard gives a list and information on each site. Mid-range mountain activities in winter