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Tour Du Mont Blanc – Mt. Blanc Circuit

Discover the culture of 3 countries! A beautiful and culturally rich tour of the French, Italian and Swiss Alps that includes breathtaking views, fabulous cuisine and charming culture.

What’s Included

ALL LAND COSTS INCLUDED!

• 11 days/10 nights trek through France, Italy, and Switzerland around Mont Blanc
• 3 nights stay at Hotel Alpina in Chamonix, France
• 2 rest/cultural days in Chamonix, France
• 1 rest/cultural day in Courmayeur, Italy
• All transfers to and from Geneva International Airport
• Expert local guide of world famous Compagnie des Guides and Backwoods Adventures guide/head guide Joe Koehly
• Minimum 3 pre-departure information conference calls with head guide
• All meals, support vehicle fees, and all guide fees

What’s Not Included

• All airfare to and from Geneva (Inquire to learn more about our flight booking service)
• Personal gear and clothing
• Alcoholic drinks, extra drinks and snacks
• Gratuities
• Extras; laundry, massage, internet, etc.

Experience some of the most magnificent scenery in the Alps as we hike around Mont Blanc, the highest peak in Europe.

Considered by many to be one of the most beautiful and culturally rich hiking tours in the world, our Tour Du Mont Blanc is sure to be an unforgettable experience. Set in the heart of the Alps this majestic mountain is the tallest in Europe and our tour will travel around it through France, Italy, and Switzerland. We will visit a number of cities and villages including Geneva, Chamonix, Courmayeur and Champex just to name a few. Combined with a European guide, our Backwoods Adventures guides will be with you every step of the way.

We will travel by plane, mini bus, chair lifts, and the power of our own two legs. After two weeks of hiking, you will appreciate the enchantment that this European jewel has to offer. From the abundance of wilderness to the rich history and culture of three separate European nations, it’s easy to see why this has become a Backwoods Adventures favorite.

We will spend our evenings at inns and lodges along the route. We will have our breakfast and dinner at local eateries. Lunches will either be in small villages that we pass through or we will picnic with the Alps as our scenery.

Meals

At Backwoods Adventures we know that well fed travelers are happy travelers. We aim to please your palate. Since we will be staying at huts or lodges on the entire trip we will have our breakfast and dinner at local restaurants or cafes. Lunches will either be in small towns or villages that we pass through or we will grab some light fare to take with us and enjoy our lunch picnic stile with the Alps to gaze at while we eat.

Accommodations

Our accommodations will vary based on our location. However, all hotels and lodges are among the highest rated in the country both for location and amenities. Most hotels will provide single rooms (double occupancy), however there is the possibility of dormitory arrangements in a couple of locations along the circuit, depending on availability.

Health

Some of the activities that you may choose to participate in while on the Tour Du Mont Blanc are strenuous and should not be undertaken if you have any health conditions which may put you at risk. You are strongly advised to consult your physician for a thorough medical check-up and clearance before attempting the trip. If you are over 50 years old, talk to your doctor about doing a “stress EKG”. Should you require any medication whatsoever, you must provide your own and be able to administer it yourself.

Visa Requirements

No Visa is required for travel while in Europe. You should carry a photocopy of your passport, insurance information and emergency contact numbers with you at all times. You should leave a copy of this information with a friend or relative at home.

 

 

Trip Dates: 
July 21-August 3, 2013 (14 days)

Or, book a custom adventure trip.

Pricing:
8 or more – $5,999
5 to 7 – $6,749
1 to 4 – Custom pricing

Activities: Hiking & Trekking

Accommodations:
Hotel Alpina, 3 nights; mountain inns, 10 nights.

Mont Blanc Links:
French Embassy
CDC Health Information
Weather for Chamonix, France
Travel Insurance

Suggested Readings:
Buy these books at your local Backwoods store or call 1.877.331.4255.

Around Mont Blanc: A Rother Walking Guide, Eberlein

49 carefully-selected tours tailored to the pleasure-oriented mountain hiker. Some tours lead close to cliffs and ice, many touch the summits, but none exceeds 3000 m. Also described: the popular “Tour du Mont Blanc” 17 stages which can be walked by novice hikers. For each trip there’s a detailed text description, colored hiking map with the route illustrated, a brief trip summary, and color photo. Truly a hiker’s valuable companion through the fascinating world around Mont Blanc. $14.95

Tour of Mont Blanc, Reynolds

This book describes one of the world’s greatest hikes – the circumnavigation of the Mont Blanc massif, 120 miles and 11 days of pure magic. The book is split into 11 1-day sections, going either the traditional couter-clockwise direction, or – for less continuous human contact – the clockwise direction. Small enough to take with you, too. $19.95
 
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Area Facts and Details

    • Mont Blanc is the highest mountain the Alps and in Western Europe. The two most famous towns near Mont Blanc are Courmayeur, in Aosta Valley, Italy, and Chamonix, in Haute-Savoie France, the site of the first Winter Olympics.
    • The first recorded ascent of Mont Blanc was on 8 August 1786 by Jacques Balmat and the doctor Michel Paccard. This climb traditionally marks the start of modern mountaineering. The first woman to reach the summit was Marie Paradis in 1808.
    • In 1891, Pierre Janssen, a scientific academic credited for discovering helium, envisaged the construction of an observatory at the summit of Mont Blanc. Gustave Eiffel, designer of the Eiffel tower, agreed to take on the project, provided he could find strong foundations. A Swiss surveyor dug down 15 m (49 ft) but found nothing solid, so Eiffel gave up. Despite this, the observatory was built in 1893. During the cold wave of January 1893 a temperature of −43 °C (−45.4 °F) was recorded on the Mount Blanc, being the lowest ever recorded there. Levers attached to the ice supported the observatory. This worked to some extent until 1906, when the building started leaning heavily. The movement of the levers corrected the lean slightly, but three years later (two years after Janssen’s death) a crevasse started opening under the observatory and it was abandoned. Eventually the building fell.
    • Begun in 1957 and completed in 1965, the 11.6 km (7¼ mi) Mont Blanc Tunnel runs beneath the mountain between these two countries and is one of the major trans-Alpine transport routes.
    • Since the French Revolution, the ownership of the summit has spurred many debates. Previously, the entire mountain had formed part of the Kingdom of Sardinia. In May 1796, the Sardinian king ceded the territories containing Mont Blanc to the French Republic. This act is even more confusing, because it states that the border should be visible from the town of Chamonix and Courmayeur. The summit is not visible from Courmayeur, because part of the mountain lower down obscures it. The convention of 7 March 1861 recognizes the border on the icecap of the Mont Blanc, and therefore makes it both French and Italian. Watershed analysis of modern topographic mapping not only places the main summit on the border, but also suggests that the border should follow a line northwards from the main summit towards Mont Maudit, leaving the south east ridge to Mont Blanc wholly within Italy. Despite the fact that the Franco-Italian border was redefined in both 1947 and 1963, the commission, made up of both Italians and French, ignored the Mont Blanc issue.
    • The summit of Mont Blanc is a thick, perennial ice and snow dome whose thickness varies, so no exact and permanent summit elevation can be determined. But accurate measurements have been made. For a long time its official elevation was 4,807 m (15,770 ft). Then in 2002, surveyors used GPS technology to measure the summit at 4,810.40 m (15,782 ft 2 in).
    • After the 2003 heatwave in Europe, a team of scientists re-measured the height at 4,808.45 m (15,775 ft 9 in), and the peak was 75 centimeters (30 in) away from where it had been in 2002.
    • After these results were published, more than 500 points were measured, to assess the effects of climate change, and the fluctuations in the height of the mountain at different points. From then on the elevation of the mountain has been measured every two years.
    • The interpretation that the heat wave had caused this fluctuation is disputed, because the heatwave is known not to have significantly affected the glaciers above 4,000 m (13,000 ft). The height and position of the summit could have been moved by general glacial forces. At this elevation, the temperatures rarely rise above 0 °C (32 °F).
    • The summit was measured again in 2005, and the results were published on 16 December 2005. The height was found to be 4,808.75 m (15,776 ft 9 in), 30 cm (12 in) more than the previous recorded height.
 
 

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  • "My general comments are…this was THE BEST trip of my life, by far(and I have been places). The group, Joe, the supporting company, the hike, the safari, the whole overall experience was absolutely amazing and I would recommend it to anybody who loves Nature, adventure and physical challenges.

    Carlos Q. – Kilimanjaro 2011

  • "This trip far exceeded my expectations. I knew it would be beautiful, but it was more beautiful than I expected. I knew the good would be good, but it was better. I knew Joe would be good, but then there was Beatrice and Caroline. I knew the group would be good and fun loving…but it was even more fun than I thought!"

    Rich C. – Mont Blanc 2011

  • "Great success overall. Definitely and experience I will remember for a long long time. The flexibility offered on the trip was greatly appreciated. Great call on gear list and was able to get all the appropriate gear at Backwoods."

    Dan M. – Costa Rica 2011

  • "The Salkantay/Machu Picchu trip was amazing. The icing on the cake was Joe's fantastic sense of humor, patience and unassuming nature. Backwoods Adventures was exceptionally well represented by Joe on this trip. Thank you for giving me the opportunity to fulfill a life list goal."

    Pam C. – Machu Picchu 2008

  • "Once again the Backwoods Adventures guides provided a well- planned, professional and entertaining outdoor experience. Great knowledge of the trail, the environment and culture of the canyon kept the trip interesting and engaging. Looking forward to my next trip!"

    Jim R. – Utah Canyons 2011

  • "I’m speechless. Having just returned from this very trip all I can say is – can I do it all over again? This trip is absolutely unbelievable at every level. The accommodations, the food, the people, the ruins, the hiking-I find I have to pinch myself while reviewing my pictures in order to believe that I was actually there!"

    - C. Blaise `2008

  • " Thank you to Joe for being our trip leader. His sense of humor and patience played a huge part in the success of the trip. It was a great experience that was planned well!"

    - R. & M. Hall `2009

  • "Not only was the food good, but the variety & impulsiveness was fun... keep it up. The lunch at Silencio was pleasantly unique, as were the roadside stops and new foods. I traveled with Backwoods as the positive result of a previous Backwoods trip and would be pleased to do so again."

    - J. Rogers `2008

  • "The whole Backwoods Adventure, from the slideshow, to the advice/shopping at the Norman store to the conference calls to the actual trip itself was fantastic. I hope to continue these trips as they provide a lot of value for the cost!"

    - Terry B `2011



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