Mont Blanc - Walking In France, Italy And Switzerland

Day 1
Sunday / 24 July 2011
Charmonix
Your trip starts today with your arrival in Chamonix, a charming old mountain town that lies right at the foot of Mont Blanc (4807m) - the highest mountain in Western Europe. No activities are planned so you may arrive at any time. Chamonix can be easily reached from Paris by fast train (TGV) from Gare de Lyon to Annecy and via St Gervais Les Bains Le Fayet (approximately six hours) direct to the station 500m from the heart of the town (www.voyages-sncf.com for timetable details). Another option is to fly into Geneva and transfer to Chamonix by bus taking approximately one hour. Budget airline Easyjet fly into Geneva from the United Kingdom and the transfer operator Alpybus (www.alpybus.com) is a well priced and reliable method of reaching the village from the airport. You need to pre-book this service via their website. Whilst at your discretion, Peregrine recommends arriving/ departing by train where possible within Europe due to this method of transports minimal carbon emissions. Please make your own way to the joining hotel (details are in your travel documents), which is centrally located right in the heart of town. Chamonix has been a climbing and skiing centre for over 100 years and is considered the mountaineering capital of Europe. It has a wonderful atmosphere and a well-preserved Old Town, with cobbled streets full of lively sidewalk cafes. Near the centre of town, the famous Aiguille du Midi cable car whisks visitors to 3600m for stunning views of the Mont Blanc range. In the evening we meet our tour leader and our fellow travelling companions at a Welcome Meeting (this is usually at 6pm, but you will be advised as to the exact time and place in a notice, located near the reception at our hotel), where our leader will give us a briefing on what lies ahead on our tour.

Overnight: Hotel le Chamonix

Day 2
Monday / 25 July 2011
Charmonix
Free day

Overnight: Hotel le Chamonix
Meals included: 1 Breakfast

Day 3
Tuesday / 26 July 2011
Montjoie Valley - Contamines
After breakfast, we transfer to the Montjoie Valley for a warm-up hike, which will allow us to find our strides. Our route starts gently with a walk in the shade, then crossing a river, filled with water coming from Bionnassay Glacier, and climbing steadily to the Col de Tricot (2120m) to enjoy fine views of the Dômes de Miage. After a steep but short descent, we enjoy our picnic lunch at the Chalets de Miage, surrounded by the beauty of the Alps. After lunch we climb up the hill known as Truc, before descending through a lovely forest into the Val Montjoie and the resort village of Contamines, once a stronghold for chamois hunters and smugglers, where we spend the night. (Approx. total walking time: 6 hours, highest altitude 1100 m)

Overnight: Auberge La Gélinotte
Meals included: 1 Breakfast, 1 Lunch (picnic), 1 Dinner

Day 4
Wednesday / 27 July 2011
Col du Bonhomme - Chapieux
In the morning we drive to the trailhead along the floor of beautiful Val Montjoie to the chapel of Notre Dame de la Gorge, where you may want to take a peek inside this 300-year-old church. Look out for the strange Baroque architecture and Renaissance frescoes on the interior, as this church was once an old pilgrimage site. Today's hike starts on a trail that runs along an old Roman road that was used for trade across the Col du Bonhomme and slabs of stone laid by the Romans are still visible. We hike steadily upwards through gentle glades and forests to the top of the Col du Bonhomme (2329m), which is our first pass. The stretch of trail leading to the col is arguably one of the prettiest that you will ever experience.

There is a short, gradual uphill traverse that takes us across Col de la Croix-du-Bonhomme (2483m), with superb panoramic vistas over the Beaufortain region as well as views of the Vanoise. After a brief rest at the Croix-du-Bonhomme Refuge, we have a long; sometimes steep descent through rich, open pastures to the remote summer village of Chapieux (1554m). We overnight in Les Chapieux at the Auberge de la Nova, an inn superbly situated at the southern limit of the Massif du Mont Blanc. (Approx. total walking time: 6.5 hours, highest altitude 2483m)

Overnight: Auberge de la Nova
Meals included: 1 Breakfast, 1 Lunch (picnic), 1 Dinner

Day 5
Thursday / 28 July 2011
Col de la Seigne - Courmayer
After a good sleep and a hearty breakfast we make a stop to meet a producer of Beaufort and Sérac cheeses, for which the region is renowned. In the spring, cows are taken high into the mountains to graze on the lush grass and spring flowers of the alpine meadows. In autumn they return to the villages before the winter snows. They graze over the mountains for 100 days from June to September. After the production of Beaufort cheese, the left-over whey is used to make Sérac, a white cheese, similar to ricotta. From the trailhead at the end of the remote Vallee des Glaciers, we climb eastward to the Col de la Seigne (2516 m). This mountain pass is the hydrologic divide between the Atlantic and Mediterranean Seas. Weather permitting the views are fabulous, with the Aiguille Noir de Peuterey and the Italian face of Mont Blanc dominating the Val Veni. Viva Italia! An easy descent brings us to the beautifully situated stone chalet of the Elisabetta Refuge (2200m). There are great views of nearby glaciers, moraine and Lac de Combal, and the sunsets here are magical. From La Visaille we transfer to Courmayeur, where we experience some wonderful Italian (ie. chaotic!) atmosphere, great pasta and, for those who wish to partake, there is the passing of the grolla (a traditional vessel that holds coffee and grappa brandy) after dinner. (Approx. total walking time: 6 hours, highest altitude 2516m)

Overnight: Hotel Le Vieux Pommier
Meals included: 1 Breakfast, 1 Lunch (picnic), 1 Dinner

Day 6
Friday / 29 July 2011
Val Ferret
Our day starts with a transfer to Arnuva at the end of the Italian Val Ferret, where we commence our day's hike. We pass alpine meadows and fast-flowing streams on our moderate but spectacular climb towards the Grand Col Ferret (2537m), where we are rewarded with stunning views of the icy southern flanks of the Mont Blanc massif. The Grand Col Ferret marks the border with Switzerland and in the Swiss Val Ferret (Canton of Valais), there is a change in the colour and breed of cows and the landscape is softer, with enticing streams and woodlands. After a picnic lunch at 2537m not far below the pass, we descend through an extraordinary proliferation of wildflowers to the village of Ferret, where we stay the night at an altitude of 1705m. (Approx. total walking time: 5 hours, highest altitude 2537m)

Overnight: Hotel Col Fenêtre – Ferret
Meals included: 1 Breakfast, 1 Lunch (picnic), 1 Dinner

Day 7
Saturday / 30 July 2011
Fenêtre d’Arpette - Trient
After a transfer out of Ferret, we have a rugged day of hiking ahead that takes us up and across several huge moraines and boulder fields, enabling us to get the best views of the entire Swiss Alps from Lac Léman to the Oberland. If the weather cooperates and energy levels are high, we may have the opportunity to climb (steadily and steeply) toward the Fenêtre d’Arpette. Although we must do some scrambling over large rocks to reach the small saddle that is the Fenêtre, our reward to the stunning view from the 'window'. From there it’s a steep and winding descent past the snout of the Glacier du Trient, where the sounds and views are quite astounding. If we do not choose this walk, there is an easier alternative that allows us to stay below the Arpette and still enjoy great views out towards Switzerland. Reaching the bottom we stop at a simple refuge that sells drinks and ice cream before continuing on along a level waterway to the Col de la Forclaz and our lodging in nearby Trient, where a delicious Fondue Valaisanne awaits. (Approx. total walking time: highest altitude 2665m)

Overnight: Relais du Mont Blanc
Meals included: 1 Breakfast, 1 Lunch (picnic), 1 Dinner

Day 8
Sunday / 31 July 2011
Col des Montets - Chamonix
This morning we transfer back to France by the Col des Montets. We climb up to the Aiguilles Rouges (Red Needles) Nature Reserve with a lovely balcony walk in front of Massif du Mont Blanc. The views that we are afforded today are simply stupendous. If we are lucky too we may even see some wildlife, like mountain goats, ibexes and marmots, as we walk through this protected reserve before our final descent into Chamonix. Tonight there is the opportunity to gather together and enjoy a farewell dinner (optional). (Approx. total walking time: 6.5 hours, highest altitude 1400m)

Overnight: Hotel le Chamonix
Meals included: 1 Breakfast, 1 Lunch (picnic)

Day 9
Monday / 1 August 2011
Charmonix
Our trip ends this morning after breakfast in Chamonix, from where there are excellent train and bus connections to other

Meals included: 1 Breakfast