Top 5 Views on the Tour du Mont Blanc
The Tour du Mont Blanc is an exceptional trek. We all know that. Every day, the TMB yields consistently incredible sights and that is why so many people have it on their bucket lists. With so much beauty on offer, it is very difficult to pick a mere handful of the best. However, we are constantly asked our opinion on this subject so here is our TMB bucket list of views. Pray for good weather because these are some of the very finest mountain viewpoints in the world. Mountain scenery that most people dream of seeing. Mountain scenery that you will never forget.
There is of course no right or wrong answer to such an impossibly tough question of world-shaking import. Many of you who have already conquered the TMB will disagree with our choices. But what finer argument could you hope to have than one involving favourite mountain vistas! And so, braving your inevitable differences of opinion, here is our pronouncement of the finest of the finest: the Top 5 Views on the Tour du Mont Blanc (in reverse order). The stage numbers referred to are the ones that are used in our Tour du Mont Blanc guidebook.
5. Col de la Croix du Bonhomme (Stage 2c)
For walkers who start at les Houches (the vast majority) this treat comes only a few days in. A long climb from the town of les Contamines delivers the first real foray into the high mountains on the main TMB route. It is a shock to the system but a wonderful one: first cross the magnificent Col du Bonhomme (2329m) and then the higher and more spectacular Col de la Croix du Bonhomme. It is just breathtaking and you can even spend the night here in the fabulously situated refuge: book ahead though as this is one of the most sought after locations on the whole route.
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4. Aiguillette d’Argentière (Stage 10)
This is a connoisseur’s choice. The views of this relatively diminutive spiky pinnacle, which has Mont Blanc as a backdrop, are exceptional but are barely noticed by many walkers who are more concerned with the forthcoming ascent of the notorious TMB ladders. The ladders are legend but our advice would be to take a break a few hundred metres before the base of them. Spend 15 minutes soaking in some of the finest views available of Mont Blanc. Then, and only then, turn your attention to scaling the exhilarating vertical ladders.
3. Mont Favre (Stage 4b)
On the TMB, there are three great balcony paths directly facing the mighty Mont Blanc: the first of them passes just below Mont Favre on the way to Rifugio Maison Vieille. The balcony starts with a steep climb from the valley floor at Combal but we find that we barely notice the exertion so bewitched are we by the scenery. You will find it hard to believe that this can be bettered....but it can!
2. Le Grand Balcon after le Brévent (Stage 11a)
This is the third of the TMB’s great Mont Blanc balcony paths and, in fact, is widely considered to offer one of the finest Mont Blanc views of all. The end of your trek is approaching and soon you will make your final descent into the valley: perhaps the knowledge that these are your last views of Mont Blanc gives this section of the TMB a hint of poignancy for these views seem to stick in the mind for a long time.
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1. Mont de la Saxe (Stage v5b)
This stage is a TMB variant but in our opinion it is an unmissable one for those who have good legs and are favoured by the weather. The second of the great Mont Blanc balconies is, in our opinion, quite simply la crème de la crème. Mont Blanc is so close that you can almost touch it. And the glaciers! Oh the glaciers! They are everywhere!
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What you really need to know is how to plan a trek: itineraries, accommodation, food, water, etc. However, for our competitors, trek planning is a mere afterthought and they fill their books with step by step directions for navigating the trail. Yet these days, most people navigate trails using GPX tracks and over-complicated directions are unnecessary. Accordingly, we focus in much greater detail on trek planning so that you can snag the best accommodation bookings. We still provide directions but they are more concise and user-friendly.
When planning a trek, the first step is to design an itinerary that matches your ability and experience. There is little point in booking trail accommodation until this is finalised. Our itinerary planners are far more comprehensive than anybody else's. We include up to 20 different itineraries and provide daily statitics for each of them. This enables you to quickly choose one that suits, saving you hours of work. You will not find these in any other books or on the web.
Unlike other books which contain useless sketch maps, ours contain real maps. In most cases, we produce our own mapping which is more up to date than many other traditional maps. Because we make our own, we can mark on them all accommodation, food and shops along the trail. This helps you to understand exactly where you can stay and where you will resupply. Other books do not provide this level of detail.
Our designs are more modern and exciting. Our professionally captured images help you visualise what you will see along the trail. There is nothing wrong with salivating over spectaular scenes even though your trek might be a year away!
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