Tour du Mont Blanc: Ten Days on Foot

Col de Voza is the first significant threshold of the TMB — a broad, grassy saddle that marks the moment Les Houches and the Chamonix valley drop away behind you and the route's southward logic takes over. Standing at roughly 1650 m, the col offers an immediate sense of the loop's scale: the Mont Blanc massif is already visible to the northeast, while the forested slopes falling toward Les Contamines open ahead. This is not a dramatic rocky summit but a spacious, welcoming pass — the kind of place that invites a first proper pause, a map consultation, and an adjustment of pack straps before the long descent toward the Contamines valley begins. The col is reached via a steady climb through forest and pasture from Les Houches, and serves as a psychological as much as a physical gateway: once you cross it, the loop has genuinely begun. A 60-minute suggested stay gives time to take stock, eat something, and absorb the view before continuing the 10.3 km segment onward to Les Contamines.

The Tourist Office of Les Contamines-Montjoie sits at 18 Route de Notre Dame de la Gorge, at the foot of the valley that funnels the TMB southward toward the Col du Bonhomme. Les Contamines is one of the last true village stops before the route climbs into higher, more remote terrain, making this tourist office a genuinely practical staging point rather than a cosmetic one. Staff can confirm refuge availability, provide current trail conditions for the Col du Bonhomme approach, and supply any maps or local information you may need for the days ahead. The 90-minute suggested stay reflects the village's usefulness: time to resupply, make phone calls to the refuges ahead, and rest briefly before the next climb. The office closes on Sundays, so walkers arriving mid-week are best placed to make use of it. Phone +33 4 50 47 01 58 or consult lescontamines.com ahead of your visit.

Refuge de la Balme sits at the Col du Bonhomme, the high saddle that marks the end of the French valley approach and the beginning of the route's push toward Italy. After a long day's walking from Les Houches via Les Contamines — over 18 km in total — the refuge's lights carry genuine weight. This is a mountain hut in the proper sense: functional, communal, positioned at altitude where evening temperatures drop sharply and the silence is absolute. The 4.0/5 rating across 332 reviews reflects a place that does what a refuge should — it shelters, feeds, and returns walkers to the trail the next morning in reasonable condition. The overnight stay of 480 minutes (an evening and a night) follows the classic refuge rhythm of early dinner, shared dormitory, and pre-dawn breakfast. Contact the refuge at +33 4 50 47 03 54 or via refugedelabalme.com — advance booking is essential in high season.

Refuge de la Croix du Bonhomme stands at a higher col above the Balme refuge, a stepping stone between the French Alps and the long descent toward the Italian Val Veny. It is managed by the FFCAM (French Alpine Club) and rated 3.6/5 across a notably large pool of 537 reviews — a score that reflects the honest, no-frills conditions of a high-mountain club refuge rather than any fundamental failing. Walkers here are deep into the route's French leg, with Italy still a day's walk and a major pass away. The 480-minute overnight stay follows the same refuge rhythm as Balme: communal dinner, dormitory sleep, early start. The segment onward — 15.3 km and approximately 245 minutes of walking — is the longest and most demanding of the Italian approach, culminating at the Col de la Seigne. Contact +33 9 70 02 81 47 or visit refugecroixdubonhomme.ffcam.fr.