Mountain bike tour around Mont Blanc, Chamonix, France

Tour of Mont Blanc: the mythic three countries trip: France, Switzerland, Italy!!!

Riding in Chamonix valley

The Tour of Mont Blanc (TMB) is a Mythe in itself!

Seven valleys, 71 glaciers, 400 summits, the Mont Blanc range fascinates. From Chamonix, France, to Courmayeur, Italy, passing by Martigny, Switzerland, and its wineyards the trail brings us through alpine flowerded pastures, glaciers, snowy summits, climbs high altitude passes and crosses deep valleys. Riding around the Mont Blanc, 4810m, it is discovering the unique and magic world of high mountain: it is a unique experience in a mountain biker's life.

Mont Blanc 4810m

The Tour of Mont Blanc is dedicated to bikers not afraid of long climbs or to carry their bike , downhills can be technical in places, but the sceneries are breathtaking and you'll soon forget your pain!!
We propose an original and unencumbered route, in the opposite sens of the common route far from the crowd to be closer to nature and mountain, without bags and concern!!

Description	A Mythic bike trip! 7 nights, Saturday to Saturday, 6 days of ride
level	Strong intermediate to advanced all around rider.Good shape needed and not afraid of pushing the bike. Good bike handling skills. Able to ride on technical singletracks
Kind of terrain	All kinds of trails. Cruisy 2 path trails, easy singletracks, technical and challenging singletracks, some rocky and rooty trails.
Locations	Starts and ends in Chamonix France, passes through Switzerland and Italy
Lodging	7 nights hotel, bunk house and mountain hut
Included	7 nights accomodation, all meals from dinner saturday arrival to breakfast saturday departure, guiding, all ski passes, luggages transfert to the different accomodations, airport transferts.
Not included	Air flight, expense of repair and maintenance of the bicycle,the cancellation/help insurances and repatriation,the bicycle rent, personal energy drinks and foods... and in general all that is not included/understood in the heading "the price includes/comprises"
Physical and technical skills (out of 5)	Physical fitness: 4/5 Technical skills: 2/5 to 4/5
Shedule 2008	From june 21st to june28th
	From june 28th to july 5 th
	From august 23 rd to 30th
	From august 30th to september 6th
	From september 6th toseptember13th
Price	Lifts assisted version: From 950 Euros BOOK THIS TRIP!

: Tour available : Tour departure insured : Tour booked

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The programm: arrival on saturday

DAY 0( saturday): arrival and transfert to Chamonix, Guest house "Alpenrose" with view on the Mont Blanc!!

DAY 1( sunday): We leave the Guest House in direction of Switzerland. Pass through Chamonix than to Argentiere and Le Tour . We'll take the gondola to the top of the Col de Balme 2200, the Swiss border. The view on the Chamonix valley from Col de Balme is fantastic. Than a splendid descent on a singletrack will bring us down to the swiss village of Trient where we'll stay for the night.

Outdistance: 30 km
Uneven positive: 500 m Uneven negative: 1100m
Physical difficulty: 2/5 Technical skills: 3/5

DAY 2 (monday): start by the climb of Col de la Forclaz , breathtaking view over the swiss Alps and the valley of Martigny and its wineyards.
Descent to Martigny through the wineyards and climb in the direction of the “ swiss Val Ferret”, just below glaciers and snowy summits!!
Sleep in La Fouly, at the foot of the Grand Col Ferret: the Italian Border.

Outdistance: 45 km
Uneven positive: 1100 m Uneven negative: 1100m
Physical difficulty: 3/5 Technical skills : 2/5

DAY 3 (tuesday): Climb of "Grand Col Ferret " ( 2500m) to Italy:
one the 3 majors passes of this Tour of Mont Blanc . Stuning scenery at the top of the col on the “italian val ferret” and on italian side of the Mont Blanc. Descent to Arnuva and,depending of everybody's shape , climb of “Col Sapin” to arrive in Courmayeur by a splendid singletrack.
Night in Courmayeur Italy.

Outdistance: 45 to 55 km
Uneven positive: 1100 to 1700 Uneven negative:1300 to 2000m
Physical difficulty: 3/5 Technical skills : 3/5

DAY 4 (wednesday): Warm up on the road than we hit the trail to arrive to Lake Checroui facing the italian side of Mont Blanc: the Mont Blanc of Courmayeur 4704m. A Balcony trail will give the chance to see famous summits as “Noire de Peuterey” ,“ la Blanche” and the italian glacier and lakeCombal (one of the biggest glacier of Mont Blanc range).
The climb of Col de la Seigne (french border) is mostly riddable, the end is quite steep and you'll have to push the bike!! The downhill to Refuge des Mottets where we'll sleep is a fanstastic, technical in places singletrack. The refuge (mountain hut) of “Les Mottets” is an quaint old farm renewed to welcome trekkers and biker and is truly an experience!!

Outdistance: 35 km
Uneven positive: 1500 m Uneven negative: 1000 m
Physical difficulty: 4/5 Technical difficulty: 3/5

Col de la Croix du Bonhomme and Valley of Contamines DAY 5 (tuesday): start with a long climb on a jeepable track than no other choice than pushing or carrying the bike to the last big col of this trip :
Col des Fours 2665m!!! The col offers a spectacular views on the neighbooring summits and far away in south direction. Descent to Col de la Croix du Bonhomme and long long downhill to the village of Contamines Montjoie: 1500m of descent very technical in places.
Night in Contamines Montjoie.

Outdistance: 40 km
Uneven positive: 900 m Uneven negative: 1500 m
Physical difficulty: 3/5 Technical skills: 4/5

DAY 6 (friday): Last day but not the least !! From Contamines Montjoie we'll climb to Chalet de Miage, an summer altitude mountain village at the foot of the massive french glacier of Miage: the place is absolutly breathtaking!! We feel small compared to this massive glaciers! From there we'll climb the col de Voza above les Houches and Chamonix valley with the Mont Blanc on our right side... Last technical downhill to Chamonix to end up in beauty!
Night in Chamonix , Guest house “Alpenrose”.

Outdistance: 40 km
Uneven positive: 900 m Uneven negative: 1200 m
Physical difficulty: 3/5 Technical difficulty: 3/5

DAY 7 (saturday): transfert to Geneva airport

NB: the tour is run with a minimum of 4 guets , lunches of saturday arrival and saturday leaving day are not included, but can be arranged for extra cost.