The Tour du Mont Blanc can be hiked in either a clockwise or counter-clockwise direction, however the most popular is counter-clockwise leaving from Les Houches (France).
However, there are many options when choosing where to start/end their hike, including Chamonix (France), Courmayeur (Italy), or Champex-Lac (Switzerland). Read more about start/end locations in this blog.
Your decision about which direction to hike will depend on where you plan to start/end, and some key factors, such as:
Crowded trails
Warming up the legs
Skipping sections with transport
Views
Longest section without accommodation
Read more about these factors to determine which direction is best for you.
Les Houches trailhead is one of many start/end locations to create a personalised itinerary in our planning app.
crowded trails
📸 Val Ferret, Italy
The Tour du Mont Blanc is a very popular hike. It is estimated that about 20,000 people complete the trail each year. A couple of points to keep in mind when choosing your direction based on crowds;
Counter Clockwise: It is estimated that 90% of hikers go in a counter clockwise direction, with most of them starting from Chamonix and Les Houches on the weekends. If you are planning to start the trail on the weekend, leaving from a different location can help avoid the big waves of hikers. Once you are on the trail, being the first hikers to leave your accommodation each day can give you a clear run before you join those who have started from accommodation further along. By lunchtime, there will be so much overlap with others that you’re likely to always be close to another hiker/group. Taking a long break during the day and being on the trail late afternoon can give you one more chance at some time on your own, however, just be mindful of any afternoon storms in the weather forecast before using this strategy.
Clockwise: Given the vast majority of people complete the trail in a counter clockwise direction, hiking in the clockwise direction offers you regular patches of clear trail where you can find your rhythm and mindfulness. This is because hikers going in the same direction tend to bunch up as passing from behind on a narrow paths can be socially awkward, whereas stepping off the trail momentarily for those coming toward you is instantly done. Once you pass a wave of hikers who have departed a particular accommodation destination, you’ll have a long stretch of trail before you reach the next cohort. Because of this, there isn’t typically the need to leave your accommodation early or stay on the trail late in order to have some time on your own.
the best views
📸 Grand Balcon Sud, France
Views
There is always a wonderful landscape to look at on the Tour du Mont Blanc and many of them are enjoyed equally no matter which way you’re going. However, there are a few sections that allow you to have one eye on the trail and the other on a true highlight of the trail depending on your hiking direction. Of course you can stop and turn around to see the same view, however, it’s not really the same!
Grand Balcon Sud - Best Counter Clockwise: Whilst the whole massif has incredible natural features and beauty, hiking the Grand Balcon Sud in a counter clockwise direction allows you to focus on Mont Blanc as you make your way along the Chamonix Valley.
Fenetre d’Arpette - Best Clockwise: The alternative route to Fenetre d’Arpette is one of the toughest on the Tour du Mont Blanc but it rewards hikers with stunning views of the Trient Glacier. Those hiking in a clockwise direction are drawn up to the window of Arpette with these views dominating their landscape, whereas those going counter clockwise only see it once reaching the top and when they turn and look behind them during their steep descent.
Grand Col Ferret - Best Clockwise: The Italian side of Grand Col Ferret offers wonderful views of the Mont Blanc massif down Val Ferret which can be enjoyed on the descent, whereas on the Swiss side you are hiking around La Dotse and away from the massif and views of its glaciated peaks.
warming up legs
📸 Alternative route via Fenetre d’Arpette, Switzerland
Most hikers would prefer to start a long multi-day trail on a flat and/or gradual sloping section to dust off the cobwebs and get used to carrying a pack again. If this is important to you, then the best direction for each popular start locations is as follows;
Les Houches - Counter Clockwise: Both directions will require a big effort out of the blocks but the 667m / 2,188ft climb to Col de Voza is much easier than the 1,540m / 5,050ft grind to Le Brevent which is the equal highest point on the trail.
Chamonix (Plan Praz) - Clockwise: The trail clockwise to La Flegere only requires a gain of 100m / 330ft to be made over the first 5km / 3mi, whereas hiking counter clockwise leads you on a 550m / 1,800ft climb over 3km / 2mi to Le Brevent.
Courmayeur - No material difference: Both directions require about 750m / 2,460ft to be immediately gained over the first 5km / 3mi. Hiking in a counter clockwise direction does allow you to skip most of this gain by catching two chairlifts during peak summer season. However, you’ll still have over 450m / 1,475ft to be made over the first 5km / 3mi on the way to Mont Favre Spur.
Champex Lac - No material difference: Both directions only require about ~50m elevation gain to be made over the first 5km / 3mi, making it the easiest location to start from. Hiking in a clockwise direction does have a 450m elevation loss over this distance which may provide an extra boost for some but may concern others that are managing knee issues.
using transport
📸 Chairlift at Le Tour, France
If you are concerned about how your knees will handle the descents or your level of fitness, many of the ascent and descents can easily be skipped with transport. On the main Tour du Mont Blanc route, it is possible to skip with transport (gondola, cable car, bus) 1,602m / 5,250ft (or about 15%) of the planned of the elevation gain in a counter clockwise direction, or 1,480m / 4,850ft in a clockwise direction.
Therefore, if you’d like to utilise transport to decrease most elevation gain, then hiking in a clockwise direction is best for you.
longest section without accom
📸 Leaving Champex-Lac towards La Fouly, Switzerland
One of the reasons why the Tour du Mont Blanc is the most popular multi-day trail in Europe is the amount and frequency of accommodation along the trail. This means that the longest stretch you need to hike between accommodation locations on the main trail is 15km / 9mi between La Fouly and Champex Lac. If this distance concerns you, there is ~130m / 430ft less elevation gain if you hike this section (and therefore the trail) in a counter clockwise direction.
