The author Kev Reynolds describes the Tour of Mont Blanc (TMB) as "justifiably well known and generally considered to be one of the finest walking routes of its kind in Europe. Without question the scenery enjoyed each day is of the highest quality, and if visual stimulation be the sole criterion by which to judge a walk, then the TMB would certainly qualify as one of the greatest routes of the world, let alone Europe."
The TMB circumnavigates the Mont Blanc massif, linking seven valleys, in about eleven days and passes through France, Italy and Switzerland. The total ascent/descent for the route is 10,000m or 33,500ft. There are several variants on the main route, with the high level options dependent on weather.
The route traditionally starts at Les Houches in the Chamonix valley, passing through the towns/villages of Les Contamines-Montjoie, Les Chapieux, Courmayeur and Champex. The cols crossed are Col de la Forclaz (1526m), Col du Balme (into France, 2191m), Col du Brevent (2368m), Col de Tricot (2120m), Col de la Croix du Bonhomme (2479m), Col de la Seigne (into Italy, 2516m), Col Checroui (1956m), Grand Col Ferret (into Switzerland, 2537m), Col de la Breya (2401m) and Fenetre d'Arpette (2665m).
The route will be described as we walked it in September 2000. Due to excellent weather, the high level options were possible.