Tour du Mont Blanc

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Features Commonly Backpacked · Historical Significance · Lake · River/Creek · Views · Wildflowers · Wildlife

This 100+ mile tour of the Alps is an experience you won't soon forget. This loop is one of the most famous multi-day adventures in the world, and while it will challenge you, it will also reward you with unforgettable scenery as you circle Mont Blanc, the tallest peak in the Alps.

You can break this loop up in many ways thanks to the extensive hut system (huts every 6-10 miles). Most huts have food, water, and other amenities. You can also stop off at one of the seventeen towns—and many smaller villages—along the route.

Home of the prestigious UTMB course, this loop is a bucket list for many ultra-runners.

There are an infinite number of ways to run the Tour Du Mont Blanc (TMB)—with a variety of huts and refugios along the circuit, you can customize the length and difficulty of your run. Ambitious trail runners might tackle the full loop in a (long) day and runners can pick and choose how luxurious or rugged to make the route by breaking up the daily mileage or stopping off for extended stays at the many huts along the route.

However, you tackle the loop, it will be a challenge with a total elevation gain and loss of around 32,000 feet. All along the way, you'll be treated to outstanding views of Mont Blanc, one of the most impressive mountains in the Alps (and arguably) in the world.

And as impressive as the Alps and Mont Blanc are, that isn't all you get to see—the route is peppered with alpine meadows and lakes, historic sites, wildlife, wildflowers, and charming towns and villages. You'll navigate through France, Italy, and Switzerland--be sure to stop off and enjoy some of the local food and beverages along the route as well.

Check out REI's travel guide for recommendations on how to run the TMB and what sights you won't want to miss!

For some suggestions on itineraries, current weather, booking information, guides, and other information, check out the TMB General Information.

Keep an eye open for chamois, mountain hares, marmots, foxes, eagles, vultures, snakes and lizards. Spruce and larch with a variety of wildflowers in summer.