Stage 9 of the Tour du Mont Blanc from Trient to Tré le Champ takes you back into the Vallée de l’Arve of France.
This stage of the TMB has been officially rerouted.
Formerly, the route descended directly from Col de Balme (2191 m) to Tré le Champ via Le Tour. Now, the TMB leads slithers down to Col des Poisettes and then follows the crest of Aiguillette des Posettes, before plunging down to Tré le Champ.
If the weather conditions are poor, it’s best to take the old TMB path to Le Tour.
- Starting Point: Trient, Switzerland
- Ending Point: Tré le Champ, France
- Distance: 14.3 km point-to-point
- Time Needed: 5:45 hours
- Elevation Gain: 1137 meters
- Elevation Loss: 1077 meters
- Difficulty: Moderate
- Minimum Elevation: 1275 meters
- Maximum Elevation: 2201 meters
- Where to Stay in Tré le Champ: Auberge la Boerne
- Where to Stay in Frasserands: Gîte Chamonix Le Moulin
- Self-Guided Hiking Tour: 10 Day Standard Tour du Mont Blanc (what we booked) / 10 Day Comfort Tour du Mont Blanc (private rooms only)
Trient – Col de Balme – Tré le Champ Trail Map
Trient – Col de Balme – Aiguillette des Posettes – Tré le Champ Trail Description
Trient to Col de Balme (2 hours)
Follow the road 15 minutes to Le Peuty, where there’s a campground and a refuge. Bear right on the gravel track that bisects a large meadow. After crossing the Nant stream, the trail enters the forest.
The trail tacks up the forest for a good 40 minutes.
When you emerge above the treeline, the trail aims for the saddle. The ascent is easy enough, though not particularly scenic.
Col de Balme marks the border between Switzerland and France. Refuge du Col de Balme is located on the grassy saddle, just a few meters off the main trail
If it’s windy and cold, Refuge du Col de Balme is a delightful place to take shelter and drink hot chocolate. You can pay in Euros or Swiss Francs.
Col de Balme to Col des Posettes (45 minutes)
Return to the junction and hike to Col des Posettes.
Now in France, a dirt path crosses an open hillside with views of the Vallée de l’Arve at the foot of the Mont Blanc range.
The views are utterly fantastic as you descend to Col des Posettes (1997 m).
Col des Posettes to Aiguillette des Posettes (50 minutes)
At the Col des Posettes trail junction, follow the sign to Aiguillette des Posettes (50 minutes). If you’re hungry, you can detour 5 minutes to Restaurant Alpage de Balme.
Hike up the grass slope, where cattle graze in summer.
The trail leads to the crest and then follows it to the 2201 meter summit of Aiguillette des Posettes (2201 m), which is the highest point of today’s hike.
Aiguillette des Posettes to Gîte Chamonix Le Moulin (1:45 hours)
The Tour du Mont Blanc continues along the rocky spine towards a two-headed mountain group that looks like a darker Sassolungo/Langkofel (Italian Dolomites).
The views continue to impress, but the trail gets increasingly more rugged and uneven.
Eventually, the trail drops below the treeline.
You’ll pass several junctions. Initially, always follow the sign to Tré le Champ.
The end of this stage will be a bit different for everyone, depending on where you’re staying in the valley.
We stayed in Gîte Chamonix Le Moulin in Les Frasserands. We used a navigation app to navigate to our accommodation.
Stay in/near Tré le Champ
We stayed in Gîte Chamonix Le Moulin, a hostel-style accommodation with 6 dormitory rooms. There are 6 communal showers. Check-in is from 4 pm until 7 pm. The dinner was very good. There are many rules (all understandable) posted about the premises.
Tour du Mont Blanc Essential Info
Read our Tour du Mont Blanc Hiking Guide to start planning your trek.
Quick Facts
- Official TMB Length: 170 km (105 miles)
- Days Needed: 10-11 days
- Which Direction to Hike: Counterclockwise
- Where to Start the TMB: Chamonix, Vallée de l’Arve, France
- Closest Airport to Chamonix: Geneva Airport, Switzerland
- When to Hike the TMB: July – early September
- When to Book the TMB: January – February
- TMB Difficulty: Moderate
- Recommended Self-Guided Tours: 10 Day Standard Tour du Mont Blanc (private and shared rooms), 10 Day Comfort Tour du Mont Blanc (private rooms only), 7 Day Tour du Mont Blanc (shortened route with transit shortcuts), 15 Day Tour du Mont Blanc (leisurely-paced route).
TMB Planning Resources
- TMB Hiking Guidebook: Cicerone: Trekking the Tour of Mont Blanc guidebook
- TMB Trail Maps: L’Escursionista Tour du Mont Blanc TMB or IGN Tour du Mont Blanc Map
Tour du Mont Blanc Route Itinerary
The Tour du Mont Blanc (TMB) is a captivating multi-day hike that circuits the Mont Blanc massif in usually 10-11 days, passing through France, Italy and Switzerland. Here’s our personal TMB itinerary.
- Stage 1: Chamonix – Le Brévent – Les Houches
- Stage 2: Les Houches – Les Contamines-Montjoie (Col de Tricot Variant)
- Stage 3: Les Contamines – Refuge de la Croix du Bonhomme
- Stage 4: Refuge de la Croix du Bonhomme – Cabane du Combal (Col des Fours Variant)
- Stage 5: Cabane du Combal – Courmayeur – Rifugio Bertone
- Stage 6: Rifugio Bertone – Grand Col Ferret – Alpage de La Peule
- Stage 7: Alpage de La Peule – Ferret – La Fouly – Champex-Lac
- Stage 8: Champex-Lac – Trient (Fenêtre d’Arpette Variant)
- Stage 9: Trient – Col de Balme – Aiguillette des Posettes – Tré le Champ
- Stage 10: Tré le Champ – Lac Blanc – La Flégère – Chamonix
More Guides about Hiking in Europe
European Alps:
- The Alps in Summer: 10 Things You Need to Know Before Visiting
- Hiking in the European Alps
- Italian Alps Hiking Destinations
- Austrian Alps Hiking Destinations
- Slovenia Alps Hiking Guide
Multi-Day Hikes in Europe:
Hut to Hut Hiking:
