prolog
intro before leaving
Complete map of Mont Blanc circumnavigation

Chamonix, the Gateway to Mont Blanc: Tracing the Origins of Alpinism

Day 1, from Leusch to Lecontamine: Listening to the Moldau from the Miage Hut

Day 2, Lake Jobe and Bonhomme Pass: Deep into the snowy Alps.

Day 3, from France to Italy, the Pass of Seigne: Encounters with the Unknown.

Day 4, Courmayeur and Bertone Hut: Closest to Mont Blanc.

Fifth day, through the Valley of Armina to Elena's Hut: Giant's Tooth and Grand Joras.

Day 6, from Italy to Switzerland, the Ferré Pass: The first fear encountered in the mountains

Day Seven, La Pauille and Lake Champex: Beautiful Swiss mountain villages.

Day 8, from Switzerland to France, Col de Balme: A border crossing in a hurry, looking for a place to stay.

Day 9, via Tetobang Doltap Rock Blanc: A sweet night by the white lake.

On the tenth day, via Brevent to the starting point, Leucht: turning the ellipse once and returning to the same place.

The best viewpoint in the Alps, Aiguille du Midi: the cold tongue of the Bosson Glacier.

Epilogue

The only book for trekkers who dream of circling Mont Blanc, the romance of the Alps!
A vivid travelogue and helpful information for trekking that will make you want to leave for the Alps right away, all in one book!
A detailed and friendly guide who will help you easily trek around Mont Blanc on your own!

Among the numerous mountains in the Alps, the Tour du Mont Blanc (TMB) is a circuit that circles around a dozen mountains centered around Mont Blanc.
This circuit spans three countries: France, Italy, and Switzerland, and is approximately 170 km long.
This Mont Blanc circumnavigation route is usually walked in about 10 days.
For Europeans, this Mont Blanc trek is one of the bucket list things they want to do at least once before they die.
Conquering Mont Blanc (4,807m), the highest peak in the Alps, has long been a dream for European mountaineers, and this is where the history of mountaineering, the art of mountaineering, began.
This is also why the word 'alpinist', which means climber, originated from the phrase 'people who climb the Alps'.
The Alps have now become a dream not only for Europeans but also for people all over the world.
It goes without saying that Mont Blanc is the flower of the Alps.
Many people dream of trekking Mont Blanc and take on the challenge of actually trekking Mont Blanc.


Interest in Mont Blanc trekking is growing in Korea as well.
However, while the number of people dreaming of trekking around Mont Blanc is increasing, information about it is severely lacking.
Although countless travel stories are published every day, there are not many travel stories by domestic writers who have trekked around Mont Blanc.
In particular, there are very few proper guidebooks that can help you prepare for the Mont Blanc trek alone.
When you actually go to the country, your thirst for practical information becomes even more intense.
Therefore, this book is Korea's first guidebook for trekking around Mont Blanc, and is expected to quench the thirst of trekkers due to a lack of information.


The Tour de Mont Blanc is a circular course that starts from Chamonix in southeastern France, the gateway to Mont Blanc, passes through Brevent, and returns to the starting point, Les Houches, a total distance of 170 kilometers.
The ten chapters are organized sequentially, just like an actual ten-day trekking itinerary.
Therefore, if you just follow the schedule in this book, you can complete the Mont Blanc trek.


The Mont Blanc Trail is a path where old roads from country to country are connected as one road, and mountains are connected to valleys and mountain villages, eventually returning to the starting point.
The author vividly recounts the various episodes he encountered while walking, eating, and sleeping along this path for ten days with his coworker.


The majesty of Mont Blanc covered in perpetual snow
Experience the heart of the Alps on foot
A place where passionate people, diverse cultures and unforgettable scenery come together.
A vivid record of 10 days of trekking on Mont Blanc!

The beautiful sounds of the babbling brook resonate through the Alps' Trök hut, the glacial waters of the Bongnang Stream in the Jobe Plain that cool down your feet after walking for hours, the Croix du Bonhomme Pass where you must climb the 45-degree slope of the snow-capped mountains with all your might, the La Follat ​​Ranch where the picturesque green meadows of Switzerland unfold before your eyes, the majesty of the 2,684-meter-high Pennage Peak rising above the cloudless blue sky...
The Mont Blanc trek is truly spectacular and dramatic.
The four seasons of spring, summer, fall, and winter are all contained within the Mont Blanc Trail.
Some days, you can experience all four seasons in just one day.
Even at Mont Blanc in late June, if the altitude is over 2,000m, glacial sections often appear.
As you barely cross the glacial pass, a spring flower path suddenly unfolds before you, and at some point, you find yourself suffocating on a midsummer uphill climb, plunging into an unknown world.
After squeezing out every last drop of sweat, a dense forest appears.
As you walk down the country road filled with the scent of fragrant, colorful Alpine flowers, you will be captivated by the majesty of the unique, bizarre, and gigantic rock formations.
Then, at some point, mysterious clouds cover the peak of the white mountain, Mont Blanc, and you can rest your tired legs for a while and become friends with trekkers from all over the world.

The author is particularly impressed by those who participate in the Ultra-Trail du Mont Blanc (UTMB), a mountain marathon that covers all or part of the Mont Blanc trek on foot within a set time.
Countless marathon runners, wearing only shorts and carrying small backpacks, passed by trekkers. Some were training for the UTMB race, while others were simply running a section for fun.
But on their faces, you couldn't find the usual tired expression of a marathon runner.
They all had smiling, cheerful, and even playful expressions.
People who are passionate and full of healthy energy – this may be the power that Montblanc has created.

The Mont Blanc trek passes through three European countries: France, Italy, and Switzerland, so you can experience a slightly different atmosphere at each border crossing.
Comparing the various differences, not only cultural and geographical, but even the feelings of the people, is one of the great pleasures of trekking around Mont Blanc.


Includes a full map of the Mont Blanc circuit and elevation charts for each course!
Detailed maps for each section, stopovers, and accommodation information!
A special guidebook that will help you plan your schedule just by reading it!

It is a mountain trail that goes up and down every day between a minimum elevation of 960m and a maximum elevation of 2,600m.
Compared to the Camino de Santiago, which takes a full month and is more of a flat trek in terms of terrain, the altitude difference of Mont Blanc is also a major feature of this trek.
The total elevation gain of the Mont Blanc Circumference Trail, which includes uphill and downhill slopes of approximately 1,000 meters every day, is close to 10,000 meters.
It is equivalent to climbing up and down Baekrokdam on Mt. Halla once a day for 10 days.
Therefore, the altitude charts, which are detailed by schedule and course, provide very practical information during the trekking process.
In this book, the information section at the end of each chapter is organized in an easy-to-understand manner.
This section includes detailed maps of each section as well as stopovers and their elevation charts.


Just by looking at the graph, you can see at a glance how much altitude you will need to move throughout the day.
It also includes information on accommodations, directions, and tips for eating while on the go.
It is packed with practical information tailored to domestic travelers, not found in English guidebooks available locally.
If you just follow along, you will be able to perfectly plan a 10-day week-long course.

The last chapter, 'The Best Observation Point in the Alps, Aiguille du Midi', contains the story of climbing to the 3,842-meter-high observation tower after the trek and taking in the view of the entire Alps.
It contains information on the process of going up by cable car, the scenery at various locations after going up, thoughts, and necessary information.
If you read up on the locations and visual characteristics of the various glaciers, such as the Bossong Glacier, which hang cold like the devil's long tongue, and the various Alpine mountains, such as the Matterhorn, before climbing to the observation deck, your short few hours in Aiguille du Midi will be much more rewarding.