Preparing your Tour du Mont Blanc
The TMB is not technical, but it takes preparation: huts are booked months ahead, the season is short and the ascent adds up. Here is what matters, topic by topic.
Updated
Know before you book
Refuge du Col de la Croix du Bonhomme · Closed for full renovation from August 2026 to spring 2029 (FFCAM). Alternatives: Nant Borrant, La Balme, Les Chapieux or Mottets via Col des Fours.
Practical guides
- When to goThe right window, hut openings, snow on the passes and the weather.
- How many daysFrom 4 to 12 days: what each duration means in distance and ascent per day.
- Fitness and trainingThe fitness needed, and a simple training plan to arrive ready.
- Booking hutsWhen to book, on which platforms, and what a night in a hut is like.
- BudgetWhat the tour costs per person, with a calculator for your group.
- Gear listThe gear list to tick off, and the pack weight to aim for.
- Getting thereReaching Les Houches or another start, and transport around the massif.
- Safety and emergenciesStorms, snow, emergency numbers and insurance.
The countdown
- 6 to 9 months ahead
Settle the dates, duration and group. Build a first plan with the planner and share the link with your companions.
- 4 to 6 months ahead
Book the nights, starting with the most popular huts (Bonatti, Lac Blanc, Elisabetta). For July–August, do not wait.
- 3 months ahead
Start training with ascent, buy or test your gear, break in your boots. Get insurance that covers rescue.
- 2 weeks ahead
Book transport, load the GPX files into your offline app, print the roadbook, get euros and Swiss francs.
- The evening before each stage
Mountain forecast, trail conditions, start time. Order your packed lunch at the hut and warn ahead if your plan changes.
The three decisions that matter
1. The dates
Mid-June to mid-September. July–August for weather, September for quiet. When to go
2. The duration
It sets the length of each day and so the possible places to sleep. How many days
3. The nights
Huts, hostels, hotels or tent: this choice drives budget and pack weight. Where to sleep
What next?
Once those three points are settled, the myTMB planner does the rest: it splits the tour into balanced stages for your pace, suggests where to sleep at the end of each day, and builds GPX files and a roadbook. It all fits in a link you can share.