Hikes near Le Tour, Balme

Le Tour, Balme (1462 m) sits in Savoie Mont Blanc, France. MR. ALPS lists 20 waymarked hiking trails starting from or crossing the area, 181 km of marked route in total. They run from 3.8 km to 16 km, the longest being 36-Chemin des cols alpins. 20 of them record their elevation gain, between 54 m and 3729 m.

• Sentier des Alpages

  11.3 km · +2786 m · ≈ 6 h 54

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• Mont Buet

  9.7 km · +1760 m · ≈ 4 h 52

  path nr.12 from Rother Wanderführer, Mont Blanc

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• 37-Chemin des cols alpins

  15.1 km · +3093 m · ≈ 8 h 11

  A high alpine pass linking France and Switzerland, Col de Balme sits near the Sources de l'Arve amid rhododendrons and working alpine pasture, with sweeping views of the Mont Blanc range, the Chamonix valley, and the Swiss Alps.

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• Tour du Mont Blanc - Variante du Tour

  6.2 km · +1409 m · ≈ 3 h 35

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• Tour Du Mont Blanc - Variante de Vallorcine

  14.3 km · +2330 m · ≈ 6 h 45

  This variant of the Tour du Mont Blanc climbs through alpine meadows, conifer forests, and rocky slopes to the Col de Balme at 2,191 m, a pass straddling the French-Swiss border between the Vallée de Chamonix and the Vallée du Trient. From the top, the panorama takes in the Aiguille du Tour, the Aiguille du Chardonnet, and the Aiguille d'Argentière ranged across the Mont Blanc massif.

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• Tour Du Mont Blanc - Variante des Grands

  9.1 km · +1536 m · ≈ 4 h 23

  This high-altitude variant of TMB Stage 9 breaks free of the forested Vallon Nant Noir to deliver sweeping views of the Trient glacier, climbing above the tree line to Refuge Les Grands before tracing a high traverse along the lower flanks of Les Grands Otanes (2,679m) to meet the main trail at the Col de Balme. The route begins along the historic flat balcony path of the Bisse du Trient — an ancient water channel running from the Col de la Forclaz — before ascending into this little-trodden alpine terrain.

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• Refuge Albert Ier

  5.3 km · +1491 m · ≈ 3 h 33

  The trail climbs to 2,702 metres above the Glacier du Tour — the only hut managed by the CAF de Chamonix reachable in summer without crossing a glacier — with views spanning the Aiguille du Tour, Aiguille du Chardonnet, and Aiguille d'Argentière. It sits on the Haute Route between Chamonix and Zermatt, making it a crossroads for day hikers drawn by the Chamonix Valley panorama and alpinists bound for serious high-mountain routes.

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• Chalet de Loriaz

  13.8 km · +1818 m · ≈ 5 h 47

  A relentless, steady climb through the heart of the Aiguilles Rouges leads to the Loriaz mountain pasture, where the Mont Blanc massif spreads across the horizon in exceptional panoramic views.

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• Chemin des Diligences

  11.6 km · +634 m · ≈ 3 h 23

  Opened in 1792, this historic path traces the old coach route linking Martigny and Chamonix via the Col des Montets, threading through the authentic hamlets of Vallorcine where local traditions have been faithfully kept alive.

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• GaB_TMB_S01

  10.8 km · +1448 m · ≈ 4 h 34

  This route climbs from Chamonix-Sud at 1,033 m to the Plan de l'Aiguille at 2,314 m, then continues via cable car across the Glacier des Pèlerins to the Aiguille du Midi at 3,791 m — the highest of the Chamonix needles — where a terrace delivers the closest view of Mont Blanc without climbing it.

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• Petit Balcon Sud

  13.8 km · +1390 m · ≈ 5 h 05

  Mostly forested and hugging the southern aspect of the Chamonix valley at around 1,200–1,300m, the Petit Balcon Sud traces a low-altitude path from Les Houches all the way to Argentière. It presents very little difficulty and is considered an ideal choice even on rainy days.

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• Via Alpina Stage 80: Trient - Champex-Lac

  14.8 km · +1505 m · ≈ 5 h 28

  From Trient to Champex-Lac

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• Via Alpina Stage 79: Vernayaz - Trient

  12.2 km · +1563 m · ≈ 5 h 03

  From Vernayaz to Trient

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• 36-Chemin des cols alpins

  16 km · +789 m · ≈ 4 h 31

  From Champex-Lac to Trient

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• 38-Chemin des cols alpins

  13.1 km · +3729 m · ≈ 8 h 50

  From Lac d'Emosson to Cabane de Salanfe

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• Alpenpässe-Weg: Trient - Emosson Barrage

  +1676 m · mittel

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• Sentier du Balcon du Mont-Blanc

  +882 m · leicht

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• Alpenpässe-Weg: Champex-Lac - Trient

  +884 m · mittel

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• Alpenpässe-Weg: Emosson Barrage - Salanfe

  +1126 m · mittel

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• Cirque des Fonts

  3.8 km · +54 m · ≈ 51 min

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