Tour of Mont Blanc, northern half-turn, in 5 days

This second day is the day of the great crossings. The one we talk about in the evening at the refuge, our eyes still shining.

From Arnuva , the trail climbs steadily towards the Grand Col Ferret , at 2,490 meters altitude. Each turn reveals a little more of the sky, a little less of the valley. Meadows give way to scree slopes, the air becomes crisper, purer. And then, suddenly, the pass. An invisible line in the landscape, yet decisive: you have just left Italy and entered Switzerland.

On the other side, the light is different. The Swiss alpine pastures welcome you with their characteristic serenity. In the distance, the snow-capped peaks of Mont Dolent and Mont Avignon , along with their glaciers, gleam in the sunlight like mirrors set upon the mountain. The silence is almost perfect. You walk, you look, you breathe.

The descent to La Fouly is long and beautiful, with a generous elevation change and abundant panoramic views. The village, nestled at the bottom of the valley, welcomes you with open arms in the late afternoon. Overnight stay in local accommodation, in this corner of Switzerland untouched by mass tourism.

This is the most demanding day of the circuit and often the favorite. The one that makes you feel like you're really doing something big...

This morning, a transfer takes you to Champex-Lac , an alpine jewel set like a postcard amidst the larches.

From there, the day opens onto landscapes of rare grandeur, which remind us that the Alps are not just about peaks.

As you walk towards the Bovine alpine pasture , your gaze wanders towards the Rhône Valley, stretching into the distance with its terraced vineyards, sleepy villages, and golden reflections. Higher up, the towering peaks of the Bernese Oberland close the horizon with their austere whiteness. And to your left, the Combins massif imposes its vertiginous, massive, and majestic silhouette.

It's this kind of day that makes you reconcile with everything. With time, with slowness, with the idea that the journey is sometimes worth more than the destination.

The descent leads you to the Col de la Forclaz , a historic pass between the Rhône Valley and the Trient Valley, frequented for centuries by smugglers, pilgrims, and mountaineers. A few more steps, and you arrive in Trient : an intimate and authentic mountain village, where the inn smells of warm soup and wood.

A day of transition, certainly, but a magnificent one.

Today, you return to France. And France welcomes you as it should: with Mont Blanc in front of you.

The trail gradually climbs towards the Col des Posettes , at 1,997 m, the natural border between Switzerland and Haute-Savoie .

As you approach the pass, the silhouette of Mont Blanc is revealed, first shy, then overwhelming, and finally absolutely majestic. The Aiguilles Rouges , ablaze in the high-altitude light, frame this spectacle like a painting too beautiful to be true.

And yet, it's very real. You are standing there, looking down at the roof of Europe .

The descent that follows is a reward. The path hugs the ridges in a fantastic setting, a blend of rock and vegetation, open sky and dense forest. At every turn, a new perspective unfolds on the Chamonix valley , stretching out below in all its immensity.

The stage ends at the listed hamlet of Trélechamps: a timeless, unspoiled place where the stone houses seem to have grown naturally among the fir trees. A peaceful night before the grand finale.

The last day is often the most beautiful. As if the mountain wanted to let you leave with an image impossible to forget.

From Trélechamps , the Grand Balcon Sud trail gently leads you to one of the most photographed and moving spots in the entire Alps: Lac Blanc . At 2,352 meters altitude, this small mountain lake reflects the Mont Blanc massif with uncanny precision. The Bossons Glacier, the Grandes Jorasses, the Aiguille Verte : everything appears there, inverted in the still water, like a dream image.

This is where you share the last picnic of the trip. Sitting by the water, facing the highest peak in Europe, with five days of hiking under your belt and a head full of memories. A suspended moment, one you don't really leave.

The descent is via La Flégère , then the gondolas whisk you back down to the village of Les Praz with a big smile. Chamonix is ​​just a few minutes away, lively, festive, and worthy of the finish line you deserve.

The Demi Tour du Mont Blanc Nord ends here. But something, you can already feel it, has begun.