The French Alps.
Our walking holidays are based in Chamonix in early July, and again in late August and September. These are the best time of the year to walk in the Alps. The deep winter snow has gone, the paths and mountain huts are open, the days are near their longest and sunniest and we avoid the crowded summer high season.
We offer a one week holiday arrive Saturday and depart Saturday (seven nights six days walking). Accommodation is in good quality hotels in the Chamonix valley for WalkAbout in Chamonix holidays. For walkers who choose to do the "Tour du Mont Blanc" or "The Haute Route Trek" or "Tour du Monte Rosa" accommodation used along the tour will include small hotels, village inns or mountain huts.
'WalkAbout Chamonix' is a hotel based holiday with a choice each day of easy, moderate and hard walks exploring the Aiguilles Rouges range of mountains and the forests and alpine pastures on the fringes of the Monte Blanc Massif. Our walks also explore the other valleys around the Mont Blanc massif, in particular Les Contamines Montjoie, Servoz, Argentiere and Vallorcine. Walks will include sections of long distance routes such as the Tour du Mont Blanc and sections of Grande Randonees such as the famous GR5 which goes from Lake Geneva to the Mediterranean Sea!
A Walkabout Adventure day will be made available as an option and could include an activity such as a glacier walk to a high mountain refuge. For those who would like a rest day from walking the course coordinator will suggest things to do. The telepherique up the Aiguille du Midi and across the Valle Blanche may appeal? Or a ride on the luge!
The Tour du Mont Blanc.
This wonderful but demanding trek goes round the whole Mont Blanc Massif from Chamonix into Italy then Switzerland and back into France returning to Chamonix. The total distance is 120 miles involving approx 33,500 feet (10,000m) of ascent and descent? It has been walked in 4 days, completed as a 'run' in 16 hours 40minutes and done by a relay team in 11hours and 54minutes.
We complete the whole circuit in 6 days! By walking on average about 16miles a day, its all on good paths but obviously some of it includes tough uphill sections. We use transport on the one or two sections that involve walks along flat valley roads. An example is the Val Veny down into Courmayeur after two hard days on the mountains when everyone is looking forward to the hotel in this famous Italian mountain resort and is quite happy to avoid several hours of road slogging.
We will only accept people onto this walk who are confident that they can do "hard walks" or who are moderate walkers almost at the hard walker level and willing to train to be able to do the six days as described.
The Grand Tour of Monte Rosa which is a circuit of the Pennine Alps.
This demanding walk starts and finishes near Verbier and crosses between Switzerland and Italy. It makes a circuit of the Pennine Alps (which include such famous peaks as the Matterhorn.) The walk will take two weeks and is only available in mid August. We will only accept people on this group who are confident "hard walkers" as above.
The Haute Route Trek.
Available for hard walkers only this traverse through the highest and most spectacular mountains in the Western Alps is dominated by views of two famous mountains Mont Blanc and the Matterhorn. A demanding summer trek it goes from Chamonix to Zermatt linking a series of valleys as it crosses the main mountain ranges using high mountain passes accessible only to walkers. We do it in six days, using transport to short cut sections within access of metalled roads, making it possible as a one week holiday. From Zermatt we travel by rail to finish the holiday back in Chamonix.
Dates and prices are set out in the Dates and Prices section.
Detailed information about the itineraries of these walks is available on request for people making bookings.
Some information about Chamonix and the French Alps.
Chamonix in the Haute Savoie province of France at the foot of the Mont Blanc massif is very close to the borders between France, Switzerland and Italy. You can get a flavour of all three of these countries on our holidays. The period early July, late August and September is the best time to go to the Alps. This is when there is the best chance of dry sunny weather, the winter snows are gone off the higher paths and it is outside the very busy seasons of winter and high summer.
Chamonix is "the" international centre for and birth place of alpinism. The town is built around the maison des guides des haute montagne, the hotel ville, and the church. In the main square is a statue of Jaques Balmat, the first ascentionist of Mont Blanc, pointing at the summit of the highest mountain in Europe. The town the valley and the satellite villages are dominated to the south by Mont Blanc and the incredible pinnacles, faces and glaciers of the Chamonix Aiguilles. This is the most serious and challenging arena for alpinism in the world. To the north the valley is flanked by the geologically distinct Aiguilles Rouges a particularly fine area for walking.
Chamonix exists to serve mountain sports and the extensive uphill transport system; telepheriques and mountain railways; makes it possible to get into the mountains quickly and easily. The hard work starts when you get off the lift or the train! But this is the most developed area of alpine mountains in the world and there are interesting buvets and mountain refuges offering food and drink where you can refresh yourself never far away. In the town the restaurants, bars and shops offer the specialities of the region and as this is an international centre and there is also a cosmopolitan flavour. As well as mountaineering there are a wide range of other active leisure pursuits catered for in Chamonix, the Sports centre and swimming pool, golf course, tennis courts, downhill 'luge' and riding facilities to name a few. The satellite villages such as Les Houches, Les Bossons and Le Praz are nice places to stay quiet villages where you can enjoy the rural calm of a more traditional Alpine village while also being close enough to enjoy the unique flavour of Chamonix.
WalkAbout Walking Holidays
Phone - 0151 724 2006
Mobile - 0773 403 8266
