Another stunning day on the Grand Balcon Sud as you get ever closer to the main summit of Mont Blanc. A varied day with a mixture of developed landscape by the ski industry to some quieter sections which have a very remote feeling to them.
For your last day this is a fairly long walk with a lot of descent as you finally head back down to the valley. You should take around six to seven hours for this walk of seventeen kms. Ascent is 775m and descent for those weary legs will be 1550m. An early start maybe?
Pick up the path just outside the Refuge and start the atmospheric traverse towards Plan Praz. A mixture of level path (with a sometimes amazing drop down to the valley), open hillside and gentle climbs takes you to the Plan Praz cable car complex in about two hours.
When you arrive at Plan Praz, head towards the top of the chairlift and not down to the cable car station. The footpath turns right and climbs a series of zig-zags to the Col du Brévent in around 1 hour.
From the Col, the path ascends to the left and enters a seemingly different world!
Picking your way through and assortment of rocks and boulders there are then two short ladder sections (easy) before arriving back on the man made piste just below Brévent. (If the idea of using the ladders worries you (they are easy - see below) then you can ascend Brévent either via the track (piste) or in the cable car.)
Turn right here and head up the track towards the buildings. Although its not strictly necessary, its probably worth visiting the top cable car station as it is an amazing view point as well as an opportunity to get some refreshments.
Just below the cable car station is the path junction for Bellachat and Les Houches. The path descends through some rocky terrain before a starting its main descent. After about forty five minutes you reach the Refuge de Bellachat which probably has one of the best views in the entire Alps! A resfreshment stop maybe!!
From the Refuge, it’s a fairly steep descent down the flank of the Aiguillette de Brévent and down in to the tree line. A short section on the road before descending further, past the towering concrete structure of Le Christ Roi and finally to the main river below Les Houches.
A short walk over the bridge and up the road will bring you back to the starting point in the village.
Congratulations.......You made it.
You have just completed one of the most iconic treks in the world.
Well done!
We hope that you have enjoyed our tour around the Tour du Mont Blanc.
Join us for our next adventure soon......... Meandering in mystical Mongolia!!
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