Mountain hutFRvariant
1,910 m
Gîte d'alpage Les Écuries de Charamillon
Charamillon (Balme area) · TMB km 136
A former alpine farm converted into a hut, a quarter of an hour's walk from the Charamillon gondola arrival point, on…
Elevation profile
1,250 m1,500 m1,750 m2,000 m2,250 m0 km1 km2 km3 km4 km5 km6 kmCol de Balme 2,191 m
Description
From the Col de Balme, this variant drops straight down through the Charamillon pastures to the village of Le Tour, the highest in the Chamonix valley, then reaches Montroc and Tré-le-Champ on a balcony path.
It avoids the climb up to the Aiguillette des Posettes and the steep descent that follows. It is a good option late in the day, when the wind is strong on the ridge, or to spare tired knees. In season, the Charamillon gondola even lets you make the descent without any effort.
On the other hand, you miss the all-round panorama from the Posettes, one of the finest viewpoints over the upper Chamonix valley.
Tips
- Le Tour and Montroc have several places to stay, including the Chalet Alpin du Tour.
- Check the summer opening dates of the Le Tour lifts.
Map
Accommodation on this variant
HotelFRto be confirmed
1,460 m
Hôtel L'Olympique
Le Tour · TMB km 140.1
A small one-star hotel (9 rooms in 2022) in the village of Le Tour, not far from the Charamillon gondola station. It…
GîteFRvariant
1,466 m
Chalet Alpin du Tour (FFCAM)
Le Tour · TMB km 140.2
A large Alpine Club chalet in the heart of the hamlet of Le Tour, at the foot of the glacier of the same name, where…
GîteFRvariant
1,350 m
Gîte Le Moulin
Montroc (Les Frasserands) · TMB km 142
Housed in a former 18th-century farm and mill in the hamlet of Les Frasserands, this gîte is 200 m from Montroc-Le…