Tour du Mont Blanc, Stage 2: Les Contamines-Montjoie to Les Chapieux

After a first day of warm-up, the second stage of the Tour du Mont Blanc leaves the Montjoie Valley to venture into wilder and higher-altitude landscapes. This section, linking Les Contamines-Montjoie to the remote hamlet of Les Chapieux, represents a true transition. Forest trails give way to alpine meadows and rocky passes, offering a deeper immersion into the mineral world of the Alps. Hikers, whether on a self-guided trip or in a guided group, often describe it as the beginning of the real mountain adventure. In this article, we explore this key route, its challenges, the panoramas it offers, and its variant for the more experienced.

• The main route: Climbing to the Col de la Croix du Bonhomme
• The Col des Fours variant: an alpine option
• Heritage and history: on the ancient Roman road
• A changing alpine environment
• Prepare Stage 2 of the TMB with Grand Angle

The main route: Climbing to the Col de la Croix du Bonhomme

This second stage is one of the longest and most demanding of the trek, with around 18 kilometers and a significant elevation gain of 1300 meters. It typically takes between 6 and 8 hours to complete. The route leaves Haute-Savoie and enters Savoie, in the heart of the Beaufortain massif.

From Notre-Dame de la Gorge to the Col du Bonhomme

From Les Contamines, the trail follows the valley up to the baroque chapel of Notre-Dame de la Gorge, a place rich in history. This is where the true ascent begins. The path, an old paved Roman road, climbs in tight switchbacks through the forest before reaching the Balme refuge. The landscape then opens onto vast alpine meadows. The ascent continues, increasingly rocky, until the Plan des Dames, marked by its impressive cairn. The final section leads to the Col du Bonhomme (2329 m), a key passage offering breathtaking views of the surrounding massifs.

From the Col du Bonhomme to Les Chapieux

After a short traverse along the mountainside, the route reaches the Col de la Croix du Bonhomme (2479 m), home to the refuge of the same name. This point marks the highest point of the day. The view is panoramic over the Vanoise and Beaufortain ranges. It is one of the iconic passes of the Tour du Mont Blanc. The long descent then begins toward the hamlet of Les Chapieux (1554 m), a series of switchbacks through a pastoral valley that will test the knees but offers a serene setting to conclude this intense day.

The Col des Fours variant: an alpine option

For experienced hikers and under stable weather conditions, the Col des Fours variant is a more direct and wild alternative. It cuts between the Col de la Croix du Bonhomme and the Ville des Glaciers, upstream from Les Chapieux.

A more technical and exposed route

From the Col de la Croix du Bonhomme, a marked trail heads toward the Col des Fours, which peaks at 2665 meters. This is the highest point on the classic TMB and its official variants. The trail is steep and can remain snowy late in the season, making it inadvisable if you do not know when to do your TMB. The effort is rewarded by stunning views of Mont Blanc and the southern face glaciers. The following descent is steep and technical through a scree field, before joining a gentler trail leading to the Ville des Glaciers and then to Les Chapieux. This option is often chosen in our sporty hikes.

Heritage and history: on the ancient Roman road

The beginning of the stage, between Notre-Dame de la Gorge and La Balme, follows an ancient Roman road. This paved path testifies to the historical importance of this passage between the Arve Valley and Italy. Walking on these stones polished over centuries is walking in the footsteps of merchants, pilgrims, and soldiers who crossed these mountains long before hikers. The chapel itself has been a place of pilgrimage since the Middle Ages, adding a spiritual dimension to the physical effort.

A changing alpine environment

This stage is a true open-air lesson in geology and biology. As altitude increases, the flora changes: spruce forests give way to alpine meadows where gentians, arnica, and catchflies bloom. It is also the territory of marmots, which are easy to observe, and herds of Tarine or Abondance cows, whose milk is used to produce Beaufort cheese. Crossing the passes allows observation of sedimentary and metamorphic rock formations, witnesses to the formation of the Northern Alps.

Continue your TMB exploration stage by stage

• TMB - Stage 1: Les Houches to Les Contamines-Montjoie
• TMB - Stage 2: Les Contamines-Montjoie to Les Chapieux
• TMB - Stage 3: Les Chapieux to Elisabetta Refuge
• TMB - Stage 4: Elisabetta Refuge to Courmayeur
• TMB - Stage 5: Courmayeur to La Fouly
• TMB - Stage 6: La Fouly to Champex
• TMB - Stage 7: Champex to Col de la Forclaz
• TMB - Stage 8: Col de la Forclaz to Argentière
• TMB - Stage 9: Argentière to Chamonix
• TMB - Stage 10: Chamonix to Les Houches

See all TMB stages ➜

Prepare Stage 2 of the TMB with Grand Angle

With its significant elevation gain, this second stage of the Tour du Mont Blanc requires good energy management and steady endurance. It’s a true challenge that fits perfectly within our itineraries, such as the 10-day guided TMB or its self-guided version.

For those who wish to take their time and fully immerse themselves in the adventure, our longer programs, such as the the 12-day self-guided TMB, allow you to approach this demanding section with greater peace of mind.

The arrival in Les Chapieux, a tiny hamlet at the end of the valley surrounded by alpine pastures and mountains, is a wonderful reward. It marks the end of a sustained effort and the beginning of a new adventure: the third stage, which leads you to the Italian border.

To learn more about the difficulty of the Tour du Mont Blanc or its route variations, feel free to contact our expert advisors. They’ll be happy to share their field knowledge and help you choose the itinerary best suited to your fitness level.