TMB Stage 9: Trient to Tre-le-Champ via the Col de Balme

At the Col de Balme, Mont-Blanc is suddenly right there again. After days of circling the massif through Italy and Switzerland, you come face to face with it — towering, glacial, almost unbelievable. It's the most powerful moment of Stage 9 on the Tour du Mont-Blanc, and quite possibly the emotional highlight of the whole trek. The third and final border is behind you: you're back in France, back in the Chamonix Valley.

Mountain hiking guides, we've stood at this col in every kind of weather, and the panorama always delivers. Even hikers doing their second or third TMB come to a full stop at the top. This article lays out the complete route from Trient to Tre-le-Champ, with the variants, accommodation choices, and the fascinating history that gives this stage real depth.

The Route: Profile, Map and GPX

• Distance :↔ 12.9 km
• Dénivelé positif :↗ 1065 m
• Dénivelé négatif :↘ 906 m

Stage 9 at a Glance

The highlight: at the Col de Balme, Mont-Blanc appears in full, directly ahead of you. After days of seeing it in profile or from behind, the head-on view is genuinely striking. In clear weather, it's one of the finest panoramas on the entire TMB.

The Climb: Trient to the Col de Balme

You leave Trient (or Le Peuty, if you stayed there) on a forest trail that gains elevation steadily on the south side of the valley. The climb is sustained but nothing technical. The path starts in conifer forest before giving way to alpine pastures as you move higher.

The grade stays consistent — no exposed ledges or scree slopes like the Fenetre d'Arpette threw at you the day before. It's a straightforward, honest climb that leaves plenty of time to turn around and watch the Trient Valley fall away below. On a clear day, you can still make out the ridgelines around the Glacier du Trient, a last nod to the previous stage.

The Col de Balme Refuge

The Col de Balme refuge (2,191 m), sitting just below the col, marks the Swiss-French border. It's the last Swiss structure on the TMB. Hot drinks and meals are available, making it the natural place to refuel before descending into France.

The col itself is a wide, grassy plateau open on both sides. To the north: Switzerland, the Trient Valley, the Valais. To the south: France, the Chamonix Valley, and behind it, the Mont-Blanc massif in all its scale.

The Col de Balme: (Yet Another) Panorama That Makes the TMB Worth Every Step

From the Col de Balme, the view covers the whole north side of the massif. The Aiguille Verte (4,122 m) shows its most impressive face, topped by its ice cap. Les Drus, the Aiguille du Midi, the Dome du Gouter, Mont-Blanc itself — the entire lineup is there, laid out like a three-dimensional map. On a clear day, you can even pick out the Mer de Glace threading between the Grandes Jorasses and the Aiguille Verte.

This is where the TMB really sinks in. You've been walking around this mountain for eight days, seen it from every angle, from three countries. And now it's right in front of you, almost within arm's reach. Hikers who've completed the full loop feel the magnitude of the distance covered. Those beginning the TMB from Chamonix can't yet imagine what's ahead. Those coming back know exactly what they're walking away from.

The Posettes Ridge: A Side Trip That Pays Off

From the Col de Balme, the trail first descends to the Col des Posettes (1,997 m). From this intermediate col, a variant lets you climb back up to the Aiguillette des Posettes (2,201 m), a detour of about an hour. The viewpoint delivers a full 360-degree panorama: the Mont-Blanc massif to the south, the Rhone Valley to the north, the Aiguilles Rouges to the east. It's one of the TMB's least-known lookouts, and one of the most far-reaching.

The ridge is easy and safe when it's dry. It's exposed to wind, though, and should be skipped if storms are in the forecast. From the Aiguillette, you continue along the ridge and descend directly toward Tre-le-Champ.

Michel Croz: The Guide Born at the Foot of the Col

Descending the Col de Balme on the French side, the trail passes close to the village of Le Tour (1,453 m), a small hamlet at the very end of the Chamonix Valley. This is where Michel Croz was born in 1830 — one of the greatest mountain guides in the history of alpinism.

In fewer than five years, Croz piled up the most prestigious first ascents of mountaineering's golden age: the Barre des Ecrins, Mont Dolent, the Aiguille d'Argentiere, the Grandes Jorasses, Mont Viso, the Grande Casse. His most trusted climbing partner was the Englishman Edward Whymper, with whom he pulled off most of these feats.

On July 14, 1865, Croz and Whymper summited the Matterhorn via the Hornli Ridge, beating an Italian team approaching from the opposite side. But the descent turned into a disaster: one member of the party slipped, the rope broke, and four men fell to their deaths — Croz among them. He was 35. His tombstone in Zermatt reads: "He perished not far from here, a man of courage and a faithful guide."

Walking through Le Tour today, there's little to mark this remarkable life. A few old stone houses, a cable car, climbers heading for the Glacier du Tour. But for anyone who knows the story, the place takes on a different meaning.

The Albert Ier Refuge: A Mountaineering Monarch

Above Le Tour, the Albert Ier refuge (2,707 m) overlooks the Glacier du Tour. Its story is a fascinating one. Financed by the Belgian Alpine Club, it was inaugurated on August 29-30, 1930, and named after King Albert I of Belgium — a dedicated mountaineer and club member who showed up for the opening ceremony himself.

Four years later, on February 17, 1934, the king was killed in a fall from the Roche du Vieux Bon Dieu at Marche-les-Dames, near Namur, while climbing alone. A monarch who died on a rock face — the episode captures both the era and the grip that mountains had on people from every walk of life, including heads of state.

In 1850, during the Little Ice Age, the Glacier du Tour reached all the way down to the present-day village at 1,450 m. Today its front sits considerably higher. The refuge, renovated in 2013, remains a critical base for alpinists targeting the Aiguille du Chardonnet or the Aiguille d'Argentiere.

The Descent to Tre-le-Champ

After the Col de Balme (or the Posettes detour), the trail descends to the Col des Posettes and then reaches the hamlet of Tre-le-Champ (1,400 m). The descent crosses alpine pastures before entering a larch forest. The path is well marked and technically straightforward.

Tre-le-Champ isn't a village in any real sense — a handful of houses, an inn, a parking lot. It's a waypoint, a junction between the Chamonix Valley and the Vallon de Berard. For TMB hikers, it's mainly the starting point of the next stage, heading for Lac Blanc and the Refuge de la Flegere.

The Vallorcine Variant

You can also descend from the Col de Balme toward Vallorcine (1,260 m), following the Eau Noire torrent. This variant adds about 45 minutes but has genuine appeal: Vallorcine is a valley unto itself, connected to France by the Col des Montets road but whose waters flow toward Switzerland. The village has an isolated, almost secretive feel, a world away from the energy of Chamonix.

Accommodation at Tre-le-Champ and Nearby

• Auberge La Boerne (Tre-le-Champ): gite d'etape with dorms and private rooms, half-board. The go-to address for TMB hikers at this stage. Welcoming atmosphere.
• Refuge du Col de Balme (2,191 m): for anyone who wants to split the stage or watch the sunset from the col. Dormitories, meals served.
• Hotels in Argentiere (3 km): the neighboring village of Argentiere has more accommodation and restaurant options. Reachable on foot or by shuttle.
• Gites in Vallorcine: if you take the variant, several gites and hotels cater to hikers.

Booking recommended in July-August, especially at Auberge La Boerne, which has limited capacity.

Practical Tips

Water and Resupply

Water is available at Trient when you start, then at the Col de Balme refuge. A few streams run on the French side early in the season, but they can dry up by August. Carry at least 1.5 liters. There are no stores in Tre-le-Champ. For resupply, Argentiere (grocery store, bakery) is about 45 minutes on foot or a quick shuttle ride away.

Weather and Timing

The Col de Balme is exposed to wind. In overcast conditions, the Mont-Blanc panorama vanishes — and with it, the stage's main draw. If the forecast calls for a clearing around midday, adjust your departure time to match. Starting early (7:30-8:00 AM) remains the best approach to avoid afternoon thunderstorms in summer.

The Posettes ridge should be avoided in stormy weather (exposed ridge, no shelter).

Difficulty

This stage has no technical difficulty. The climb from Trient is long but steady (roughly 900 m of elevation gain). The descent to Tre-le-Champ is gentle. It's a moderate day, manageable for any hiker who's made it this far into the TMB.

Frequently Asked Questions About TMB Stage 9

Is the Col de Balme worth the climb even in cloudy conditions?

Without the panorama, the Col de Balme does lose a good deal of its impact. But the border crossing itself — the feeling of returning to France — still resonates. And the ascent through the Swiss pastures has its own quiet appeal, whether the view is there or not. In heavy fog, the Vallorcine variant offers a more sheltered route and a charming village to discover.

Can you combine Stage 9 with Stage 10?

It's possible, but it's a long haul. Linking Trient to Tre-le-Champ to the Refuge de la Flegere totals around 20 km and 1,900 m of elevation gain. Some seven-day itineraries go for it, but that's a demanding day, especially on day nine. In our TMB in 7 days, we organize this section differently to keep your legs in good shape.

Where does the Arve river begin?

The Arve — the river running through Chamonix and Bonneville before joining the Rhone at Geneva (107 km in total) — originates in the Mont-Blanc massif. Descending from the Col de Balme, you enter its watershed. During the Middle Ages, organized labor was used to reinforce its banks with bundles of branches. A column raised in Bonneville in 1826 portrays the Arve as a goddess, subdued and chained.

What Comes Next on the TMB

From Tre-le-Champ, the next stage follows the Grand Balcon Sud facing the Mer de Glace, with the option of climbing to Lac Blanc (2,352 m). It's one of the TMB's shortest stages, but likely the most photogenic.

You've just arrived from Stage 8, Champex-Lac to Trient via Bovine or the Fenetre d'Arpette — the big decision is behind you. To see where this stage fits in the full picture, the complete Tour du Mont-Blanc overview details all 11 stages, variants and logistics. If you'd prefer the TMB in comfort with carefully selected accommodation and a dedicated guide, the TMB in 7 days with Altimood condenses the best of the circuit into a single week.

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