Around Mont Blanc - Road Bike Holiday

Day 1: Arrive in Argentiere, near Chamonix

Rendezvous at the group chalet in Argentiere (1240m / 4068ft), a short distance up the valley from Chamonix, in the late afternoon. Here, you will be welcomed and made to feel at home. In the evening, we will have an informal chat about the week ahead. There will also be a chance for the guide to check out your clothing and gear and to decide if you will need to pick up any further items of equipment before setting out in the morning. We’ll build our bikes and store our bike bags/boxes at the group accommodation. KE Land Only package services begin with the evening meal. Meals included: Dinner.

Day 2: Col des Montets into Switzerland

We begin our ride with a short climb to the Col du Montet (1461m / 4794ft), the first of many cols on our clockwise circumnavigation of Mont Blanc. We descend through the delightful village of Le Buet to the Swiss border check post in Vallorcine. A slightly longer climb takes us to our first re-fuelling stop at the Col de la Forclaz (1527m / 5010ft). From here we have a fast descent over 17 km / 11 miles dropping 1000 metres (3281 feet) into the Rhone Valley, skirting the town of Martingny on our way to the Grand St. Bernard Pass. However, to include all the cols on our way around Mont Blanc, we must detour up a steep but quiet road to the picturesque village of Champex Lac where we take a welcome rest and lunch by the lakeshore. Descending back to the main Valley once again, we bike through the village of Orsierre and begin our climb to the Grand St Bernard. Our first night’s accommodation is half way up the climb in the village of Bourg St-Pierre (1650m / 5414ft). Approx. 75 km / 47 miles of biking. (B, L, D).

Day 3: Col Du Grand St. Bernard to Italy

The Col Du Grand St. Bernard (2469m / 8101ft) is the oldest of the Alpine passes and was supposedly crossed by Hannibal in 217 BC and by Caesar in 57 BC. Throughout the Middle Ages, a hospice constructed on the pass provided free shelter and food to pilgrims, clerics and travellers - many of whom crossing to and from Rome. Today, the pass is a busy place with several cafes and shops but the hospice still remains and is open to travellers - you can even buy a real St. Bernard Dog or a more practical miniature replica. The ride to the Col is truly spectacular with stunning views back to the snowy Grand Combin and the rocky summit of Mont Velan (3708m / 12,166ft). From our hotel, we climb a short way past a tunnel (constructed in 1964) that is now used by heavy traffic. From this point, the road becomes much quieter and even more of a pleasure to ride. The last few zig-zags of the road steepen slightly as we near the Col but there is a welcome rest in sight at the top (14 km / 9 miles from Bourg St-Pierre). After a break and the obligatory photograph we embark on a breath-taking descent into Italy and the Aosta Valley. The 2000 metre (6562 foot) vertical drop seems endless and brings us to the bustling town of Aosta. We head north on a road towards Mont Blanc and thankful that the majority of traffic is using the new motorway. The support vehicle will meet us at a suitable place for lunch a short way out of Aosta. At Morgeux we leave the main road for the climb to the Col du St. Carlo. This is a classic Italian time trial with over 1000 metres (3281 feet) of height gain over a distance of 10 km / 6 miles. We’ll find more opportunities for welcome refreshments at the top of the pass, followed by a gentle descent to the beautiful village of La Thuile (1435m / 4708ft). We then climb 750 metres (2461 feet) over 13 km / 8 miles to the Col du Petit St. Bernard (2188m / 7179ft). As we climb higher the views across to the Mont Blanc massif become increasingly impressive. After a quick refreshment break we make a fast descent through the ski village of La Rossiere (1800m / 5906ft) to join the Route des Grandes Alps at the very attractive town of Bourg-St-Maurice (800m / 2625ft) and our overnight stop. (B, L, D).

Day 4: Cormet de Roseland to la Clusaz

We continue to follow the Route des Grandes Alps on our second climb of the day - the famous Tour de France climb of Cormet de Roseland (1967m / 6454ft). This 1150 metre (3773 foot) climb is over 20 km / 12 miles and is steep at first before easing off after the initial switchbacks. The surface of the road is one of the best in the Alps as it has recently been re-surfaced for 'Le Tour'. We have lunch on the top and enjoy the spectacular views. It’s then 20 km / 12 miles of descent to the village of Beaufort (741m / 2431ft) skirting the stunning Lac de Roseland. From Beaufort we back-track momentarily to join Les Traverses du Donnet, a delightful and quiet back-road to the small village of Hauteluce (1243m / 4078ft). Here, we re-join the Route des Grandes Alps for the final 400 metre (1312 foot) and 10 km / 7 mile climb to the Col des Saises (1633m / 5358ft). After an early lunch, we descend into the Gorges de L’Arly, crossing the river at La Flumet to climb via the village of La Giettaz to the Col du Aravis (1486m / 4876ft). We have time for a break at the top as it is only a short 8 km / 5 miles of descent to our accommodation in the picturesque small town of La Cluzaz. (B, L, D).

Day 5: Col du la Columbiere to Cluses and return to Chamonix

Our final day’s ride is one of the most enjoyable of our trip. There are three climbs today, the first being the Col de la Columbiere (1613m / 5292ft) via the villages of St Jean-de-Sixt and Le Grand-Bornand. After a mid-morning break at the col we descend via a very scenic road to the village of Le Reposoir where we turn right to climb once again for 300 metres (984 feet) to the village of Romme. Now we can see the Vallee de L’Arve and our route back to Chamonix. We cross the motorway at Cluses and follow the N205 to Chamonix, picking up the 'Mont Blanc Cycle Route', approx 10 km / 6 miles out of Cluses. We follow this along the valley, stopping for lunch by an impressive waterfall approximately half way to Sallanches. After the break we continue on the Mont Blanc Cycle Route which now climbs, sometimes steeply, through the villages of Passy, Servoz, Les Houches and finally to Chamonix. After a celebratory stop in Chamonix town we ride the final short distance back to our original starting point in Argentiere. Tonight we’ll no doubt celebrate the end of our fantastic High Cols route around Mont Blanc in style. Approx. 75 km / 47miles of riding. (B, L, D).

Day 6: Depart

KE Land Only package services end after breakfast. For those with late flights the Saturday market in Chamonix is well worth a visit. (B).