I’ve put together a MTB TMB route to do in the summer. While there’s loads of info on the walking route, some of it isn’t rideable and there isn’t AFAIK a recognised MTB route. So I’ve pulled one together using the walking route (avoiding the bits that talk about ladder or rope sections), the maps, a couple of route descriptions and a couple of Google Earth trails I found.

This is what I’m currently planning on riding: http://www.mapmyride.com/ride/france/les-houches/179123762025372055

I’d be very interested to get the views of anyone with practical experience on my chosen route.

Looks about right compared to the route that I took back in 2006 with 10Fifty and that which is taken by mbmb.

I’m assuming you are doing it clockwise, which is opposite to the walked route, but better for biking.

I’m unsure that you want to be riding between La Forclaz and Champex. We rode the road down to La Fontaine and Le Borgeaud, before road climbing up to Champex. Can’t remember why, but it would have been for a good reason!!

The section from Champex all the way back into France to Les Chapieux also looks to be what we did. We then rode over the Cormet de Roseland on the road and the following day rode from there over to La Planay.

The climb away from the Barrage be Roseland we did, looks like this (and is quite easy to spot on google earth). This climb is slightly to the north east of the lac de la Gittaz:

Actually planning to do it anti-clockwise.

Over 4 days starting in Les Houches and sleeping at the Refuges Mottet, Elena & Forclaz – works out at about 22-25 miles a day.

I did the tour du mont blanc about 4 years ago. I planned the route myself and rode pretty much the one you’ve marked. I’d recommend doing it clockwise.

Some changes to your route that I’d recommend are:
Take the road between Forclaz and Champex. The track from Forclaz is a long steep singletrack (we pushed up some sections) up to mountain pastures and then it descends on a steep awkward rocky section which is unrideable. (Going anti-clockwise this path might be ok but you’ll have to push up from Champex)
Don’t take the road through Entreves. There is a nice bit of singletrack that comes down on the other side of the Ferret river. This should be marked on a walkers map if you have one.
If you don’t mind pushing up keep the section between les Chapiuex and Les Contamines Montjoie. It’s a fun descent but a long way up.
Finally I think you need longer than 4 days to do it. We did it in 5 days and were absolutely knackered when we finished. Even if you’re superfit you still have to carry all your stuff (we did it unsupported), you’re biking at altitude and you need to allow plenty of time for mechanicals, injuries and if it’s bad weather.

The route we travelled was:
Chamonix to Champex (using the Le Tour Chairlift)
Champex to Val Ferret (Refuge Elena)
Val Ferret (Refuge Elena) to Les Chapiuex
Les Chapiuex to Les Contamines Montjoie
Les Contamines Montjoie to Chamonix (short day here so we coudl arrive at Chamonix early in the afternoon to pack up our car and set off home).

I hope some of the proves useful for you.

Thanks – it’s all useful info.

We’re planning on doing it the other way round so it looks like Champex to Forclaz will be a push up the ‘steep awkward rocky’ bit then a long singletrack descent into Forclaz. I’m obviously looking forward to the long singletrack descent more than the rucky carry but we accept there’s going to be a degree of push/carry on the route.

The two .kml files I managed to find on the web both go anti-clockwise and both go offroad from Champex to Forclaz. I know one of them was Sian and Carl from endlessride, both of whom are stronger riders than me by some margin. I’ve no idea who rode the other route – it could be Hans Rey for all I know!

I really in two minds about how long to plan to take. I know (from the GPS info) that Sian and Carl did it in four days. It looks like they did a short day (4 hours) then three 8 hour days. On the one hand I’m thinking – it’s only 23miles a day. On the other hand I understand that they’re alpine miles. If we do go with a four day plan, I’ll book flights to give us the flexibility of another day.

Like Nel, we’re planning to do it unsupported. We did a tour of the Cairngorms last summer and learnt quite a bit about just how little stuff we actually need to have with us. For that trip we thought we’d all trimmed our gear right down but I reckon we all took twice as much weight as we actually needed to have.

Nel – did you pre-book refuges or just turn up? Ideally I’d like to pre-book the refuges we plan to use but then have the flexibility to either press on if we’re making good time or stop earlier if we have to.

Don’t take the road through Entreves. There is a nice bit of singletrack that comes down on the other side of the Ferret river. This should be marked on a walkers map if you have one.

Where is Entreves? I have the walker’s map (IGN3630) and can’t spot it. For most of the Val de Ferret I’m hoping to track parallel to the road (and river). The only place it looks like the trail uses the road is around La Fouly.

I did have a look at a variant – coming from the Col Ferret, there’s a path that turns left at La Peule and contours the hillside dropping down at Ferret rather than going straight down to the valley floor. I’m quite tempted by that nit of trail but haven’t been able to find out much about it. The map shows a ‘ravine de La Peule’ which concerns me a bit – I try to avoid ravines!

We first did it in August 2001 (to escape foot and mouth) then did it again last year.  It is known as the TMB over there and the initials are daubed in paint all over the official (walking) route.  We were 4 of us.  2 were very strong climbers who knew Chamonix from that.  Me and the other bloke were equally strong paraglider pilots and know all the Alps very well from that.  The other pilot (originally from Morecambe moved out to the Alps 7 years ago and makes a living there selling paragliders.  We camped at Le Tour, about 1km from Argentiere.  The camp there is brilliant.  Camping in Cham itself is pretty grotty and far too commercial.  The camp owner was quite happy for us to leave the cars there while we were doing the ride.  We spent 2 days riding in and around Cham and then set off on a Sunday.  It pissed it down all the first 1/2day so we sat about for a few hours.  Once we were sure that it wasn’t going to improve we set off.  We had arranged the accommodation so we needed to make Champex anyway that night.  Over all the days were not too long.  The distances involved are depressingly short.  I think we did 200km all told.  We were in the saddle for 6-7 hours a day, but always stopped for a full on lunch.  There are many walking guide books for the route, many in English. I think the Cicerone one is pretty good. The TMB walking route is marked on the maps and we did 90+% of the route on the official GR.

We booked our refuges from the UK which was a good thing as both it gives you a goal for each day and besides although I’m sure you wouldn’t have a problem, turning up to find they were shut or full or something would be a bit shocking!  TMB is like the French Pennine Way and is very busy with walkers.  The refuges on it are therefore much more commercial than the higher altitude climbing huts that we knew.  We arranged evening meal and breakfast at each one so that all we carried was a small sack with the usual pump, tubes, fleece, toothbrush, ron-hills, little bags of isostar etc.  We were warned that punctures would be a problem so we took loads of tubes.  In the end none of us had any punctures!  In the proper style of things we rode the full way, no lifts, no support, no trains, no chairlifts.  Beware of pansies that do any of these!  What’s the point of doing it any other way? Seriously if you wanted to pamper to the pansies then there are 2 lifts up from Le Tour and a train from wherever up to Montroc. I think the lifts close from the end of the ski season to 30 June anyway. Also note that if you stay in the Cham valley your host (chalet renter, campsite owner etc) can give you a carte that allows free use of all the public transport (from St Gervais upwards) in the valley. That is the busses and the trains. They both take bikes and are very useful both during the day and for evenings out. I think the valley authorities are doing it to try to stem the pollution etc that is otherwise going to kill the valley.

Monday set off from Le Tour cycle up under chairlift, Col de Possetes, over the border into Switzerland by the tele-lifts, down to the road at Tete Noir, up the road to a small village (can’t remember name) then up a track which once was the unsurfaced road up to the Col de la Forclaz , turn of at the very summit of the col to Bovine some of this is ridable up hill but a fair proportion is carrying. Just over the top is a lovely buvette de Bovine. From there you ride for 2km then a carry down for 15 mins to fire road by waterfalls etc.  Up small white road (track) to Champex overnight in Gite there, very good rooms of 6/8 brilliant beds & showers!

Tuesday From Gite, 1km of road then turn off down through forest (well marked TMB) all rideable and very good to road at Issert then over road and follow valley up the other side, very good vehicle track, to Praz de Fort then swap sides of valley again to west side of valley good track slowly climbing up valley to emerge at road at l’a Neuve/ La Fouly.  Lunch there served by very dodgy transvestite Swiss bloke.  2-3km riding up road that turns into a track then follow the track, past the buvette (buvette is mountain hut serving drinks and sandwiches to wayfarers etc but I’m sure you knew that!) all the way up to the Italian border.  It is 8000′ here at the col de grand Ferret and is stunning.  It’s all ridable if you can ride up hill for 4000′!  Technical for first 10 mins then easier (but all rideble( steep downhill to refuge at Pre du Bar in Italy.  It was pretty wet when we were there and the track was muddy, but rideable.  Italian refuge very large (150+ people) and pretty commercial.  It was full of Japanese when we were there and they insisted on shuffling about all night! (This last year we didn’t stop there we pressed on to Cormayer which although 15km further on is only 30mins away as it’s all down hill, see below)

Wednesday down Landrover track from Pre Du Bar that eventually turns into tarmac.  From there we spun it on the road (15km of downhill!!) to mouth of MtBlanc tunnel. (Beware Tunnel du MtBlanc is signed TMB!!!) up road to Lac Combal which by then has turned into a track. This is under the famous ridge (who’s name escapes me) which leads up to the summit of Mont B. one of our 4 was on that ridge a year ago when he climbed it with another guy. They got trapped on a bivvy for 3 days but managed to get on after that to a hut and safely to Cham but (I think) 3 Italians and 2 Spaniards who were there with them perished so it was a moment tinged with sadness.  Follow track past refuge Elizabeth to Col de la Siegne, again all rideable up to 8000′.  Over the French border.  Best downhill ever on the other side to track that turns into road to village of Les Chapiex. Not technical, just long swooping fast downhill for about 5000’  From village we did 4km of road that cuts out 800m of track that looks very steep and unrideable.  Rejoin track at Les Murs, ride up track to Croix de Bonnehomme.  Best refuge ever, run on solar power, bar serves beer and hot chocolate!.  Stunning views and isolation.  The last 2km up to the refuge is hard and you’re knacked by then but it is rideable in granny, however you’ll be too tired and will mix walking with riding!

Thursday, follow TMB probably 10% of the first 1000m is rocky and hopping on and off the bike but after that brilliant downhill over the col du bonnehomme (that you drop down onto) ignore road at the bottom and get onto the GR5, just before Contamine cross the river, first on a small road then on tracks keeping on the GR5/TMB.  Keep west of the river all the time on some brilliant tracks to come out at the bridge Pont du Tromberes.  Cross straight over the road (D902) up small wiggly road to le Champel then out on forest track (still GR5/TMB) to Bionnassay, le crozat  then up track to col de Voza.  (This is a chair lift resort full of mainly British ponsy down hillers dressed up like darth vader.  When they look down their nose at you and say where have you come from?  Smile and say Chamonix…………..via Switzerland and Italy!)  There we took some very downhill technical tracks through the woods to la Terrain, Granges des Chavants, into Les chavants, over the river at Les Houches  Along the (North) side of the river up to nice and fast sweepy tracks, to Chamonix.  Up the (steep) road under the Planpraz ski lift to the petit balcon Sud (track), follow this petit balcon sud track all the way up to Argentiere, et VOILA!!.

Variations –

the guided tours (such as mbmb.co.uk etc) have different routes. On day one they go from Col de forclaz down a track by the side of the road all the way to Martigny. From there they climb up to Champex all on the road but to be honest because all their bags etc are carried in a van, most of them end the day at Martigny then ride in the van up to Champex.
On day three from Le Chapeau they climb all on the road (again many take the van) up to the Col de Rossaline. They overnight here and their last day is over the col de Joly then end at St Gervais where they get the free train back to Chamonix. I could show you on the map where they go but I don’t have a map on me.

Obviously the guided tours are constrained by the fact that they have to get a minibus up to their accomdation (with the bags etc) and they have paying punters who want to take a van uphill and ride the easy bits. You being an horary Yorkshireman I hope you wouldn’t fall for that!

Generally the ride benefits from just being in the mountains and self-sufficient for 4 days (you could do it in three if you were mad). There are marmots and chamois and big birds of prey in abundance. I think having the bike is an advantage in that way as they don’t expect you to approach them so quickly. We saw the most as we left the Bonnehomme as we were the first across that track at 830/900am. In an emergency you could take the bus back through the tunnel. We just carried multi-tool, tubes, pump, passport, spare shorts (rotation!), thin fleece, longs, balaclava, coat & that was about it. my sack is 14 litres and easily fit it all in. In fact this last time there were 3 boys and one girl and since she’s about 7 stone we three split her gear between us. (be careful not to crash & be heli-vac’d off with a sac full of woman’s underwear which was my worst fear!) Most days we would set off at 830 and with a full 1-1½ hours off for lunch were done by 4-5pm. We just liked to be off early then have a steady day never rushing against the clock rather than setting off at 11am and always being up against it. If you decide you are going I can easily mark a pencil line on the map to show the exact track we took. Don’t forget the scale of those maps is 1:25000 so thinking of it in terms of the Y Dales OS maps it’s not that far.

Chris

I did it with my kit over three days.

Hopefully I’ll get back this year to do it under 24hrs.

My route here here and here.

The only thing I would not do is lose all the height heading down to Martigny, better imho to use the Bovine, even if there is some carrying.

I’ll see if I can dig out my mapped route.

guys, i haven’t done this (yet) but it sounds bloody awesome. how much of the route would you say is unrideable? i heard quite a bit

when’s a good time of year?

richpips did you do it on your tod? i tried to organise it a couple of years back but none of my mates were up for it. if it is fairly safe to do alone i’d actually prefer it that way!! no waiting around or listening to other people’s moaning!

Hmmm…. Chris and Rich doing it clock-wise too.

Someone must have done it anti-clockwise?

richpips did you do it on your tod? i tried to organise it a couple of years back but none of my mates were up for it. if it is fairly safe to do alone i’d actually prefer it that way!! no waiting around or listening to other people’s moaning!

I did it on my own. Safe? Well it’s all on path’s with walkers, so you’ll not be left in a heap for long if you have a mishap. Some of it is technically quite challenging though.

Don’t take the road through Entreves. There is a nice bit of singletrack that comes down on the other side of the Ferret river. This should be marked on a walkers map if you have one.

I’ve found Entreves now – I was looking in Switzerland and it was in Italy. I’ve also found the riverside single track on the map, thanks.

I think we’d probably have ended up using it anyway. In that when we got to the point where we had a choice of jumping on the road or following river-side singletrack that looks like it’s going in broadly the right direction, I’d like to think we’d pick the singletrack every time.