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

At the Col de Balme, Mont-Blanc comes back. After days of walking around the massif through Italy and Switzerland, it's suddenly right there in front of you — enormous, icy, barely real. It's the most moving moment of Stage 9 on the Tour du Mont-Blanc, and you could make a strong case that it's the emotional high point of the whole trek. You cross the third and final border: back to France, back to the Chamonix Valley.

Mountain hiking guides, we've stood at this col in rain, sun, and everything in between, and the view still stops us in our tracks. Even hikers doing the TMB for the second or third time pause here and just take it all in. This article walks you through the full route from Trient to Tre-le-Champ — the variants, where to sleep, and the remarkable stories woven into this stage.

The Route: Profile, Map and GPX

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

Stage 9 at a Glance

The moment you'll remember: at the Col de Balme, Mont-Blanc unfolds in its entirety right before your eyes. After days of seeing it sideways or from behind, the full frontal view genuinely takes your breath away. If the skies are clear, it's one of the most beautiful panoramas on the TMB.

The Climb: Trient to the Col de Balme

You set off from Trient (or Le Peuty, if that's where you spent the night) along a forest path that climbs steadily up the south side of the valley. The ascent is constant but there's nothing technical about it. The trail passes first through conifer forest, then opens out into alpine pastures as you gain height.

The gradient stays nice and regular — no exposed drops or scree fields like you had at the Fenetre d'Arpette the day before. It's a good honest climb that lets you glance back now and again to see the Trient Valley shrinking below. On a clear day, you can still spot the ridges around the Glacier du Trient, a last echo of the previous stage.

The Col de Balme Refuge

The Col de Balme refuge (2,191 m), sitting just below the col, straddles the Swiss-French border. It's the last Swiss building on the TMB. You can get hot drinks and a meal here, and it's the natural spot for a rest before heading down into France.

The col itself is a broad, 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 all, the Mont-Blanc massif spread wide.

The Col de Balme: (Yet Another) Panorama That Makes the TMB Special

From the Col de Balme, you look out across the entire north face of the massif. The Aiguille Verte (4,122 m) shows its finest side, topped by its glacial cap. Les Drus, the Aiguille du Midi, the Dome du Gouter, Mont-Blanc itself — it's all there, lined up like a living relief map. On a good day, you can even see the Mer de Glace flowing between the Grandes Jorasses and the Aiguille Verte.

This is where the TMB really comes together. You've spent eight days walking around this mountain, seen it from every angle, from three different countries. And now it's right there, face on, almost close enough to touch. Those who've done the full circuit feel the weight of the distance they've covered. Those starting from Chamonix don't yet know what's ahead. Those coming back know exactly what they're leaving.

The Posettes Ridge: A Detour Well Worth Your While

From the Col de Balme, the trail initially descends to the Col des Posettes (1,997 m). From this intermediate col, a variant takes you back up to the Aiguillette des Posettes (2,201 m), a detour of about an hour. The viewpoint gives you 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 viewpoints, and one of the most expansive.

The ridge is easy and perfectly safe in dry conditions. It is, however, exposed to wind and should be given a miss if there's any sign of a storm. 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

On the French side of the Col de Balme, the trail passes near the village of Le Tour (1,453 m), a tiny hamlet tucked away at the end of the Chamonix Valley. This is where Michel Croz was born in 1830 — one of the greatest mountain guides the Alps have ever known.

In less than five years, Croz put together a string of the most celebrated first ascents of the golden age: the Barre des Ecrins, Mont Dolent, the Aiguille d'Argentiere, the Grandes Jorasses, Mont Viso, the Grande Casse. His most faithful rope partner was the Englishman Edward Whymper, with whom he shared the majority of these climbs.

On 14 July 1865, Croz and Whymper made the summit of the Matterhorn by the Hornli Ridge, beating an Italian party coming up the other side. The descent, though, turned to tragedy: a member of the team 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 very little to suggest this extraordinary story. A few old stone houses, a cable car, climbers heading for the Glacier du Tour. But if you know the history, the place feels altogether different.

The Albert Ier Refuge: A King Who Climbed

Above Le Tour, the Albert Ier refuge (2,707 m) looks out over the Glacier du Tour. Its backstory is a remarkable one. Funded by the Belgian Alpine Club, it was inaugurated on 29-30 August 1930 and named after King Albert I of Belgium — a passionate mountaineer and club member who was there for the ceremony himself.

Four years later, on 17 February 1934, the king fell to his death from the Roche du Vieux Bon Dieu at Marche-les-Dames, near Namur, while climbing on his own. A king who died climbing — the story captures something about that era and the hold the mountains had on people of every background, right up to the head of state.

In 1850, during the Little Ice Age, the Glacier du Tour reached all the way down to the present village level at 1,450 m. Today, its front sits much higher. The refuge, renovated in 2013, remains a vital staging point for alpinists aiming for the Aiguille du Chardonnet or the Aiguille d'Argentiere.

The Descent to Tre-le-Champ

After the Col de Balme (or after the Posettes detour), the trail heads down to the Col des Posettes and on to the hamlet of Tre-le-Champ (1,400 m). The descent crosses alpine meadows before entering a larch forest. The path is well marked and presents no technical challenge.

Tre-le-Champ isn't a village as such — a handful of houses, an inn, a car park. It's a crossroads, a meeting point between the Chamonix Valley and the Vallon de Berard. For TMB hikers, it's mainly the launch point for the next stage, toward Lac Blanc and the Refuge de la Flegere.

The Vallorcine Variant

You can also head down from the Col de Balme toward Vallorcine (1,260 m), following the Eau Noire torrent. This variant adds around 45 minutes but it has real charm: Vallorcine is a valley unto itself, linked to France by the Col des Montets road but whose waters actually flow toward Switzerland. The village has a quiet, almost hidden feel to it, a world away from the bustle of Chamonix.

Accommodation at Tre-le-Champ and Nearby

• Auberge La Boerne (Tre-le-Champ): gite d'etape with dorms and rooms, half-board. The go-to address for TMB hikers at this stage. Friendly atmosphere.
• Refuge du Col de Balme (2,191 m): for those who want to break the stage in two or catch the sunset at the col. Dormitories, meals served.
• Hotels in Argentiere (3 km): the nearby village of Argentiere has a wider choice of places to stay and eat. Reachable on foot or by shuttle.
• Gites in Vallorcine: if you take the variant, several gites and hotels welcome hikers.

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

Practical Tips

Water and Resupply

Water is available in Trient at the 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. Bring at least 1.5 litres. There are no shops in Tre-le-Champ. For supplies, head to Argentiere (shop, bakery) — about 45 minutes on foot or a short shuttle ride.

Weather and Timing

The Col de Balme is exposed to wind. If it's overcast, the Mont-Blanc panorama disappears — and with it, the stage's main attraction. If the forecast suggests a clearing around the middle of the day, adjust your start time to suit. Heading off early (07:30-08:00) is still the best bet for avoiding afternoon thunderstorms in summer.

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

Difficulty

There's nothing technically difficult about this stage. The climb from Trient is sustained but regular (roughly 900 m of ascent). The descent to Tre-le-Champ is gentle. It's a moderate stage, well within the abilities of anyone who's made it to day nine of the TMB.

Frequently Asked Questions About TMB Stage 9

Is the Col de Balme worth the effort even in bad visibility?

The Col de Balme without the panorama does lose a good deal of its appeal. But the border crossing itself — the feeling of returning to France — still means something. And the climb through the Swiss pastures has its own quiet charm, view or no view. If the fog is thick, the Vallorcine variant gives you a more sheltered route and a lovely village to explore.

Can you combine Stage 9 with Stage 10?

You can, but it's a big day. Linking Trient to Tre-le-Champ to the Refuge de la Flegere adds up to roughly 20 km and 1,900 m of ascent. Some seven-day itineraries go for it, but it's demanding after nine days of walking. In our TMB in 7 days, we approach this section differently to look after the legs.

Where does the Arve river start?

The Arve — the river that flows through Chamonix and Bonneville before joining the Rhone at Geneva (107 km in total) — has its source in the Mont-Blanc massif. Coming down from the Col de Balme, you enter its catchment area. In the Middle Ages, corvee labour was organised to shore up its banks with bundles of branches. A column put up in Bonneville in 1826 represents the Arve as a goddess, brought low and chained.

What Comes Next on the TMB

From Tre-le-Champ, the following stage brings you along 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 arguably the most photogenic.

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

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