The tour around Mont Blanc in mountain bike is a great project for all ambitious and well trained bikers. The terrain and landscape vary all along the tour, but the gorgeous glaciers and rocky pillars of Mont Blanc are always at close sight.
This itinerary crosses the borders of three countries (France, Switzerland, Italy); it can be considered of medium difficulty, in fact it requires a good control of the bike in some single track sections, and a good fitness as to ride 4-6 hours every day at altitudes ranging between 600 and 2500 m.

We propose here two  programmes, with the assistance of a local mtb guide, and overnight stay in hotel or guesthouse at the villages in the lower valleys which,  according to our experience,  is a far better solution than staying at the mountain huts in the upper valleys. The biker shall bring along his/her personal affairs and one clothes change, with possibility of a laundry service every evening at the hotel. With this approach the group will be totally self sufficient and independent.

Programme A is suitable to experienced and well trained bikers. It includes some strenuous uphill ascents with steep sections and  bike pushing. The whole tour is carried out by bike, except the Martigny – La Fouly section ( day 3) where train + bus is utilized.
Programme B is suitable also for the less trained bikers or for those riding a heavy enduro bike. Here the most strenuous and less cyclable ascents are avoided, instead public or private transports by train or minivan are utilized. Indeed we recommend this programme also for the experienced and well trained bikers, since it allows to better enjoy the descents and the environment.

Both programmes A and B can be carried out with muscular or e-bikes, featuring full suspensions and good quality tyres. They are not suitable to hard tail bikes nor city bikes !
Rental of bikes and protection gear is offered as optional.

The tours as described here feature a total of 160 – 200 km approximately and 4000 -7000 m of vertical gain/loss. On average there is a mix of 30% asphalt, 40% unpaved roads and 30% single track trails. We try to reduce asphalt sections to the very minimun needed. Sections with bike pushing (i.e. not feasible on saddle) may vary from 5% to 30%  of the whole tour.
We recommend to ride the tour clockwise (as given in the programmes), in order to tackle the various ascents and descents with less effort and greater fun.
Point of start and finish of the tour can be any of the villages set for overnight stay, but mostly we propose either Les Contamines or St.Gervais on the french side (100 km from Genève airport) or Courmayeur on the italian side (115 km from Genève airport, 150 km from Torino airport, 210 km from Milano Malpensa).

Best season for this tour is from june to october, when all the trails are free of snow. In july and august, early booking is necessary due to limited availability in the hotels and mountain huts; in these two months the trails can be rather busy with many hikers around.

WHY JOINING US IN THIS TOUR ?

• We have optimized the itinerary and the choice of overnight stays,  after many years of experience.
• We utilize the service of local qualified english-speaking mountain bike guides who can assist you along the way.
• We offer many options as for airport transfers, bike rental, accomodation in hotel or mountain hut, tour duration and itineray variants.
• We form small groups of max. 6 participants (of similar skills and fitness) per guide
• Traditional (muscular) bikes and electric bikes (e-bikes) lead to very different ways on how the progression and the whole riding day is managed. Hence we form groups with either traditional (muscular) mountain bike only or e-bike only, not mixed groups.
• We strictly observe the environmental rules by taking back all waste and leaving no trace of our visit.

OPTIONAL, VARIATIONS AND EXTENSIONS:

• FULL MTB SAFARI, where personal baggage is taken every day by van to the hotel of the overnight stay; in this case the biker will ride with an extremely light rucksack, and find at the hotel his/her new clothes change, bike spare parts if needed, and other personal items.
• overnight in mountain huts, instead of hotel/guesthouse in the lower valley: this choice is obviously less comfortable, but allows a full immersion in the mountain environment and is slightly cheaper;
• rental of bike and protection gear (helmet, knee and elbow protections)
• one or more extra days for enduro and/or downhill in a nearby location: La Thuile, Pila bike park , Chatel-Portes du Soleil, Verbier
• one extra day of enduro or DH school (with qualified mtb instructor) and/ or bike maintenance & repair course
• one or more extra days in the region for trekking, canyoning, rock climbing, paragliding.

We can adapt or change the programme according to any special requirements.
-> Please CONTACT US ahead of time, as to organize a wholly customized tour for you.