Chamonix Montenvers Loop
Our Rating
7
Good
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Length
11.34km
Elevation + / -
855m / 855m
Altitude Range
1064m / 1920m
When to go
Start Jun - Mid Oct
Hike duration
4.0 - 6.0 Hours
Run duration
2.0 - 3.5 Hours
Technical level
Moderate
Natural beauty
Very Nice
Families
12+ Years old
Dogs
Dogs Allowed
Provision Sources
2 Snack Bars
Trail type
Loop
This route is a great option if you want to reach Montenvers from Chamonix without using the Montenvers mountain train. The trail starts at Les Planards where you will find the luge and a little recreation park. From there its a pretty gentle hike up to the Buvette des Mottets where you can have a snack and a drink. This area is beautiful with nice rock formation and great views across the valley and towards the Aguille Vert. The hike up to Montenvers is beautiful with big boulders and pretty rough terrain. Once at Montenvers you can enjoy all the sights there: the Mer de Glace glacier with the Grotte de Glace ice cave, the Montenvers hotel, restaurant and snack bar and the spectacular views all around. Once you are ready to head back down, you can walk past the Montenvers hotel on the left side and you will find a trail towards de Chalet de Caillet. This is a little snack bar where you can a little break. From there its a steady downhill wooded trail back to Les Planards and your starting point.
Video of this Trail
We have made a video presentation for this trail. The video will provide full 3D fly over of the route and then give a great overview of the experience you can expect when you take on this trail. It is a great way to quickly understand if this is the perfect trail for you. Please visit our channel on YouTube and like the video and subscribe to our channel. Putting together these videos is a lot of work!
Photos of this Trail
Below are all the photos we have in our Chamonix Photos collection for this point of interest. All our photos are tagged with the GPS coordinates and linked to the trails that you can take to find the location where the photo was taken. So if you want to see the full details for a specific photo then just click on it.
Trail Directions & Safety Considerations
Risk Considerations & Difficulty Assessment
This route reaches an altitude of 1913. Check the snow conditions if you are planning to go outside of the peak season of June to the end of September. The trail is easy to find and easy to navigate. Your main waypoints are Buvette de Mottets, Montenvers, Buvette de Caillet and Chamonix. The trails are not difficult. The trail between Buvette de Mottets and Montenvers is very rocky and full of big boulders and the occasional small ladder.
Children
12+ Years old
Dogs
We recommend to keep your dog on a leash
Trail Directions
From Les Planards follow the fairly steep path that takes you up the beginner ski slope area. Take a left turn to pass below the luge rails. Now follow signs for Buvette de Mottets and Montenvers. The trail is easy to follow and well marked. Once you reach Buvette de Mottets take a right and you will see the signs for Montenvers. You will reach a split where you can take either way to reach Montenvers. The left side is more scenic in my opinion. Once you reach Montenvers you can have a look around and enjoy its many sights and attractions. Once you are ready to start your descend back to Chamonix, head to the Montenvers Hotel and on the left side you will find the trail going to the Buvette de Caillet. Once at the Buvette follow the signs for Chamonix and it will take you back to the top of Les Planard and then you can take the same trail down to where you started.
Points of Interest
Our hiking and trail running trails around Chamonix are chosen for their natural beauty and variety. We also always try to combine as many sights, attractions and points of interests as possible in our trails. Below you will find a list of the points of interests linked to this trail.
