Petit Balcon Nord - Le Tour to Chamonix
Our Rating
7
Good
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Length
12.53km
Elevation + / -
226m / 683m
Altitude Range
1044m / 1527m
When to go
Mid Apr - End Oct
Hike duration
2.5 - 4.0 Hours
Run duration
1.5 - 2.5 Hours
Technical level
Very Easy
Natural beauty
Nice
Families
7+ Years old
Dogs
Dogs Allowed
Provision Sources
Restaurants in Lavancher
Trail type
Point to Point
This route takes you from the town of Le Tour to Chamonix using the low altitude and easy trails of the Petit Balcon Nord (PBN). It passes by the hamlet of Le Planet, the town of Argentiere and the hamlet of Le Lavancher. It may not have the big views of the high altitude trails but it is still a very nice route with a nice mix of forest trails, open pastures and little hamlets. This walk can be done in many variations. This is the version with the least elevation gain. If you do it in the opposite direction and travel from Chamonix to Le Tour then you are looking at roughly 3x the vertical meters up. Our suggestion is to take the Petit Balcon Nord in a southern direction for slightly better views.
There are many variations you can make on this walk and the bus and train system in Chamonix will allow you to easily make your own version using different starting and/or ending points. In my opinion the nice parts of the Petit Balcon Nord are from Le Tour to Le Lavancher. You could shorten the route by stopping at the Lavancher and taking the trail to the main road and from there take the bus back to Chamonix. There are no snack bars directly on this trail but Le Lavancher has two restaurants which will require a booking: Le Rosebud and Les Chalets de Philippe. Both quite high end but a very nice bonus to add to this route.
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 is one of the easiest trails in the Chamonix Valley. It reaches an altitude of 1527 and should be snow free from mid April to the end of October. It is all low altitude and made to be family friendly. Beyond tree roots and a few rare steeper sections the trail is as easy as they come for the Chamonix Valley. Navigating this trail is easy. Just be aware that you are taking the Petit Balcon Nord and you should see that name on the trail markers you will be passing.
Children
7+ Years old
Dogs
We recommend to keep your dog on a leash
Trail Directions
From the big parking in Le Tour there are two town roads that lead south west and merge at the Chemin de Rocher Nay which turns into a trail and the start of the Petit Balcon Nord (PBN). Follow the trail and the signs for Le Planet which will be the first hamlet that you will pass through. There is a short cut that by passes the hamlet but I think its worth passing through. After Le Planet follow the trail down towards Argentiere. You are not going to the town of Argentiere so the moment you make your way down to the valley floor follow the signs for Les Chosalets. If you do want to visit Argentiere then this is a very small detour to add on. Follow the signs for Petit Balcon Nord and you will climb up at La Rosiere. From there its a straight path to the hamlet of Le Lavancher. Use the footpath through the town to make your way up. On the right side you will see a sign for Chamonix. Take this path which will you down to the level of the valley floor again. Once you arrive in Les Bois there will be many paths you can take to go to Chamonix. You cannot go wrong from here.
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.
