Jonathan Williams

Discover the legendary Tour du Mont Blanc (TMB), one of the world's most renowned long-distance hiking trails. Traverse a diverse tapestry of landscapes, alpine meadows, glacial valleys, rugged peaks, and picturesque mountain villages. This multi-day circular route covers 170 km (105 miles), beginning and ending in Les Houches, guiding you past welcoming refuges, sparkling streams, cascading waterfalls, and awe-inspiring mountain vistas. Perfect for fit walkers who have some long-distance hiking experience, this comprehensive guidebook divides the Tour du Mont Blanc into 11 manageable daily stages. Follow the journey as it winds through the enchanting alpine villages of Les Houches and Les Contamines, as well as the picturesque Italian town of Courmayeur. Along the way, experience a harmonious blend of spectacular mountain views, genuine hospitality, and memorable cultural encounters. The Tour du Mont Blanc is described in both anti-clockwise and clockwise directions, allowing you to tailor your journey from Les Houches through key locations such as Les Contamines and Courmayeur, to accommodate your transport, accommodation, or preferred mountain conditions. Clear, step-by-step directions guide you around the full TMB circuit, with 1:100,000 IGN planning maps and downloadable GPX files to help you navigate between iconic villages and mountain passes, including Les Houches, Les Contamines, and Courmayeur. Each stage includes detailed, stage-by-stage route descriptions and suggested itineraries for completing the Tour du Mont Blanc in 9, 7, or 5 days, with daily start and finish points in villages such as Les Houches, Les Contamines, and Courmayeur. For every stage: start/finish points, distance, estimated walking time, elevation profiles, terrain summaries, refreshment stops, and accommodation options in villages including Les Houches, Les Contamines, and Courmayeur. Stage facilities planner helps you estimate distances to the next refreshments, accommodations, and notable high points, with details for popular stopping points across the route such as Les Houches, Courmayeur, and Les Contamines. Refreshment stops and accommodation options are highlighted for each stage, with special notes on trail-side facilities in Les Houches, Courmayeur, and Les Contamines, essential hubs for walkers along the circuit. A pocket-sized map booklet (available separately) with detailed 1:25,000 IGN maps ensures confident navigation through every stage, from Les Houches to Courmayeur and beyond. Plan your Tour du Mont Blanc adventure with confidence and experience one of the world’s greatest long-distance walks with this definitive guidebook.

Discover the awe-inspiring landscapes of Switzerland’s Bernese Oberland, where the iconic peaks of the Eiger, Mönch, and Jungfrau tower above glistening lakes, deep valleys, and vibrant alpine meadows. Highlights include classic panorama trails, ascents to accessible summits, and visits to alpine lakes and huts, all offering unforgettable views of the Wetterhorn, Schynige Platte, Bachsee, and the cascading waterfalls plunging into the Lauterbrunnen valley. Ideal for fit walkers accustomed to days out in the hills, this comprehensive Cicerone guidebook features 50 exceptional day walks through Grindelwald, Wengen, the Lauterbrunnen Valley, and Mürren in the Bernese Oberland. Each route reveals the chocolate-box beauty and dramatic scenery at the heart of the Swiss Alps. Walks are graded by difficulty, making it easy to find the perfect adventure for your experience and ambitions. Many routes take advantage of the region’s extensive network of buses, mountain trains, and cable cars, offering easy access to high-altitude trails and breathtaking panoramic viewpoints. Explore celebrated Bernese Oberland destinations, including Grindelwald, Wengen, Lauterbrunnen, Mürren, and through routes from Meiringen to Griesalp, each a gateway to unforgettable mountain days. Routes range from gentle 5km (3-mile) strolls to challenging 23km (14-mile) treks, with walking times from 1 to 10 hours. The Bernese Oberland is best enjoyed between early June and mid-October, as lower and mid-altitude walks become accessible when the snows melt and wildflowers bloom. Features 1:50,000 maps and downloadable GPX tracks for every walk in the Bernese Oberland, ensuring straightforward navigation and clear route-finding, even in the high Alps. Each route description includes an at-a-glance information box with distance, ascent and descent, estimated time, grade, start and finish points, public transport access, and main refreshment opportunities, perfect for planning your days in the Alps. Practical advice covers everything you need for your Bernese Oberland trek: essential equipment, preparation, travel, discount cards and passes, mountain safety, accommodation, mountain huts, berghotels, and refreshment stops, so your time in the Jungfrau region is enjoyable and worry-free. Features summary tables for quick route comparison, including highlights, distance (km), ascent (m), descent (m), grade (1–4), and time (hr/min), making it easy to evaluate and plan your Bernese Oberland walks at a glance. Walks are graded into three levels: easy hiking trails (yellow), mountain hiking trails (red-and-white), and alpine routes (blue-and-white), so you can choose your Bernese Oberland walk, from relaxed balcony walks and lakeside rambles to exposed mountain traverses and summit ascents. Plan your adventure in the Bernese Oberland with the definitive Cicerone guidebook and discover a region of limitless variety, where every trail leads to a new wonder and the spirit of Swiss mountain adventure awaits.