A famous hike which was the starting point for Jacques Balmat and Michel Paccard when they made the first ascent of Mont Blanc in 1786.

Statistics

4 - 5

hrs

1,271

m

1,271

m

18

max°

Difficulty

FATMAP difficulty grade

Difficult

Description

From Chamonix, drive southwest for 5 kilometres to the small village of Les Bossons.

From here, locate the main thoroughfare - Route des Tissières - and follow it to the small 2 man chairlift that serves as the start point for this hike.

There is plenty of parking next to the chairlift and it's also possible to get a bus from Chamonix to Les Bossons and walk up to the chairlift in less than 10 minutes from the bus stop.

The chairlift costs €12.50 for an adult return, is open from mid-June to mid-September, and takes you from 1021 to 1425 metres.

From the top, follow signs for La Jonction.

After 5 minutes you will arrive at the Glacier des Bossons chalet.

It's a bit early to stop for a rest but the view is so good that most people can't resist a drink here.

From the chalet, continue on the clear and well signposted path towards La Jonction.

The path stays in the trees all the way to an altitude of 1900 metres (an hour or so of hiking time from the chalet) and then emerges out at another chalet - le Chalet des Pyramids.

Grab a drink because this is the last chance for a pit stop.

Shortly after the chalet the path heads out into a high and wild-feeling open area between the Glacier des Bossons and the Glacier du Taconnaz.

Continue climbing up for a further 1.5 hours to reach the end of the path at the point where the glaciers meet - La Jonction.

The view is extraordinary.

Descend by the same route.