• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to footer
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Français
  • English
Simply Savoie Logo

Simply Savoie

Guided walking – snowshoeing – via ferrata in the French Alps with Mark Tennent

  • Home
  • Snowshoe
    • Snowshoe Walking in the Three Valleys
      • Guided Snowshoe Walks Courchevel
      • Guided Snowshoe Walks in Meribel
    • Snowshoe Walking in the Vanoise
    • Guided Snowshoe Weekends in the Vanoise
    • Snowshoe Walking in the Beaufortain
    • Guided Snowshoe Weekend in the Beaufortain
    • Snowshoe Traverse of the Beaufortain
    • Snowshoe Traverse of the Chartreuse
    • Snowshoe Walking in the Haute Maurienne
  • Avalanche Courses
    • Introductory Avalanche Search and Rescue Training Course
    • Intermediate Avalanche Search and Rescue Training Course
    • Avalanche Training Essentials Course
    • Avalanche Awareness Talks
  • Via Ferrata & Rock Climbing
    • Rock Climbing
    • Guided Via Ferrata Weekends
    • Guided Via Ferrata Weeks
    • Via Ferrata in the Hautes-Alpes
    • Via Ferrata holiday in the South of France
  • Walking
    • Centre Based
      • Walking in the Maurienne – Vanoise
      • Walking in the Vanoise
      • Walking in the Beaufortain
      • Walking in the Aravis and Bauges
      • Photography and Walking in the French Alps
    • Trekking
      • Tour of the Vanoise
      • Tour du Mont Blanc
      • The Haute Route – Chamonix to Zermatt
      • The Tour of the Beaufortain
      • Corsica – GR20
      • Tour of the Ecrins
      • Tour of the Queyras
      • 3000m Summits Week
      • The Verdon Gorge & the Haute Provence
  • Custom Guiding
  • About
    • Mark’s Blog
  • Contact

Tour du France

Is the Tour du Mont Blanc Sustainable?

The Sustainability of the Tour du Mont Blanc in Question

I guided several American groups hiking the Tour du Mont Blanc during the summer. The amount of people on this classic trekking route is amazing. It is clearly a great success however is the Tour du Mont Blanc sustainable?

Key Issues

Toilets

Look behind any large rock or amongst the trees close to the path and you will come across human waste and toilet paper. It’s hideous.

Erosion

The path is severely eroded. Given the many years that the Tour du Mont Blanc has existed you can expect erosion however walkers need to be educated.

Hikers on the Tour du Mont Blanc need to be educated to avoid taking short-cuts especially where paths zig-zag. These short-cuts create more channels for surface run-off that is quickly eroded after heavy rain. The fragile soil and plant life are unlikely to ever recover.

Walkers also need to learn to avoid walking immediately to the edge of the existing path. Walking immediately parallel to the path simply spreads the erosion in a ?ribbon? effect.

Mountain bikes, or as they are known in France VTT (Velo Tout Terrain) exacerbate and accelerate the rate of erosion. My observations show that they frequently avoid the drainage channels and rocks designed to take water off the path. By doing so they create a new channel for the water that simply by-passes the channel making it redundant; unable to do its job.

Watching a group descend from the Col du Grand Ferret they clearly had no regard for the erosion they were causing and spreading it across the mountain. I feed that mountain bikers are similar to downhill skiers; not real mountain lovers but those in search of an adrenaline buzz in a man-made environment.

Etiquette in the Mountains

In the mountains the etiquette has always been that those going up have priority over those going down. It’s common sense and courtesy really as it’s harder work going up hill. Whilst guiding an American lady this summer finding it hard going I was setting a slow pace for her. An American coming down the path indicated that I should move out of his way. I just stood there and politely reminded him of this mountain etiquette to which he said I was the first a***hole he’d met on the Tour. Charming.

Drones on the Tour du Mont Blanc

I can see the attraction of a drone and the amazing footage that one can obtain. However for those in the vicinity the buzzing like a demented bee is very intrusive. During a Tour du Mont Blanc this summer I was sitting with the group at the Col du Grand Ferret when a group of mountain bikers arrived. One of their number then got out a drone and launched it.

Potential Ideas for Improvement

Dry toilets

Putting in place dry toilets in locations where, currently, there are no toilets could help. There needs to be a move to construct bio matter type toilets in places where people tend to congregate e.g. the Col du Bonhomme (where there’s already a wooden shelter); Col de la Seigne or just below adjacent to the Casmatte; Col du Grand Ferret; Col du Tricot.

Leave No Trace

The use of zip-lock bags for toilet paper and / or human waste should be encouraged.

?Tourist Tax?

A levy for companies with groups on the TMB could be used for putting money back in to provide additional facilities and provide money to pay for ?wardens?.

Create the ?Mont Blanc National Park?

Despite its world renown the Mont Blanc massif has no special protection. National Park status would bring with it a level of regulation backed up by national park wardens. Yes, the TMB passes through Italy and Switzerland as well however even if the other countries did not agree, it would create an upwards pressure.

Cycling Races in the Alps this Summer

France and cycling are synonymous with the Tour de France attracting worldwide coverage. Fans come from all over France and the world to watch.

It’s worth being aware when planning your day. Roads are usually shut to traffic several hours before the race is due to pass. It may also be some time after the first riders pass before the roads re-open.

The Tour de France

This summer the Tour is spending just 3 days in the Alps before the final stage 21 in Paris. As a cyclist myself, I raced in my late teens alongside Sean Yates and Tony Doyle (showing my age!), I enjoy watching this great event.

Stage 18 – 17 km – Sallanches / Meg?ve ? there’s not too much detail of this stage on the Tour’s site but it looks like a time-trial.

Stage 19 – 146 km – Albertville / Saint-Gervais Mont Blanc. This looks like a great stage for some attacking climbers. The Col de Tamie above Albertville before a descent to the shores of Lac d’Annecy. The race then goes up the Col de la Forclaz (a paragliders mecca), a steep climb followed by a steep technical descent. The route then follows the valley bottom to Ugine where another short, steep climb to another Col de la Forclaz and the subsequent descent to Villard-sur-Doron and the heart of the Beaufortain. The riders will then go back over the Col des Saisies before heading through Megeve to finish in St Gervais.

Stage 20 – 146 km – Meg?ve / Morzine-Avoriaz ? a mountain stage with a final chance to change the overall standings before the final day in Paris.

Other races this summer

Criterium du Dauphine 5 ? 12 June 2016

Saturday, 11 June ? La Rochette ? Meribel via the Col de la Madeleine.

Tour de l’Avenir 20 ? 27 August ? this race was created in 1961 by Jacques Marchand, editor of the french sport newspaper L??quipe. The competition has been entirely dedicated to young riders between 19 and 22 years old. The Tour de l’Avenir is part of the UCI Europe Tour and the U23 Nations Cup. Therefore, it brings together international teams with riders aged less than 23

Footer

Useful Links

  • Offers
  • FAQs
  • Weather
  • Photo Gallery
  • Video Gallery
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms and Conditions of Booking

Latest Articles

Stone Stacking in the mountains

Cairns A cairn is a man-made pile (or stack) of stones. The word cairn comes … [Read More...] about Stone Stacking in the mountains

Autumn via ferrata trip to the South of France

Finally the time came to run my first via ferrata tour in the South of France! Saturday, 28th … [Read More...] about Autumn via ferrata trip to the South of France

Follow Simply Savoie on:

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Twitter
  • YouTube