Refuge de la Balme
At 1706 m in the open head of the Montjoie valley, the classic staging post before the Col du Bonhomme.
At 1706 m in the open head of the Montjoie valley, the classic staging post before the Col du Bonhomme. From here it is a relentless 800 m to the col and another 100 m to the Croix — start early and carry water.
The place
At 1706 m in the wide-open head of the Montjoie valley, La Balme is the classic staging post before the Col du Bonhomme and has been for as long as people have walked this way — the building is an old alpage, and the setting is the kind of grassy amphitheatre that makes you understand why the Tour exists.
It is the last water and the last roof before the col. From the door it is a relentless 800 m to the Bonhomme, then another 100 m along an exposed traverse to the Croix du Bonhomme, and in early season there can still be snow on both. Fill your bottles, ask the warden what the col is doing, and go early. Once you are over, the Tour has properly begun and the Beaufortain opens up behind you.
Getting there
| Leg | Distance | Elevation | Trail runner | Fit / sportive | Multiday hiker | Relaxed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| From Refuge des Prés | 0.5 km | +83 / −0 m | 0h07 | 0h10 | 0h14 | 0h17 |
| To Refuge de la Croix du Bonhomme | 5.6 km | +787 / −50 m | 1h21 | 1h57 | 2h35 | 3h05 |
Booking
Book on montourdumontblanc.com
This hut sells its beds through the Tour du Mont-Blanc booking portal, so the planner can show you its live availability night by night — and warn you the moment a full night frees up. Every night on the Tour must be booked; there is no walk-in option in season.
Other places to stay nearby
- Refuge des Prés Refuge · 1935 m
0.5 km back down the Tour, at 1935 m. Bookable on the Tour du Mont-Blanc portal, so the planner shows its availability night by night. - Refuge de Nant Borrant Refuge · 1459 m
2.5 km back down the Tour, at 1459 m. Bookable on the Tour du Mont-Blanc portal, so the planner shows its availability night by night. - Gîte le Pontet Gîte · 1170 m
5.7 km back down the Tour, at 1170 m. Bookable on the Tour du Mont-Blanc portal, so the planner shows its availability night by night. - Refuge de la Croix du Bonhomme Refuge · 2443 m
5.6 km further along the Tour, at 2443 m. Takes its own reservations — contact it directly.
For when this stop is full. These book themselves and are not on the Tour du Mont-Blanc portal — contact each directly and confirm before you rely on it.
Stages passing this stop
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