Stage 9: Trient → Tré-le-Champ

13.5 km from Trient (1279 m) to Tré-le-Champ (1417 m), with 1094 m of ascent and 974 m of descent.

Walking time by fitness profile

Times computed with the RandoNav planning algorithm. Breaks not included.

On the trail

The return to France, and a climb that pays out all at once. From Trient the path goes up through forest and then open alp for 900 m to the Col de Balme at 2191 m, on the border ridge. There are two ways up — the direct line and the slightly gentler Les Herbagères variant — and neither is difficult, only long. Go early: the col in morning light is one of the two or three views the Tour is famous for.

What you get at the top is the whole Chamonix valley and the Mont Blanc massif laid out in front of you, seen properly for the first time since day one — the Aiguilles, the Drus, the Mer de Glace, and Mont Blanc closing the far end. From the col the route descends towards Le Tour and Tré-le-Champ, with the option of the Aiguillette des Posettes ridge on the way if the weather holds and your legs agree. Both end in the valley, with the ladders waiting tomorrow.

Start / end

Stops along the way

These places between the endpoints let you split the stage into shorter days:

About this stage

Stage 9 links Trient (1279 m) with Tré-le-Champ (1417 m) over 13.5 km, climbing 1094 m and descending 974 m. This stage is in the eastern half of the Tour, after Courmayeur — the Italian balcony, Switzerland, and the Aiguilles Rouges finale above Chamonix. 8 stops punctuate the route, so you can split this stage into shorter days. Water is available at every stop on this stage. Along the way only snacks and meals are available — no full resupply until the end of the stage.