The mountain clothing you’ll need for trekking the Tour de Mont Blanc

Forgive me if you’re a seasoned long distance walker who already has all the gear to set off on a mountain trek like the Tour de Mont Blanc. If you’re an occasional walker like me, however, you may find it useful to know which pieces of mountain clothing are worth the investment and which will only get worn once or twice. Ellis Brigham Mountain Sports have expert staff and huge selection of gear.

Having walked part of the Tour de Mont Blanc two years running, I had a much better idea this second year of what I should pack for my trek in the mountains. Bearing in mind that you’ll need to carry everything with you (no Sherpas in the Alps), the trick is to take just the right things and no more. Here are the things that earned their keep in my backpack;

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Essential clothing for walking the Tour de Mont Blanc

Walking Boots

It goes without saying that you’ll need a comfortable pair of walking boots with good ankle support. So long as you’ve worn these in and are sure they won’t give you any trouble, this could be all the footwear that you need while you’re up on the mountain trails.

However, when you come down to the valley you might want some lightweight trainer style shoes. All the refugees that we stayed at provided slippers or plastic clogs to wear inside the refuge. If not you can pad around in your…

Walking Socks

As a treat to myself I buy a couple of new pairs for a trip like this. I found 2 pairs was enough for the 3 days we were walking. I might stretch it to 3 if I was doing the whole 12 day trail. The trick is not to over-pack but to rinse out and dry overnight if they’re getting too smelly.

I also had some lightweight cotton socks for wearing in the refuge at night. And of course for the changeable mountain weather you’ll need a good…

Waterproof Jacket

Mine was a rather fetching cream Gore Tex jacket which I got from Ellis Brigham. They specialise in mountain and outdoor clothing including women’s waterproof jackets like mine. It packed up quite small but was substantial enough to keep off the morning and evening chill when you get up to altitude.

I loved the cream colour, although my husband urged me to choose a more practical colour and I’ve found that you can easily wash it when it gets grubby. My jacket has plenty of zip pockets and a hood with visor that zips away into the neck when not in use.

My last waterproof jacket saw me through a trip into the rain-forest of Ecuador 3 years ago and has been earning its keep ever since, so I have high hopes that this new one will last me a few years until I can finish the whole Tour de Mont Blanc.

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I hope you enjoy the video below about what to wear for a walk in the Mountains on the Tour de Mont Blanc

If you can’t see the video above, please view it on YouTube

Walking Trousers

I took one pair of walking trousers, also from Ellis Brigham that were made of a quick-drying, lightweight fabric. They had a comfortable waist and zips on the legs to make them into shorts. I wore the same pair every day, only changing on arrival at the mountain huts in the evening.

You should avoid heavy cotton trousers or (God forbid) jeans what will mark you out as a fair-weather walker. These will leave you soggy if there’s any rain and take ages to dry. Like my jacket, the trousers had lots of useful pockets for lip salve, maps and cameras. And on your top half you’ll need…

Walking T-Shirts

I walked in a stretchy running t-shirt that I already owned. If you’re buying anything specially, look for the lightweight, quick-drying fabric or specially treated Merino wool. These are ideal for walking as it wicks away sweat and keeps you cool.

I did alternate with a running vest but it’s probably preferable to wear t-shirts that cover your shoulders. You’ll avoid any painful sunburn if the sun is out, or you’ll spend all your time slapping on the sun cream. Of course if you’re not so lucky with the weather and it pours with rain you’ll need some…

Waterproof Trousers

On both my trips, these were the least used item in my backpack. However, we were walking in August and were blessed with sunshine for most of the time. You may have bad weather for several days in a row and in this case your waterproof trousers will keep you comfortable and dry.

Unless you do a lot of walking, I personally wouldn’t invest a lot of money in waterproof trousers. Buy something inexpensive that will pack up small, but still do the job of keeping you dry.

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Clothes to wear in the mountain huts on the Tour de Mont Blanc

When you arrive at your mountain refuge, the etiquette is to remove your boots at the door. You will normally be offered some slippers or plastic clogs to wear inside.

Typically you would shower before dinner if the refuge has a shower – some of the more remote ones don’t. Then You’d change into your refuge wear which for me was….

Stretchy running trousers – comfortable, quick to dry and could double up for walking if necessary and I also wore a…

Lightweight cotton t-shirt that I kept just for the refuge and only put on after I had showered, so it didn’t get too sweaty.

My refuge outfit doubled up as pyjamas as I discovered that the sleeping arrangements were mostly communal. Men and women sleeping sometimes in large dorms, so it was a bit pointless to pack your pretty nightwear. To keep warm I also had…

2 fleece tops – One was a zip front mid-weight fleece that I also wore when walking if I was cold. The other was a lightweight long sleeve fleece t-shirt that would go over a short sleeve t-shirt.

Last year I under estimated how cold it could be in the evening at altitude in the mountain refuges. I found that 2 fleeces that could be layered kept me cosy.

You can see the contents of my rucksack laid on the bed in the photo above and the list of what I packed below. Bear in mind that we were only walking for 3 days, rather than the whole 12 day tour.

Clothing

Walking boots, 1 pair Walking trousers, 1 pair jogging bottoms, 1 pair waterproof trousers. Two quick drying t-shirts, 1 light cotton t-shirt, 1 long sleeve fleece t-shirt. One mid weight zip front fleece and sunhat. Two pairs walking socks, 1 pair light cotton socks, and underwear.

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Other stuff

TMB walking guide and TMB map. Walking poles. Miniature medical kit, small size toiletries, tissues, wet wipes, and suncream. Camping towel and silk sheet sleeping bag. Camera, video recorder, audio recorder, and mobile devices. Enough cash for our whole walk.

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More useful information for walking the Tour de Mont Blanc

If you need an airport transfer from Geneva for the start of your summer walking or winter ski holiday, you could try ChamonixFirst who offer both private and shared transfers to Chamonix. Their sister company CourmayeurFirst offers transfers to Courmayeur and the Aosta Valley.

More tales from the Tour de Mont Blanc

What I packed for my mini Tour de Mont Blanc 2010 – video
My second year on the Tour de Mont Blanc – video diary 2011
Tour de Mont Blanc 2011 Day 2 – Col de Balme to Champex

My thanks to Ellis Brigham for providing* some of the clothing I used for this year’s walk. I highly recommend them for mountain and outdoor clothing, with shops in the UK and an online store.

* More info on my policies page

This article is originally published at Heatheronhertravels.com

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