Panoramic Hike in Val Ferret - Photograph the Sunny Side of Mont Blanc near Courmayeur

On a stretch of valleys known to many hikers and photographers as Val Ferret, southeast of Mont Blanc Massif, you can find your ticket to the sights and feelings no movie theatre would be able to provide or reproduce. Here we cover one very popular hiking route that will give you a chance to photograph Dent du Géant and Mont Blanc until your camera battery dies and shutter-release button falls off. Are you ready? We are, so join us!

Hiking the Alps from hut to hut is the dream of many hiking enthusiasts. Among the myriad of possibilities, the “Tour du Mont Blanc” is probably the most famous hut trek in the Alps. The long-distance trail winds around the massif of Mont Blanc, crossing Italian, Swiss and French territory.

Ambitious mountain runners cover approximately 170 kilometers and 10,000 meters of altitude in under 24 hours. An average hiker is more likely to take 7-11 days, giving him more time to enjoy the austere-looking rock faces, menacing-looking glaciers, miles of ice moraines, pastures, and alpine meadows.

Hiking towards the sunny southern side of Mont Blanc (Monte Bianco in italian) – the highest point in this picture under the cloud. The hike in the Val Ferret is fairly easy, but long. You can take shortcuts or let a private taxi pick you up. See all infos further down and the hiking map.

The views of the striking south side are enormous and completely different from the north side: steep Serac glaciers plunge thousands of meters into the depths here, with granite pillars towering in between, inspiring ambitious mountaineers to peak performance. *Shot from the start of the Val Ferret Valley in spring.*

Directions! This is how your Val Ferret route looks like on a map

From the center of Courmayeur at Piazza Abbé Henry (Church of San Pantaleone, 1225m) uphill the Strada del Villair. Follow the road until the parking lot/end of the public road. Follow the road for a few meters, turn left over the bridge and at the next but one bend turn left onto trail no. 42 towards Bertone Refuge (Rifugio Bertone 1979m).

The path crosses the road twice and leads steeply in some hairpin bends to Bertone Refuge. Continue uphill past the hut and turn left at the junction. Here now moderately difficult towards the high trail along the slope labeled “TMB” to Refuge Walter Bonatti (2025m).

After a well-deserved break, continue along the path/TMB over a stream and after about 200m turn left downhill towards Lavachey into Val Ferret. In Val Ferret finally about 3km along the road downhill to the parking lot in Plampincieux and by bus (“Allô Bus”, www.savda.it on call or cab) back to Courmayeur.

The tour from Courmayeur to Refuge Walter Bonatti (Rifugio Bonatti) is a section of this circular hike and ideal for a day on the Italian side of Mont Blanc - or Monte Bianco, as it is known in Italy. This 13.8-kilometer route is medium on a difficulty scale, so it requires some hiking experience. — Panoramic hike in the Val Ferret near Courmayeur hiking map: The tour from Courmayeur to Refuge Walter Bonatti (Rifugio Bonatti) is a section of this circular hike and ideal for a day on the Italian side of Mont Blanc – or Monte Bianco, as it is known in Italy. This 13.8-kilometer route is medium on a difficulty scale, so it requires some hiking experience

Photo tips that will make your Instagram pop – Aiguille du Midi, Dent du Geants and the view of Mont Blanc from Val Ferret

*Snowboarders getting from Punta Helbronner towards Mer de Glace / and Dents du Geant celebrating the amazing snow conditions.* *This shot was taken during a skiing/snowboarding photo competition – come on a photo workshop and learn what it takes to make outdoor pictures like this in all conditions.*

At the Skyway Monte Bianco glacier station, don’t miss the deep view to Courmayeur, towards Aiguille du Midi and especially to Dent du Geants. The most beautiful photo here often has the striking and unmistakable granite needle Dent du Géant in the upper third of the picture as a formative element. From Bertone Refuge, the hike offers a wonderful frontal view of the Mont Blanc south face and leads picturesquely through gentle meadows along the timberline.

The pure sightseeing tour with the Sky way Monte Bianco cable car and the view over to the Aiguille du Midi is in any case just as breathtaking and also suitable for families. If you dream about your next mountain photography adventure, Mountain Moments will help you plan it

Mountain Moments Photo Workshops provide Photo Tours for everybody, Alpine Experience for beginners and intermediate-level photographers with 3 to 6-hour routes, as well as Summit Experience for more advanced photographers and hikers. We have private workshops and group classes.

*We suggest for your trip to Courmayeur to also take a gondola ride to Skyway Monte Bianco. This shot was taken at Punta Helbronner looking northwest to Dents du Geants.*

More information about your next hiking adventure in Courmayeur

How to get there by public transport: Via Milan by train to Aosta, here continue by bus to Courmayeur center. From here by foot or by bus 947 (savda.it) to the Sapin Valley. Alternatively bus from Chamonix or from Switzerland via Martigny, Sembrancher, Orsieres by bus to Aosta.

How to get there by car: From Milan take the E25 through the Aosta Valley. In Courmayeur center turn northeast on Strada Villair towards Val Sapin. Parking is at the end of the road. Alternatively from Chamonix via the Mont Blanc tunnel or from Switzerland via Martigny, the St. Bernard Pass and Aosta.

Start/finish: Courmayeur 45.791652,6.972531 / finish: Val Ferret-Plampincieux parking 45.831021,6.986009

Distance: 13,8km

Duration: 5:20h

Ascent/descent: 960m/590m

Highest point/lowest point: 1220m/2040m

Hike difficulty level: medium/difficult

Special features: Bus savda.it (Allô bus from/to Val Ferret until about 18.15, 0039 0165 1854653), cab www.courmayeurmontblanc.it.

Catering: Various in Courmayeur, Rifugio Bertone, Rifugio Walter Bonatti, Ristorante Lavachey, Plampincieux.

Other tips: Sightseeing at Punta Helbronner via Skyway Monte Bianco cable car. Gondola ride to Aiguille du Midi possible.

Contact: www.courmayeurmontblanc.it

The most beautiful photo spots and hikes in the Alps – experience this hiking tour and 29 other exceptional regions now.

Fancy more hikes in the mountains – and beautiful photos? Get out into nature! Experience the best hikes and locations with our new book: Alps – Photo and Hiking Guide. The 90 best Photo Locations and 30 most panoramic Hikes.

Here we have compiled the most beautiful locations and photo opportunities. 30 hikes with 90 photo spots are selected and described in such a way that you can easily experience these wonderful landscapes for yourself – including GPS tracks and hiking map and all other information.

You can take a closer look at the ebook here – why not give it as a gift to someone you want to visit and photograph these places with!

Of course, you will find all the information about this hike in the ebook. After registering, you will also receive the GPS track, so you are on the safe side and won’t get lost and will find all photo locations easily.

Marius

Hi, i am Marius, i love exploring the mountains and nature. Friends say, i know the mountains better than most locals, but actually i get lost all the time while photographing ;). Read more about the Mountain Moments Team.