Tour des Combins: Hut-to-hut trek for afficionados

The Tour des Combins offers a quieter alternative to the popular Tour du Mont Blanc, which typically ranks among the most crowded hikes in the Alps. If you long for a more peaceful experience without compromising on stunning vistas and challenging hikes, then the Tour des Combins might be your choice. This trek begins and ends in Bourg Saint Pierre, a picturesque town near the Swiss-Italian border.

During the Tour des Combins, you'll encircle the impressive Massif des Combins, pass by vast lakes, and traverse open fields between the mountains, with the highest point at Col des Otanes (2,863m / 9,393ft). The journey is divided into 7 stages, but for experienced hikers, there's also an intensive 6-day option available. Although the trails are generally well-maintained, don't underestimate this trek. Almost daily, you'll encounter ascents and descents of up to 1000 meters, and some sections of the route are quite narrow. In the evenings, you'll stay in cozy cabanes (in Switzerland) and rifugios (in Italy), where a warm meal awaits you after a day filled with hiking adventures.

The Tour des Combins is not an easy trek and in terms of difficulty, it's comparable to the Walker's Haute Route and the Eastern Tour du Mont Blanc. It's advisable to have some prior experience in the Alps before attempting this journey. The hiking paths are generally well-maintained and not overly technical, but the daily ascents and descents of around 1000 meters make the trek challenging and long. Fortunately, these stages offer stunning views around the impressive 'Massif des Combins,' and you'll walk by vast lakes such as Lac de Mauvoisin and Lac des Toules. If you're seeking a hidden and challenging adventure in the Alps, the Tour des Combins might be the best choice you can make.

If you have little experience with hut-to-hut treks and want to see if overnight stays in huts suit you, take a look at our blog about the Kesch Trek in the slightly more easterly region of Graubünden in Switzerland. It's somewhat less strenuous, and with the Kesch Hütte, you'll get to experience one of the most popular huts in the Swiss Alps right away.

The official season for the Tour des Combins runs from mid-June to mid-September, but if you hike it between mid-July and the end of August, you have a better chance of good weather and snow-free mountain passes. This is high season, so be sure to book your accommodations as far in advance as possible. If you decide to walk the Tour des Combins in September, you can still enjoy it, and it will be less crowded on the trail. However, in this case, the days are shorter, the weather is colder, and there is a chance of snow.

July and August are the best months for this trek in Switzerland, but they are also high season, which can lead to more crowded trails. The Alps, though, are unpredictable, and the weather can easily change. While you might enjoy bright sunshine one day, the next day could bring heavy rain.

At Bookatrekking.com, we like to do things the right way, and when it comes to accommodation on the Tour des Combins, it means you'll primarily stay in rifugios and cabanes. A rifugio is the Italian name for a hut where mountaineers can enjoy a bed, a meal, and, in most cases, even a freshly tapped glass of blonde beer or a good glass of wine. Cabane is the Swiss name for the same, on the Swiss side of the Tour des Combins. In some cases, mountain huts and cabanes are owned by alpine clubs; in Switzerland, that's the Schweizerische Alpen Club (SAC), and Italy has its own association known as Club Alpino Italiano (CAI), which has been around since 1863. What all these mountain huts have in common is their unusual location: in the most remote places in the Alps, you can check into these small refuges.

The huts along the Tour des Combins offer the option of half-board, which means both breakfast and dinner are included in the price. This has several benefits that make your trek even more enjoyable. After a long and often strenuous day on the trails, there's little that can compare to the satisfaction of arriving at a mountain hut and knowing that a warm, nourishing meal awaits you. It eliminates the need to cook for yourself or carry food, giving you more time to relax and savor the mountain atmosphere.

Additionally, there's the practical aspect. Every gram counts when you're covering miles with a backpack on your shoulders. By opting for half-board, you can avoid the weight of your own food, reducing the load on your body and making your trek lighter and more comfortable. This means more energy to enjoy the breathtaking surroundings and challenges of the Tour des Combins. In short, half-board is a smart choice that both your stomach and your back will appreciate during this adventurous journey.

The starting point of the Tour des Combins is in Bourg Saint Pierre, a small town near the border between Switzerland and Italy. The beauty of this trek is that it forms a loop, bringing you back to Bourg Saint Pierre.

By Car:

You can, of course, drive to Switzerland, passing through Germany. It's best to head towards the town of Bern in Switzerland and then make your way to the town of Martigny. For the final stretch, exit the highway at Martigny and follow the signs towards Grand-Saint-Bernard to reach Bourg-St Pierre.

By Plane:

The nearest airport is Geneva Airport. From here, it's 166 kilometers to the starting point of the trek. Traveling to Bourg Saint Pierre by public transport takes approximately 3-4 hours with a few transfers, and offers beautiful views. You could consider hiring a car, which is easy to organize and relatively cheap.

Public Transport:

The best way to reach Bourg Saint Pierre using public transport is to take the train to Geneva (via France) or Bern (via Germany). From there, you can take the train to Orsières and then a bus to Bourg-St Pierre.

There is an emergency situation when a human life (yours or someone else's) is in danger and you cannot do anything to solve the situation. You should call for help if there has been an accident, someone is stuck, you are lost or in trouble and cannot continue due to the time of day or weather conditions, or if you are stuck due to technical climbing challenges beyond your capabilities.

The most important thing to do in an emergency situation is to remain calm and assess the situation. Do not panic and do not take pointless risks if the people in need are difficult to reach. In case of emergency, first and foremost, call for help. When calling for help, make sure to provide your location and the number of victims and type of injuries. Then, protect the victim from cold and other environmental threats and provide first aid, if you are capable.

Useful emergency phone numbers

144 (General) / 1414 (Mountain Rescue)

A hut-to-hut trek doesn't have to be expensive. Huts are typically simple but provide everything you need to recharge your mental and physical batteries for the next day(s) of hiking. For a 7 or 6-day trek on the Tour des Combins, you can expect to spend approximately 80 EUR/CHF per hiking day. This includes route information, navigation assistance, your accommodation in a mountain hut, and half-board or breakfast where available.

For hut-to-hut treks in general, it's advisable to carry 40 to 60 EUR/CHF in pocket money, which covers lunch and beverages. Keep in mind that you'll mostly stay in Swiss huts, so they naturally use Swiss Francs as their currency.