Mont Blanc officials regulate popular trek

Officials in France are implementing new rules for the Tour du Mont Blanc, a 170 km trek, to address overcrowding and its negative consequences.

Jean-Marc Peillex, mayor of Saint-Gervais and president of the Communauté de communes Pays du Mont-Blanc, explained that they are not banning the trek but organizing it. Several communes along the route. Vallorcine, Chamonix, les Houches, Saint-Gervais, les Contamines-Montjoie, Beaufort, and Bourg Saint-Maurice, agreed on common principles with refuge keepers, lodging providers, guides, transporters, and state services.

The regulations come in response to a 50% increase in trekkers since the Covid pandemic, bringing the total to around 90,000 people. Officials observed that this surge led to negative effects on properties, the environment, and safety. To manage the increased traffic, the new rules will require mandatory reservations for lodging during the summer season, prohibit wild camping, ensure basic amenities in designated campsites, and limit baggage transport to trekking backpacks.

Peillex cited examples of problematic behavior, including hikers feeding ibex, camping near refuges, and using taxis to carry luggage between stops. Authorities aim to restore value to the trek, which attracts hikers from around the world, particularly from France and the United States, and prevent it from becoming overly congested. Similar regulations have already been applied to climbing Mont Blanc since 2020, and other overused sites like the Calanques National Park near Marseille have implemented reservation systems.