From Les Menuires to Mont Blanc: A Journey of Ever-Expanding Views

The Grand Tour de Tarentaise is a trail of ever-expanding horizons. Starting from the relative civilization near the resort of Les Menuires, the hike steadily leads you higher and deeper into the wild, with each stage of the journey revealing a more spectacular and far-reaching vista.
The trek began with Estelle Roy-Berthaud from the tourist office, leading a family from the accessible Refuge du Lac du Lou. The initial scenery was beautiful, filled with wildflowers and blueberry thickets, but the views were still contained within the immediate valley.
As the family progressed towards Gittamelon and beyond, the landscape began to open up. The climbs grew more strenuous, but they were rewarded with increasingly dramatic panoramas. The “saw-toothed peaks” of the Varlossière valley created a sense of immense scale and wildness.
The ultimate visual reward came during a lunch break when, in the distance, the iconic, snow-covered peak of Mont Blanc came into view, “spearing the horizon.” This progression—from the contained beauty near the resort to the epic, continent-spanning view of the Alps’ highest peak—is what makes the trail so compelling. It’s a journey that literally and figuratively expands your perspective.