Tour du Mont Rose (Giro del Monte Rosa)

The place

The Tour du Mont Rose is a 10-to-12-stage circuit around the Monte Rosa massif (4,634 m, the second-highest summit in the Alps), linking Switzerland and Italy across spectacular alpine passes. Starting from Zermatt, it crosses the Aosta Valley (IT) — Gressoney, Alagna Valsesia — and returns on the Swiss side via the high plateaus of the Gornergletscher. The views of the Matterhorn, the Valais 4,000-metre peaks and the Monte Rosa glaciers rank among the most impressive in the Alps. A route for experienced hikers, with some sections above 3,000 m.

Why go

Gornergletscher (one of the largest glaciers in the Alps). Rifugio Gnifetti (3,647 m). View of the Matterhorn from the Theodul Pass. Alagna Valsesia and its old Walser hamlets. Gressoney-la-Trinité and its typical architecture. Flower-covered alpine pastures between 2,000 and 2,500 m.

A bit of history

The Tour du Mont Rose was developed in the 1990s, inspired by the success of the Tour du Mont Blanc. It is now jointly waymarked by the CAI (Club Alpino Italiano) and the CAS (Swiss Alpine Club). The route follows old smugglers', shepherds' and mountaineers' paths that linked the Aosta Valley to the Valais valleys before modern roads existed.

Getting there

Zermatt: train from Visp or Täsch (Matterhorn Gotthard Bahn). A car-free town. Reachable from Geneva–Lausanne–Visp by train (2h30). Italian side: access via Aosta (IT) or from Turin.

Recommended gear

High technical hiking boots. Trekking poles. Warm, waterproof clothing. Lightweight sleeping bag. Passport or ID card (CH/IT border crossing).

Best season

Mid-July to mid-September. Some glaciated passes are tricky before mid-July. Rifugio Gnifetti is open from mid-June to mid-September.

Day by day

1. 1
   J01 · Zermatt → Rifugio Città di Vigevano (Schwarzsee)11.00 km · +1200 m
2. 2
   J02 · Rifugio Vigevano → Alagna Valsesia (Colle del Turlo)16.00 km · +700 m
3. 3
   J03 · Alagna → Rifugio Pastore (Riva Valdobbia)12.00 km · +1000 m
4. 4
   J04 · Rifugio Pastore → Gressoney-la-Trinité (Colle Valdobbia)14.00 km · +800 m
5. 5
   J05 · Gressoney → Rifugio Quintino Sella (Col Bettaforca)12.00 km · +1300 m
6. 6
   J06 · Rifugio Quintino Sella → Champoluc (Col Ranzola)13.00 km · +400 m
7. 7
   J07 · Champoluc → Rifugio Grand Tournalin11.00 km · +1400 m
8. 8
   J08 · Rifugio Grand Tournalin → Breuil-Cervinia12.00 km · +400 m
9. 9
   J09 · Breuil-Cervinia → Monte Rosa Hütte (CH)13.00 km · +1400 m
10. 10
    J10 · Monte Rosa Hütte → Zermatt (Gorner Glacier)15.00 km · +200 m