Refuge Du Col De Balme (2190m), Col De Balme - France
Refuge du Col de Balme (2 190 m7 185 ft) sits exactly on the France-Switzerland border at the Col de Balme, between Vallorcine on the French side and Trient on the Swiss side. A tiny 25-place refuge, it delivers one of the most dramatic panoramas on the Tour du Mont Blanc - the Mont Blanc massif to the south and the Swiss Valais peaks to the north. No winter room, no bivouac permitted. Booking is essential - all 25 places go within hours of the calendar opening. For anti-clockwise TMB hikers, this is the last French stop before descending into Switzerland.
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