Kingsley Jones has walked the Tour du Mont Blanc sixty times. We asked him what keeps drawing him back — and what he'd tell someone setting foot on the trail for the first time.

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Sixty laps is an almost absurd number. That's 10,200 kilometres around the Mont Blanc Massif. Three countries, crossed and re-crossed. Seasons stacked on seasons.

Kingsley Jones is an award-winning author and international mountain guide, and the TMB has become something like a second home. We wanted to know: after sixty times around, what's left to discover?

"The variety in the seasons," he said. "To be able to go in the spring, or at the peak of summer, or into the autumn as the larches turn colour. And then in winter — there are sections you can enjoy safely even under full snow cover. It's never felt like one tour has rolled into another. There's always been difference."

Three countries, three worlds

One of the things Kingsley loves most about the TMB is how distinctly each country announces itself. You don't need a sign to know you've crossed a border.

"You could almost parachute someone into any stage of the Tour du Mont Blanc, get them to look around, and they'd work out within a few minutes what country they're in."

In France, it's the chalets up in the alpages — the high pastures. Cross into Italy and the architecture shifts: stone slates on the roofs, the Valdostan style of the Aosta Valley. In Switzerland, you find the little wooden chalets up on staddle stones — the raised platforms that once kept rats out of the grain stores.

"And the food changes, obviously. The linguistic changes. Historically, there were the currencies — my first lap started in French francs, then Italian lira, then Swiss francs, then back to French francs. The euro has unified France and Italy now, but Switzerland still gives you change in francs if you pay cash."

"There are so many little nuanced changes. It makes each section feel very distinct."

The secret view

Ask anyone about the TMB's best viewpoint and they'll probably mention the Col de la Seigne — the high pass where you cross into Italy and Mont Blanc finally reveals itself in full. But Kingsley's favourite comes a day earlier, and most people miss it entirely.

"The Tête Nord des Fours. From the Col de la Croix du Bonhomme refuge, there's a variant over the Col des Fours that descends to Ville des Glaciers before the climb to Refuge des Mottets and the Col de la Seigne."

"But if you pop up to the Tête Nord des Fours, you get a secret view of Mont Blanc. On the whole western section of the tour, Mont Blanc is hidden behind the Dôme de Miage — that big western wall. But from up there, you get a surprise view, a day before everyone else sees it. It feels like finding something hidden."

There are other viewpoints he returns to, again and again. Coming over the Col de Balme and the Aiguillette des Posettes — the stunning view down the ridge towards the Mont Blanc Massif. The beautiful river sections in the Swiss Val Ferret. But it's the unexpected moments that stay with him most.

"A cloud inversion one day. Waking up in a hut with ibex grazing outside. A bearded vulture flying above you as you traverse a certain section. You just have to keep your eyes and ears — and your heart — open to what it gives you each time."

The people you meet

Sixty laps means sixty trips' worth of encounters. Some are with the hut guardians Kingsley now knows as friends — he's met their families, shared stories year after year. "It doesn't feel like a journey into different countries," he said. "It feels like visiting a whole series of friends."

Other encounters have been rather more unexpected.

"I've met my mountaineering idols out there. Walter Bonatti, before he passed away — I was lucky enough to meet him at the hut named after him, the Rifugio Bonatti in the Italian Val Ferret."

"I've seen Kilian Jornet racing and training on the trails — he won the UTMB three times and held the course record for years. And Xavier Thévenard, doing hill reps up a route that was taking my group a good hour to walk. I think he lapped us about three times, just sprinting up and down, getting his vertical metres in."

"The nice unifying thing about the Tour du Mont Blanc is that everyone's friendly. Even these larger-than-life characters with huge sporting credentials — they were super happy to say hello, speak to the group, explain what they were doing, wish them well. No elitism. Just friendly mountain people."

The refuges

The mountain huts are central to the TMB experience, and after sixty visits, Kingsley has his favourites.

"In the winter months, the Bonatti Hut has become a firm favourite — in the Italian Val Ferret. In the summer, the Refuge de la Croix du Bonhomme, which sits on the watershed between the Contamines Valley and the Beaufort region. It's the highest hut on the tour."

But there's another that holds a special place.

"The Refuge de Bellachat, on the French side. It's vastly overlooked because it doesn't really fit with the stages — it's on the last day, from Brévent down to Les Houches. But every walker who completes the TMB passes it. It's the last hut you'll see."

"There's a sense of completing the loop by the time you leave Bellachat. You're looking straight down into the Chamonix Valley, across to Mont Blanc, the Glacier des Bossons, the icefall coming down from the summit. You can see the goal. Gravity's there to assist you on that final descent — the longest on the whole tour. But you know it's done. It's in the bag."

What actually matters

We asked Kingsley about preparation. His answer surprised us.

"Fitness is, in a way, a lazy measure. People think about their park run time or training for a half marathon, but that's too simplistic. You're preparing your body for back-to-back hiking — four days, seven days, ten, twelve days depending on your itinerary."

"Most people train an hour after work, or a longer hike at the weekend. But what matters is fitting in back-to-back sessions, so your body gets used to the recovery. It's a lot harder to start hiking on day two than day one. Your body's fatigued, your shoulders ache. Getting used to that — that's what counts."

What about altitude? The passes reach 2,500 metres.

"Not hugely. Most people won't feel altitude until around 3,000 metres. You might notice you need to go a little slower near the high passes, but by day three or four, you've got your hill legs. You shorten your stride, use your poles, keep a nice rhythm. Altitude won't play a part at all."

On gear, Kingsley is direct: "People carry too much. I've gone past people and winced at the size of their bags."

"If you're staying in huts, almost nothing extra is needed. Your bedding is provided — a sheet over the mattress, a pillow, a duvet. All you need is a sleeping bag liner for comfort and hygiene, and maybe a head torch for finding the loo at night. That's it."

"If you're going hut to hut, a 25-litre bag is more than enough. If you look at trail runners doing the UTMB over three or four days, they'll cope with a 12 to 15-litre race vest. Knowing more but carrying less — that's the key to the Tour du Mont Blanc."

And boots? Another surprise.

"Consider trail running shoes. If you've got weak ankles or you're not used to rough ground, fine, stick with what works for you. But if you're comfortable in the hills, trail shoes are lighter, less work for your feet, and you've still got good grip and cushioning. Hokas, Norrøna, something maximalist — a comfortable ride with proper traction."

"The only caution is early season, when there are still snow patches. That's when a slightly sturdier boot helps — you can kick steps in the icy sections. But overall, my encouragement is always: how can you take less and still stay comfortable?"

One piece of advice

We asked Kingsley what he'd tell someone about to walk the TMB for the first time. He didn't hesitate.

"Lift your eyes from the trail."

"It's easy when you're doing the Tour du Mont Blanc to over-fixate on the destination of the day and not enjoy the journey. But there's so much to see that won't slow you down — it'll just give you more."

"Walking through the Swiss Val Ferret, you pass old moulins — water mills where they ground the grain. You'll see traditional bread ovens. On the Sentier des Champignons, the trail of the mushrooms, there are wood carvings all through the forest. Some of those mushrooms might not be entirely legal," he laughed, "but there's one carving of a little marmot, grinning from behind a tree, holding a knife and fork. It just puts a smile on your face."

"The days might be long. Some of the passes feel never-ending. But lift your eyes up, look around — that's what keeps you going and gives you the reward. The TMB shouldn't be a route march. Every corner is a different view, a different landscape. Look up to the high mountains. You've got Mont Dolent, the border of France, Italy, and Switzerland, just as you get towards the Grand Col Ferret. There's so much to see on every aspect of it."

"Just enjoy those little features."

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Kingsley Jones is the author of Tour du Mont Blanc — a companion guide to the Tour du Mont Blanc. You can find it at Vertebrate Publishing.

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