Hiking in Chamonix – Mont Buet (3,096m) - 5 Days in the French Alps

Location: Chamonix - French Alps Highest elevation reached: Mont Buet - 3,096 m Total distance: 50km Instagram - / www.instagram.com/lifetime_mountains_traveller/ Hiking in Chamonix – Mont Buet (3,096m) - 5 Days in the French Alps On 5 September 2025, I spent a few unforgettable days hiking and exploring the French Alps. The main goal of this trip was to reach the summit of Mont Buet (3,096 m) and then continue hiking high above the Chamonix Valley, sleeping in a tent and enjoying breathtaking views. ► ABOUT THIS HIKE Day 1 I flew from London Heathrow to Geneva, Switzerland, and from the airport took a direct bus to Chamonix. Along the way, you can already enjoy stunning views of Mont Blanc — these buses even have panoramic roof windows. After arriving in Chamonix, I had lunch and did some shopping in a local store for the next few days. From there, I took a train to Vallorcine and walked to Camping des Montets, where I planned to pitch my tent for the next three nights. Day 2 Camping des Montets → Mont Buet (3,096 m) Hike - 21.76 km | ⏱ 10 hours The night in the valley was quite chilly, but the day turned out mostly sunny — except at the summit of Mont Buet. After breakfast, I started my hike from Le Buet village, following the standard route through the Bérard Valley, past the Refuge de la Pierre à Bérard, and then up a steep, rocky ascent via the Col de Salenton and Table au Chantre to the summit. As soon as you approach the refuge, incredible views of the surrounding peaks open up, followed by an amazing panorama including Mont Blanc. These views stay with you almost all the way to the summit — as you can see in the video. Garmin: https://connect.garmin.com/modern/act... Day 3 A well-needed rest day — exploring Chamonix, enjoying lunch in town, and recovering after the challenging day before. Day 4 Camping des Montets → Refuge de la Flégère Hike - 10 km | ⏱ 6 hours After breakfast, I packed everything and started hiking towards Refuge de la Flégère, where I planned to pitch my tent near the refuge lake. The weather wasn’t as good as the previous days — mostly cloudy — but still clear enough to enjoy the views and surrounding peaks. When I finally reached the refuge, the weather improved briefly, giving me time to record some videos and take photos before setting up my tent. About 1.5h later, while enjoying a 0% beer, the rain started. I went to my sleeping bag early, but unfortunately, heavy rain kept waking me up throughout the night. Garmin: https://connect.garmin.com/modern/act... Day 5 Refuge de la Flégère → Les Houches Hike - 18 km | ⏱ 8 hours On the final day of hiking in Chamonix, I had breakfast early and waited for the rain to stop so I could pack my gear. Luckily, I had a short window to do so — but as soon as I started hiking, the rain returned. Later on the trail, I had the option to take an alternative route back to Chamonix early. Thankfully, I didn’t. Soon after, the rain stopped, and after a few more kilometers, I was rewarded with spectacular mountain views and Mont Blanc once again. As I approached Le Brévent (2,525 m), I was hiking above the clouds, feeling like I was in heaven. After recording more videos and photos, I continued my hike down to Les Houches. From there, I took a train to Les Bossons and camped at Les Cimes Campsite for the last night in Chamonix. Garmin: https://connect.garmin.com/modern/act... ►VIDEO EQUIPMENT: Camera - Canon R6 MKII + Canon RF 24-105mm f/4-7.1 IS STM + GoPro10 Hero Black Microphone - Rode VideoMic GO II Tripod - ULANZI Zero F38 + Zero F38 Quick Release Timestamps: 00:00 - Intro 00:01:04 - Day 1 - London Heathrow to Geneva Switzerland 00:07:33 - Day 2 - Camping des Montets → Mont Buet (3,096 m) Hike 00:18:28 - Day 3 - Rest Day — exploring Chamonix 00:19:40 - Day 4 - Camping des Montets → Refuge de la Flégère Hike 00:27:40 - Day 4 - Refuge de la Flégère → Les Houches Hike 00:35:25 - Photos