France bans day trippers from Mont Blanc trail in crack down on 'nose to tail' hikers who 'defecate in fields' and demand spas at mountain huts

French officials have imposed restrictions on day-trippers hiking on Mont Blanc amid growing fury over littering and overcrowding.Walkers could be barred from the 170km trail unless they have booked accommodation, as authorities try to curb crowds and damage along the route.The circuit loops through France, Italy and Switzerland around western Europe's highest mountain. Around 90,000 people walked it this summer, up from 60,000 in 2022.Social media clips have exposed rubbish dumped on the mountain.In one, a woman holds up used wipes and says she has found 'an astronomical amount of poo, toilet paper and especially wipes' along the route.She urges walkers to carry a small bag for their rubbish and put it in a bin at the end of their hike, saying people come to the mountains to enjoy them.Another clip shows a pile of rubbish as the person filming says: 'I'm really disappointed and disgusted. Who do you think is going to take your trash in this place? No one.' Hikers on the Tour du Mont Blanc take a break at Fenetre d'Arpette on July 08, 2026 Hikers accused of defecating in fields and asking why mountain refuges do not have spas have prompted French officials to draw up new rules for the Tour du Mont Blanc Visitors hike in the Lac Blanc area in the Aiguilles Rouges nature reserve which faces Mont Blanc, above Chamonix, Haute-Savoie, on July 31, 2023 Social media clips have also exposed rubbish dumped on the mountain In one, a woman holds up used wipes and says she has found 'an astronomical amount of poo, toilet paper and especially wipes' along the routeUnder proposed rules announced this week, walkers will need a booking for a hotel, shelter, bivouac site or other accommodation. They will also be prohibited from taking anything other than trekking backpacks.The proposals follow complaints about hikers having large, wheeled suitcases driven between refuges by taxi. Some have also been accused of claiming to have completed the route despite travelling significant stretches by car.One accommodation manager said hikers who had just climbed 1,000 vertical metres complained that his refuge had no lift. Another guest asked whether it had a spa.Taxis will be allowed to transport backpacks only during certain hours, probably in the morning and evening.A team of officials dubbed the 'green brigade' will enforce the rules and could issue fines, although the amount has yet to be set.Jean-Marc Peillex, chairman of the Federation of Districts of Mont Blanc Country, suggested fines would be at least €35 and possibly much higher. Officials say the rise in visitors is putting pressure on the trail, which generally takes at least a week to complete. On some days, Peillex said, hikers walk less than a metre apart. Locals have also complained about walkers pitching tents on private land when bivouac sites and shelters are full. Some sites are booked up a year in advance. Under proposed rules announced this week, walkers will need a booking for a hotel, shelter, bivouac site or other accommodation. Pictured: A group of hikers on the mountain Pictured: HWBR6G Refuge (hostel) on the Italian alps section of the Tour du Mont Blanc trail'In the unauthorised bivouac areas, we find toilet paper under every stone,' Pierre Arpin, manager of Les Chambres du Soleil hotel in Bourg-Saint-Maurice, told Le Monde. 'I have had to put up wire so that people don't camp in my garden.' The plan includes a commitment not to build more accommodation or bivouac sites along the circuit. Companies that follow the rules will be awarded a label.Some mayors oppose the measures because the tour has become important to the local economy. There is no indication that Swiss and Italian councils along the route will adopt the plan.