France bans day-trippers from Mont Blanc trail over hikers who 'defecate in fields' and demand mountain spas

From the Newshound archive · first published 23 September 2026.

French officials are set to bar unbooked walkers from the 170km Tour du Mont Blanc circuit after fury over littering, human waste and entitled behaviour on western Europe's highest mountain. Visitor numbers surged to 90,000 this summer, up from 60,000 in 2022, with social media clips exposing piles of rubbish and used wipes left along the route. Officials say the trail, which passes through France, Italy and Switzerland, can no longer cope.

Under the proposed rules, walkers will need a pre-booked hotel, shelter or bivouac site to be allowed onto the trail.

Hikers have been filmed asking why mountain refuges lack spas, and complaints about 'nose to tail' crowds have reached breaking point.

One viral clip shows a woman holding up used wipes, saying she found 'an astronomical amount of poo, toilet paper and especially wipes' dumped along the route.