Style of climbing:
Steep snow and ice
Our trip plan includes a three-day warm-up to review technical climbing skills (ex. crampons, axe use), while we also tackle some of the best warm-ups climbs Europe has to over. We'll make sure you are well acclimatized and prepared for your summit attempt. We allow three days for your Mont Blanc attempt to account for weather, contingency, maximizing your attempt's success while simultaneously allowing for more fun climbing during your stay!
Our European weeks are inclusive, offering everything you need from the start to the finish of your summit attempt. Small group guiding guarantees your safety and an unbeatable experience.
Steep snow and ice
Day 0.5: We will have a car pick you up at the Geneva airport to transfer you to our base in Chamonix. Upon arrival, we will check gear and go over the plans for the week.
Day 1: To shake off the jet lag and start getting acclimatized, we will head up the valley to the Grand Montet lift in the Argentiere village. A quick gondola lift will take us to 3200m and in perfect striking distance to the Petit Aiguille Verte, mixed snow and rock ridge in an absolutely wild setting.
Day 2: 8 am, we depart for the Aiguille du Midi, where the highest gondola in Europe will take us to 3810m and into the heart of the Mont Blanc massive. The rest of the day will be spent travelling across the Valle Blanch to the Torino hut on the Italian/French border. Expect a 7 hour day of glacier travel, spectacular views and instruction.
Day 3: Alpine start - 5 am we will head back to the French side of the range and climb the classic rock scrambling ridge, Aiguille d' Entreves, or Aiguille du Tourville and back to the Torino Hut,
Day 4: Another Alpine start will put us in a good position to make an ascent of the Aiguille to Roche-forte and wild snow ridge climb on France and Italy's border. For those with a rock climbing background, an ascent of the Dent Du Geant will be possible (5.7 5pitches). Back to Chamonix in PM.
Day 5: A civilized start to the day, we will head back up the Aiguille du Midi and over to the Cosmiques Refuge for the night. The Cosmiques Refuge is at the base of the Trois Monts Route on Mont Blanc and will provide us with the best position to make a summit attempt the next day. This day can be flexible, depending on energy levels. There are many peak options along the way to the hut.
Day 6: 1 am breakfast! Climbing by 2 am. We will ascent the Trois Mont route, first up the Tacul to 4020m, then off the technical crux of the day Mont Maudit 4400m where we will climb a snow/ice face to 70ʼ And finally off the to Mont Blanc summit 4810. You can expect a very long day (10 - 14 h ). Depending on our timing, we will either return to the Valley or spend another night at the Cosmiques Refuge
Day 7: Flex day. As it can be very difficult to time your ascent of Mont Blanc with the weather. Our programs build in flexibility on both sides of our scheduled summit attempt. Friday can be used to summit or for one of the many classic options around Chamonix: index, Cosmiques arête, Midi-plan traverse, Rock climbing in the valley.
Return home. Transportation will be provided to Geneva airport at your convenience.
A summit of Mont Blanc requires adequate fitness, however, the climb itself is not super technical and thus is suitable for entry-level to experienced climbers. You should be physically capable of moving for up to 14 hours on the summit day. Familiarity with mountaineering skills is a bonus, but we can go over basic skills (crampons/axe use) over the warm-up days to ensure you're ready for the climb!
Trip Photographer
Personal photographer to capture the trips epic moments.