Climb the Mont Blanc Summit

Altitude: from 1200m to 4807m |  State - Country: Aosta Valley - Courmayeur - Zermatt - Chamonix - Italy - France - Switzerland |  Mountains: Mont Blanc - Michabel |  Top Altitude: Mont Blanc 4807m

Mont Blanc is the highest summit in Western Europe and a classic mountaineering challenge. Our training and acclimatisation program involves reaching 4000m summits in the Michabel range prior to making the final ascent. Acclimatising properly like this makes a huge difference on the final summit day…

On Mont Blanc, we allow two days to make our climb to the summit via the The Goûter Route. If the mountain is not in condition, or if poor weather means we are unable to attempt Mont Blanc, we have the option of climbing Gran Paradiso (4,061m), a fine alterative. Gran Paradiso is the highest mountain entirely within Italy.

The best time to Climb Mont Blanc.

Please note that our program dates below are either early or late summer season and start early week. In our experience this approach helps to give you the best possible experience on the mountain in terms of conditions and avoiding the overcrowded & hot mid-summer period. Stone fall in the Grand Couloir also generally presents more of a problem from mid July to all August than in June and September and this is another major reason why we run our program towards the beginning and end of the summer season.

IMPORTANT: hut bookings

We advise that you book your Mont Blanc course before by early November of the previous year.

Otherwise it is unlikely that there will be beds available in the Mont Blanc huts for you. Your course booking is not confirmed until we have confirmed your beds and we cannot book your beds without your name, nationality and date of birth. Please do not arrange your travel to Courmayeur until we have confirmed your hut bookings.

DURATION

Six days in the mountain

FITNESS LEVEL REQUIRED

GROUPS

2 peoples.

COST

€ 1900 per person.

$USD 1,993 per person
£ 1,576 per person

INCLUDE

  Services of an Mountain Guide

  All transfers as shown in the program

  The cablecars tickets as shown in the program, including cablecars tickets of the Mountain Guide

  Half board in the huts, including the halfs boards of the Mountain Guide

NOT INCLUDE

  Accomodation

  Lunch in both mountain and valley

  Mountaineering – Off Piste/Ski Mountaineering Insurance IMPORTANT: Please read this section.

  Transfer from/to airport,

  Airfare

  Anything not specified

NB Trip is confirmed from 2 peoples.

Day 0 - Sun
Arrival

Travel to Courmayeur, to arrive in time for the Evening Briefing.

Your guide will run through safety routines and kit checks, as well as hand out rental equipment for the week, before we go on to a detailed discussion of everyones ambitions for the week, together with the current weather and mountain conditions and how these affect our planning. We’ll also have maps and guidebooks to show you, so if you’ve any further questions or last minute requests, then this is the ideal time to bring them up before we head on to dinner.

Day 1 - Mon

8.30am – 4.00pm: Ascent of Aiguilles d'Entrèves (3600m) – normal route. We will check your personal technical level. Acclimatisation day.

The Aiguille d'Entrèves (3600m) normal route is a great day out, one of the best granite ridge of the range. The route isn’t overly long, making it ideal for a shorter day, or practicing on some varied alpine terrain.
In the afternoon with the Sky Way lift from the Helbronner back down to the Courmayeur. This is the first part of our retraining techniques and acclimatization program – allowing you to spend as much time at altitude as possible during the week.
This day you’ll need a packed lunch, as we’ll be out all day.
Round trip ∼4hrs - 5hrs

Day 2 - Tue

9.00am – 3.00pm: Courmayeur – Täschhütte 2701m.

Drive to Tach - Taschalp (Ottavan) 2102m (Switzerland), which is about a 2.30 - 3.00 hrs drive from Courmayeur. In the first afternoon we reach the Täschhütte (2701 m). The hut walk takes about 1hr - 1.15 hr . This is the second part of our acclimatisation program – allowing you to spend as much time at altitude as possible during the week. Sleeping at altitude on makes a big difference on Mont Blanc.
Overnight and Half board in the hut
This day you’ll need a packed lunch, as we’ll be out all day.
Ascent ∼1hrs - 1.15hrs

Day 3 - Wed

3.00am – 6.00pm: Ascent of Alphubel (4206m) – normal route from Täschhütte. Acclimatisation day.

Climbing of the Tops – From the Täschhütte you climb the Alphubel glacier to the Alphubeljoch. Then if the condition of the redge is good we follow the SE-ridge to Alphubel (4206m) (Eisnase). From the summit the descent follow the normal route to Alphubeljoch and to continue, along the same route of to go up, toTäschhütte. From Täschhütte hut return to Courmayeur via Tach which is about a 2.30 - 3.00 hrs drive from Tach.
This day you’ll need a packed lunch, as we’ll be out all day.
Round trip ~8-10hrs

Day 4 - Thu

Rest Day.

Day of rest. The advice is to relax. Short walk to Courmayeur for the purchase of gifts or memories of the place. The rest of the day enjoy it in the sun, even on a deck chair to rest. Recover lost fluids by drinking plenty of water. is the best help for a good acclimatisation. In the evening meeting with the Guide for organizing the climb to the summit of Mont Blanc. Two nights in the valley to help the body regain strength needed to climb to the summit of Mont Blanc.

Day 5 - Fri

5.45am – 3.00pm: Courmayeur – Gouter hut 3817m.

Early morning transfer to Les Houches and heading up to the Gouter Hut ready to make the ascent Mont Blanc. As far as possible, this is a steady approach day in order to prepare for the big climb ahead. However, it’s still a long way up to the hut (it is a 5hrs - 6hrs climb from where you leave the mountain railway above Les Houches) – so you need to be prepared for two big mountain days, rather than just one. This is where proper training in the run up to the trip and following a realistic acclimatisation program come into their own – we’ll give you advice on the former and make sure you follow the latter before setting off up Mont Blanc.
Overnight and Half board in the hut
This day you’ll need a packed lunch, as we’ll be out all day.
Ascent ∼5hrs - 6hrs

Day 6 - Sat

1.30am – 6.00pm: Ascent of the Mont Blanc (4807m) – via the normal route.

Climb Mont Blanc (4807m). – make the ascent of Mont Blanc via the Gouter Route from the Gouter or Tete Rousse Huts. It’s a long climb through the night, where pacing yourself and having the determination to dig in and rise to the challenge are important. The plan is to reach the summit early in the morning, in order to get the best snow conditions on the descent. Either route is a long commiting day, involving 6hrs - 7hrs climbing at altitude. In afternoon return to Courmayeur
This day you’ll need a packed lunch, as we’ll be out all day.
Round trip ~10-12hrs.

End of Program

Day 7 - Sun

Return home.

After a night of well-deserved rest, departure from Courmayeur for your destination.