Day 1 Arrive in Chamonix
You will arrive into Geneva airport and transfer to the Chamonix valley, France for the start of our journey through the European Alps. You will stay in the comfortable yeti lodge. Your Guide will meet you after dinner to brief you on the itinerary for the week ahead.
Day 2 Ice skills practice ““ Rifugio Vittorio Emanuelle II
The day will start with a drive to Italy and a hike through the Gran Paradiso National Park forest, with trails up towards the Rifugio Vittorio Emanuelle II hut (2732m). After lunch you will practice ice axe and crampon skills on the glacier above the hut. If you haven’t used crampons or an ice axe before, this is where your introduction will take place. You stay overnight at the refuge. Sleeping at altitude is one of the best ways to acclimatise.
Day 3 Gran Paradiso climb
Today you will climb the Gran Paradiso, at 4061m the highest mountain entirely within Italy. This is a great way to acclimatise for Mont Blanc and summit a 4000m peak at the same time. After the climb we will descend to the valley and drive back to Chamonix. This is a long and challenging day.
Day 4 Aiguille du Midi & the Vallee Blanche or Crampon Skills on the Mer de Glace
Today we will do 1 of 2 plans, depending on the group and the weather. We take the lift up to the Aiguille du Midi (3842m) to traverse the Vallée Blanche, in order to gain further acclimatisation and continue your practice with ice-axe and crampons. You will walk on a spectacular glacier to reach the Helbronner, taking the lift back to the Aiguille du Midi in the Panoramic gondola. Or, in the case of bad weather or needing to rest before the Mont Blanc ascent, we can take the Montenvers railway up to the Mer de Glace.
Day 5 First day of the Mont Blanc ascent
Now that your training is over, you are ready for the ascent of Mont Blanc. You will walk up to either of the Tête Rousse (3167m) or the Cosmiques (3613mm) huts. You will be at the hut by early afternoon, giving you plenty of time to enjoy the dramatic location.
Day 6 Summit day and back to a hut
The Big Day! Weather permitting you will aim to summit Mont Blanc today.The ascent takes about 6 to 7 hours. You will either return by the same route to the Gouter hut or to go down to the Cosmiques hut, where you will spend the night.
Day 7 Second day for the summit attempt if require
If you have not summitted the day before, you will make the attempt today requiring a 1AM start. After summitting, we will have to descend all the way down to the valley and should be back in Chamonix by mid-late afternoon. Your effort will be celebrated back in the valley.
Day 8 Departure Day
You will have our last breakfast at the lodge before departing home. Please note that this itinerary is an example of a Mt. Blanc week. Itineraries are variable and subject to change due to conditions, hut availability, the weather and each group. The itinerary for groups wanting to incorporate different climbs into the week in Chamonix will be adjusted and tailored to your needs.