Summit the Alps with a Mont Blanc Guide
Mont Blanc is not just a once in a lifetime climb either – many Europeans make the pilgrimage several times to the highest peak of their beloved Alps.
Thousands of climbers and tourists arrive annually from all over the globe to climb to the highest point in Western-Europe on one of the dozen routes. Climbing the Mont Blanc always has a special atmosphere around it – you’re climbing from the cradle of modern-day alpinism, the Chamonix Valley, to the highest point of the Alps.
You don’t have 7 days, and you have just climbed another 4000er in the Alps? We recommend that you opt for the Turbo Mont Blanc Climb. Enquire/enroll on the right side of this page.
Do you need a full equipment guide to Mont Blanc? Get it here.
To save time, download the free Equipment Checklist so you don’t leave anything at home!
Further Info
If the "official" dates are not good for you, let us know. We are quite flexible.
Is this trip for you?
Physical difficulty of trips
- Alpine trekking - up to 1200 m of vertical in a day on short trips
- Longer trips with high daily loads of 1000 m+ vertical
- Climbs involving 1000 m+ of vertical climbing above 4000 meters
- Same as Level 3 with the addition of speed as a must
- Climbs to summits over 6000 meters in altitude
Technical difficulty grades
- Trekking on rocks or snow to 25 degrees steepness, no hands required
- Alpine Grade PD - 30-45 degree snow/firnice axe required, may have to use with hands, as you may meet UIAA Grade III rock.
- Alpine grade AD: 40-55 degree slopes or UIAA grade-III rock
- "My feet are shaking!" Alpine grade D: 50-70 degree snow-walls or UIAA IV-V rock: serious stuff
- D graded climbs None of our package trips do this level, but you can request an expert to accompany you for your D or higher graded project.
Culture shock grading
As far as the cultural environment of your country/area of destination, we have set up grades to indicate what degree of culture shock you may expect.
- Your usual cultural environment, no big surprises in relation to Anglo/Saxon way of life
- A little different than what you are used to at home, but no big suprises
- Your trip is a cultural experience in itself, with amusing differences form what you're used to at home.
- This is a different world; you have to significantly alter your expectations and behaviour.
- Possibility of extreme culture shock; forget any rules you may have brought from home, life runs completely differently than what you can even dream up.
Physical Difficulty
Technical Difficulty
Cultural Shock
Itinerary
Day 1: Preparation and Acclimatization
Meet with your guide in the morning In the afternoon start the training on Mer de Glace. Practice using crampons and ice axes and walking roped up. You will practice together with all participants in order to form evenly skilled parties of 2.
Day 2: Glacier Trip
Today you will practice the skills learnt the previous day, now in a “high alpine” environment. Some of the possible routes include hiking across Vallée Blanche (TVB), Cosmiques Ridge, or Aiguilles d’Entrèves.
Day 3: High Alpine Mountaineering
You will continue what you started yesterday: practice and prepare for the big summit. Today you will practice apline climbing techniques. You will get a taste of snow and ice (ie. mixed) climbing. Some of the possible routes include Petite Verte, Argentière Glacier, or Traversée des Crochues.
Day 4-5: Mont Blanc Summit
The guide will decide on the specific route, based on the technical ability, mountain conditions, and mountain hut vacancy. It will be one of these:
– “3-Mount” route, through Cosmiques hut,
– The “Bosses Ridge” or Voie Normale, through Goûter hut,
– North ridge of the Dome, through Grands Mulets hut,
– Aiguilles Grises, through Gonella hut,
If it’s the Bosses Ridge (normal route), this is how it will look like:
On the first day, you ride the cable car to Bellevue (1.850m) from Les Houches, and the Tramway du Mont-Blanc cog train to Nid d’Aigle (2.372m). Then, you continue to the Tête Rousse hut (3.167m), which is 2 to 2.5 hours away. You will reach the Goûter hut (3.913m) 2-3 hours later. You will spend the night there (half-board).
It’s wakey-wakey at 3:00 AM. You have a tough 1.000 m of vertical awaiting you. Stepping outside the hut, it’s romantic to see a snake of headlamps heading up the hill ahead of you above the Gouter House. You pick up the rhythm and attack the steep slope with confidence. Now the Sun starts to rise and Vallot Refuge shows itself high above. Good sign, the Vallot just about marks the half-way-point to the summit.
At 4.500-4.600 meters, the route takes you on a quite thin and exposed ridge. On the Italian side of the ridge, a 1.000 meter drop scares the heck out of the less-experienced and signals for caution. You feel you’ve given all you’ve got, your lungs are dead, but the rising Sun gives you strength and confidence to keep going. Mont Blanc summit, now just a stone’s throw away is too tempting to give up, so you keep going. Then, there’s nowhere to go uphill anymore. That’s it, you’re standing on the summit of the Alps. The euphoria makes you forget the difficulties and the tremendous effort that brought you 4.808 meters high. You’re experiencing a small ecstasy. After a 20-30 minute rest, it’s time to descend back to Gouter. You take the same way you came up.
Day 6: Head Home
…or, since you came this far, why not do another climb? You’re perfectly acclimatised and you have a real good shot at any peak. Talk to us, let us help you choose from the nearby French, Italian, Swiss possibilities. Fancy a Matterhorn climb? We’ll give you a discount if you book it together with your Mont Blanc climb. Ask us and you shall receive!
You don’t have 7 days, and you have just climbed another 4000er in the Alps? The 3-day-long Mont Blanc turbo version is here for you!
Equipment and Info
In order for you to get the most out of this climb, we made the itinerary as flexible as possible. As the program depends on you and the weather, we can’t guarantee that you’ll stick to the itinerary you see here.
You don’t have 5 days, and you have just climbed another 4000er in the Alps? The 3-day-long Mont Blanc Turbo Version is for you. Inquire on this page and ask for details.
Weather
Alpine summer – you need to prepare yourself for rain, snow and cold; 6-8 degrees below freezing on mornings at 3.000-3.200 m. If you need advice on clothing and equipment, let us know via the form below, your guide will be more than happy to help.
Equipment
Do you need a full equipment guide to Mont Blanc? Get it here. It’s comprehensive, it’s free.
To save time, download the free Equipment Checklist so you don’t leave anything at home!
Note that the price does not include technical equipment hire, but you need not worry about it — we can help you if you need to rent any of the gear (like harness, biners, helmet, ice axe, crampons). Climbing equipment, remember, can be hired. It would cost about €135 for 5 days.
Of course, you may bring your own gear if you prefer.
Lodging
In the valley, you’ll choose your preferred kind of accommodation. You can sleep in a camping or a guesthouse (for about €12-18/night, or €35-40/night, respectively). We can give you a hand with booking, just let us know.
On the mountain, you will sleep in a room with bunk beds shared by many other mountaineers. Don’t expect a lot of privacy (or fresh air) up here.
Food & Drinks
In guesthouses, you can generally get small breakfasts, while on the mountain, you are responsible for your meals. You can buy warm meals at refuge houses as well as hot and alcoholic beverages. During the day, you may prefer high-calorie snacks. Our favorites are granola bars, dried fruits and the like.
Make sure you take in at least 1,5 liters of drinks every 12 hours on the mountain. It’s vital that you properly hydrate. Proper hydration aids acclimatisation, concentration at altitude and actually protects against the cold.
To maximize your performance, read our Top Tips on Mountain Food here.
