This itinerary is based on good weather and mountain conditions as well as hut availability. Sometimes we may opt for 2 consecutive nights in the Tete Rousse or Gouter hut or another variety of huts or days allocated to climbing Mont Blanc. Should an ascent of Mont Blanc not be possible due to dangerous conditions or bad weather, we will provide alternative options.
DAY ONE:
Arrival Day
You will meet with your guide for a briefing in the evening to go through the plan for the week, as well as to discuss the current weather and mountain conditions. Here you will have a chance to go through your kit under the experienced eye of your guide and can ask any questions that you may have.
DAY TWO:
Train and acclimatise in the Mont Blanc Range
We will head up the Aiguille du Midi at 3,842m to train and acclimatise in the Mont Blanc range. There is an endless supply of fantastic glaciers to walk and mountains to traverse to help prepare you for what’s to come later in the trip.
DAY THREE:
Begin the Mont Blanc Climb
Climbing Mont Blanc takes two days, but we add in a spare day in case of bad weather to maximise your chance of success. We start by driving to Les Houches (10 min) and then taking uplifts on the Bellevue cable car followed by the Tramway du Mont Blanc train to the Refuge du Nid d’Aigle which sits at 2372m. From here we hike to the Tête Rousse hut (3167m) for an overnight stay in preparation for our summit attempt the following morning.
4km / 700m up / 0m down / 2 hours
DAY FOUR:
Summit Day
On summit day we wake up very early and ascend to the summit of Mont Blanc. This will take between 8-10 hours depending on conditions and your physical ability. On the descent from the summit, we spend the night in the Goûter hut (3813m). By having this second night in the Goûter hut we are less in a rush to make it down to the valley or the Tête Rousse hut, and it also means we cross the Grand Couloir early the following day. These are all carefully considered factors that we’ve analysed over many years guiding this route to maximise your chance of a successful summit.
10.9km / 1741m up / 1071m down / 8-10 hours
DAY FIVE:
Return to Chamonix
In the morning we descend from the Goûter hut (3813m) to the Refuge du Nid d’Aigle (2372m) and take the Tramway du Mont Blanc followed by the Bellevue cable car down to Les Houches. The descent normally takes around 4-5 hours. You then travel back to the Chamonix and that signals the end of the climb. This will normally be around 13:00-14:00 in the afternoon. Usually everyone heads out into Chamonix for dinner or drinks together to round off the week.
7km / 0m up / 1500m down / 4 hours
DAY SIX:
Departure Day
Depart. After one last hearty breakfast we sadly bid farewell. Check-out is at 10am.