6 Day Mont Blanc Climb
June and September 2017
At nearly 16,000 ft in elevation, Mont Blanc is the highest point in Western Europe. It attracts climbers from all over the world as it dominates the skyline above the Chamonix, FR. While Mont Blanc is not overly technical, it is a mountain not to be underestimated. It requires a high level of fitness and the altitude requires climbers to be well acclimitized. Furthermore, due to warmer than average summers, summertime conditions can be unreliable and down right dangerous. For this reason , we offer this trip only in the early and late season. June and September tend to have cooler temperatures and more snow, making for safer conditions. Typically there are less people on the mountain during this time as well allowing for a more enjoyable experience.
Skills and Fitness: The main challenge for Mont Blanc is the altitude and overall effort required. You should be prepared to do a 1,600m, (5,000ft+) summit day at altitude. This summit day takes around 10-12hrs, so having all day endurance is essential. The climb also involves some exposed ridges and some rock scrambling. While these skills should not be underestimated, a high technical standard is not required. While not required, we do encourage people signing up for this trip to have previous mountaineering experience. Please contact us if you have concerns regarding your fitness or skill level for this climb.
Itinerary:
Day 1: This is an acclimitization day and we will head up to the famous Aiguille du Midi (12,600ft) to get to some thin air. From here we will traverse to the Italian side, covering roped travel and crampon skills. From here we will take the lift back and spend the night in town.
Day 2: We will start the day with another lift ride and we will head again to the Italian side. From here we will do a slightly more technical climb, getting practice on some mixed terrain and continuing the acclimitize. We will spend a night at a hut.
Day 3: With an early start we will aim to climb the Tour Ronde. This will test our fitness along with the skills we have acquired during the first couple of days. We will descend back to town, via lifts, following the climb
Day 4: After a leisurely start, we will take a lift and train to begin our hike to the Tete Rousse hut on Mont Blanc. This hike takes about 2.5 hours and allows us time for ample rest before a long summit day the following day.
Day 5: In a perfect world, this is our summit day. We will start before dawn making our way up the Gouter ridge, dome du Gouter and finally the arete des boss to the summit. This is a long climb and takes around 7hours for the climb. After the summit, we will descend down the Gouter Hut at 3,800m, which we passed on the way up.
Day 6: Following a civilized start around 7am, we will continue our descent down the mountain and make our way back to town.
* It might be necessary to change the order of our summit days due to weather. This itinerary offers the most flexibility and theoretically gives us 2 summit days
Cost: $3,600 per person based on a 2:1 client to guide ratio, $5,350 for 1:1 climb
Includes:
All lift passes for the week
7 nights lodging in huts or hotels (twin or double rooms at hotels)
All guide fees and guide expenses
Does NOT include:
Travel to and from Chamonix
In town meals
Drinks at huts
Important: Mont Blanc, while accessible, can be a very serious mountain. We will not attempt the climb with people who do not have the appropriate level of fitness or skill. Furthermore, bad weather or conditions may also cause us to change or cancel the itinerary. If this is the case, we will find suitable alternatives, which may include ascents of other 4000m peaks in the region.
