Ski Mont-Blanc

Ski Mont Blanc in 3 Days

This itinerary is an example of what could be done with good weather and good conditions. Your Chamex mountain guide will decide the best option according to weather and snow conditions.

Introduction : Meeting your Chamex Mountain Guide

The 3 day course starts when you meet your mountain guide the evening before your first ski day at the Chamonix Experience office near to the Aiguille du Midi lift station. You’ll have the opportunity to ask any questions you may have and to check your equipment, over a coffee and a friendly chat. Your guide will outline the itinerary and give you any necessary information on what to expect regarding weather and snow conditions.

Day 1: Ski Touring Aiguille du Midi

Your mountain guide will need to check that you have the correct level of fitness, ski ability and that you are suitably acclimatised before you begin your ascent of Mont Blanc. What better way to check this than to do a fantastic ski tour from one of the most spectacular lift stations in the world? Your mountain guide will pick one of the many great ski tours accessible from the Aiguille du Midi, ending the day by skiing the Vallée Blanche back down to Chamonix. The Aiguille du Midi lift station is right opposite the Chamonix Experience office, so it is the perfect place to put your ski legs to the test before we set off on our Mont Blanc expedition.

Day 2: Mont Blanc Ascent

Traditional Mont Blanc Itinerary via the Grands Mulets Refuge – this route starts from the Plan de l’Aiguille lift station (2310m). It makes its way between the crevasses of the Les Bossons Glacier to the Refuge des Grands Mulets (3051m), which is spectacularly situated on a rocky outcrop in the middle of this imposing glacier. We will spend the night at the refuge before continuing on to Mont Blanc in the early hours of the morning.

Day 3: Summit Mont Blanc & Descent

This is the big day! We will leave the refuge between 2am and 3am with the aim of reaching the top of Mont Blanc by sunrise.Taking the classic route from the Grand Mulets Refuge will take up to 8 hours to reach the summit. Starting with a ski tour up to the Vallot hut (4362m), we will leave our skis here to climb the final section up to the summit of Mont Blanc using crampons and ice axes. The last section is on a very exposed and spectacular arête, where you will have incredible views of some of the highest peaks in Europe. You will return on foot to your skis at the Vallot hut. From here it is a fantastic off-piste descent as you ski down past the Grands Mulets Refuge, traversing across to the Plan de l’Aiguille, where we will take the lift back to Chamonix.

This course is for those who are experienced in ski touring and ski mountaineering.

• You have to be confident and safe doing kick turns on slopes of up to 35 degrees.
• You have to be skilled in using ice axe and crampons and comfortable climbing over a steep, snowy and rocky terrain.
• You have to be advanced off piste skier, able to link short and long turns without stopping or losing control over your skis. You have to be confident and safe skiing slopes up to 40 degrees in all snow conditions (icy, crusty, powder).
• You have to be physically fit, ready to skin up and ski for up to 8 hours per day without being too tired the next day.
• You need to be well acclimatised before you meet your guide, we recommend that you arrive in Chamonix at least a week in advance of your trip to benefit from exposure to high altitude.

Don’t hesitate to contact us if you are not sure about your level, we will be happy to advise.

Our Ski Mountaineering course is a good preparation course for the Mont Blanc ski ascent.