Mont Blanc (4,806 m), Europe’s highest peak, is not without reason a destination for many experienced mountaineers seeking new challenges in their climbing careers. This 6-day expedition to this outstanding and majestic Alpine peak, situated in the Crown of Europe, is divided into two stages to maximise the chances of all participants reaching the summit. The first part involves acclimatisation and technical preparation in the Mont Blanc massif, followed by the direct ascent to the summit of Mont Blanc. Throughout the expedition, participants will be under the care of an experienced, English-speaking IFMGA/IVBV/UIAGM guide.

Why should you join us on an expedition to Mont Blanc?

• all necessary, actual costs of the expedition are already included in the price: FMGA/IVBV/UIAGM guide, accommodation with meals in mountain huts, accommodation in Chamonix, cable cars and local transport, and insurance,
• the package also includes accommodation immediately before and after the expedition in Chamonix, in a comfortable hotel with breakfast – to ensure you rest well,
• we provide two full days of acclimatisation in the Mont Blanc massif and alpine excursions combined with technical preparation,
• if necessary, we have a buffer day and the option to postpone the summit attempt to the following day,
• in the event of adverse conditions, we offer an attractive alternative plan involving the ascent of another 4,000-metre peak in the Gran Paradiso, Monte Rosa or other massifs, at no extra cost for accommodation and cable cars,
• acclimatisation takes place in a group of 4 people + an FMGA/IVBV/UIAGM guide, and the summit attempt in a group of 2 people + an FMGA/IVBV/UIAGM guide.

• 6 days in the mountains under the guidance of an IVBV/UIAGM/IFMGA guide
• A refresher on skills relating to using crampons, ice axes and ropes during the acclimatisation phase
• 1 IVBV/UIAGM/IFMGA guide for every 2 participants during the summit attempt
• 1 IVBV/UIAGM/IFMGA guide for every 4 participants during the acclimatisation phase
• 2 nights’ accommodation at the Albert Premiere mountain hut with breakfast and dinner
• 1 night’s accommodation at the Tete Rousse mountain hut with breakfast and dinner
• 1 night’s accommodation at the Gouter mountain hut with breakfast and dinner
• 3 nights’ accommodation in a hotel in Les Houches (near Chamonix) in twin or triple rooms with breakfast
• Return tickets for the Le Tour cable car to Col de Balme
• Return tickets for the Bellevue cable car
• Return tickets for the Tramway du Mont Blanc to Le Nid d’Aigle station
• Single journey from Chamonix to Le Tour and back
• All tourist taxes for accommodation in Chamonix

What is not included in the price:

• Insurance for extreme sports including rescue helicopter action (obligatory!),
• Travel to Chamonix
• Dinner during your stay in Chamonix
• Any equipment hire
• Additional transport costs should the alternative itinerary be implemented (travel to the Gran Paradiso, Monte Rosa or other mountain ranges – approx. 50–100 euros)
• Cancellation insurance (recommended)
• Any other services not included in the course programme

Climbing Mont Blanc requires a great deal of stamina, strength, flexibility and mental resilience. Although the summit does not exceed 5000 metres above sea level, nor does it present particularly great technical difficulties, it poses a serious challenge in terms of fitness and acclimatisation. It is a mountain expedition lasting many hours and demanding in terms of physical fitness, made even more difficult by the altitude, at which the body tires more easily than at lower altitudes.

Those wishing to attempt an ascent of Mont Blanc should meet the following requirements:

• Excellent physical fitness. Regular (3–4 times a week) endurance (cardio) training is essential. In addition, regular full-day mountain hikes with a backpack (8–12 kg) at the pace indicated on the trail markings. Supplementary training (e.g. strength and stability training) is also required,
• Ability to comfortably cover 1500–1600 metres of elevation gain in a single day, without long breaks. During the expedition, there will be 1700 metres of elevation gain to cover in a single day,
• Example fitness level: a 20–25 km mountain hike, +1400 m of elevation gain, in 8–10 hours, in a single day, without extreme fatigue. Running 10 km in less than an hour, running a half-marathon at a steady pace,
• Completion of a winter mountaineering course and basic winter mountaineering experience (skills in using crampons and an ice axe, navigating in high-altitude terrain),
• Alpine and high-altitude experience (above 3000-4000 metres) is an advantage but not required,
• Appropriate, tested high-altitude equipment (a list of equipment can be found at the bottom of the page),
• Very good health (no injuries, no medical conditions preventing alpine hiking),
• Only adults may take part in the expedition.

Checking each participant

Once registered, we will assess each participant’s current fitness level, as well as their past and planned training. In the event of minor shortcomings, we will help you plan how to make up for them; in the event of more significant shortcomings, we will be obliged to cancel your registration and refund 100% of the amount paid.

We reserve the right to cancel a booking if a participant is unable to prove in any way that they meet the requirements set out in the offer (e.g. training records from a fitness tracker, participation in our other trips and training sessions, confirmation of fitness and skills by an instructor or guide, high-altitude experience, e.g. from a 5000-metre peak).

Reaching the summit of Mont Blanc is not technically difficult, but it is physically demanding, primarily due to the considerable altitude. At around 4000 metres above sea level, even people in very good physical condition often feel much weaker, and their performance drops significantly. Altitude sickness can easily prevent you from reaching the summit, so to prevent this and maximise everyone’s chances, proper acclimatisation is required. The acclimatisation programme is set out below in the itinerary.

Day 1. (29.08 / 8.09)

Arrival day in Chamonix. Check-in at the hotel in the afternoon. Evening briefing with a guide, discussion of the plan for the following day and equipment check. Opportunity to do some additional shopping.

Accommodation: hotel in Chamonix or Les Houches, twin or triple room, breakfast included; option to leave luggage at the hotel during acclimatisation (for a small fee).

Day 2. (30.08 / 8.09)

Breakfast at the hotel, meeting with the guide and going to Le Tour. Ascent by gondola and chairlift to Col de Balme (2191 m). Traverse with views of the Glacier du Tour and ascent to the Albert Premier mountain hut (2702 m). Check-in at the refuge, a short break, then an outing to practise moving in crampons, with an ice axe and on a rope. After the outing and training, dinner at the refuge and a discussion of the plan for the following day.

Route: the walk from the Col de Balme cable car top station to the Albert Premier refuge takes 2-3 hours; the route is 4,8 km long with a 600-metre elevation gain.

Accommodation: Albert Premier mountain hut, shared rooms, access to toilets, limited shower facilities, breakfast and dinner included in the price.

Day 3. (31.08 / 10.09)

Day two of acclimatisation. After a very early breakfast, we leave the mountain hut and set off on a high-altitude hike on the glacier. We return in the afternoon, rest and have dinner at the mountain hut.

Route: hike to the summit of Tête Blanche (3352 m) or Petite Fourche (3512 m) or both. Both options take around 6-8 hours, with an elevation gain of approximately 700 metres. The guide will decide on the route.

Accommodation: Albert Premiere mountain hut, shared rooms, access to toilets, limited shower facilities, breakfast and dinner included in the price.

Day 4. (1.09 / 11.09)

Early breakfast at the mountain hut, check-out, followed by another acclimatisation hike to Col Supérieur du Tour (3288 m). Return via the same route to Col de Balme and descent by cable car to Le Tour. Transfer to Chamonix, check-in at the hotel, rest and dinner (at your own expense). Evening briefing with the guide ahead of the next day.

Route: the ascent from the Albert Premier refuge to Col Supérieur du Tour (3288 m) takes approximately 2-3 hours with a 600 m elevation gain. The descent to the top cable car station is a 7 km walk and over 1000 metres down, taking approximately 3 hours.

Accommodation: hotel in Chamonix or Les Houches, twin or triple room, breakfast included; option to leave luggage at the hotel during the summit attempt (for a small fee).

Day 5. (2.09 / 12.09)

Breakfast at the hotel. Take the cable car from Les Houches to Bellevue (1801 m), followed by a stunning, scenic ride on the Tramway du Mont Blanc (approx. 45 mins) to the terminus at Le Nid d’Aigle, situated at 2372 m above sea level. Trekking to the Tete Rousse mountain hut (3167 m). Accommodation at the hut, rest and dinner. Briefing before the summit attempt the following day.

Route: the walk from the upper station of the Tramway du Mont Blanc to the Tete Rousse mountain hut is approximately 3,5 km long and involves an elevation gain of over 800 metres. At a leisurely pace, it will take around 2,5 hours.

Accommodation: Tete Rousse mountain hut, shared rooms, access to toilets, breakfast and dinner included.

Day 6. (3.09 / 13.09)

A very early start, breakfast, and departure from the Tete Rousse refuge. Hike to the higher-altitude Gouter refuge, followed by an hour-long break for a meal and rest. You may leave some of your belongings at the refuge. After the break, the ascent to the summit continues. For most of the route, participants and the guide move along a rope at a slow but steady pace. If all goes well – reaching the highest peak in Europe. At the summit, a short break for photos and rest, followed by the descent to the Gouter refuge. Accommodation at the refuge, rest and dinner.

Route: the route from the Tete Rousse hut, via Gouter to the summit of Mont Blanc takes around 9-10 hours including breaks. It is 6 km long with an elevation gain of approximately 1700 m. The descent from the summit to the Gouter hut takes around 2 hours.

_{Checkpoints along the route:}

• _{Tete Rousse – Gouter section: if participants are unable to complete this section of the route in less than 3 hours, the guide may decide to abort the summit attempt; if reaching the refuge proves impossible, the group will return to Chamonix, where participants will be responsible for covering the costs of additional accommodation themselves;}
• _{Gouter – Dome du Gouter section: if participants are unable to complete this section of the route in less than 3 hours, the guide may decide to abort the summit attempt. The group will then return to the Gouter refuge and stay there overnight as per the itinerary.}

In the event of adverse weather conditions, the summit attempt may be postponed to the following, final day; in this case, the departure from the Gouter refuge will take place at night, and we will descend directly from the summit of Mont Blanc to Chamonix (on the same day).

Accommodation: Gouter refuge, shared rooms, access to toilets, breakfast and dinner included.

Day 7. (4.09 / 14.09)

Early breakfast and check-out. Start of the descent from the Gouter refuge via Tête Rousse to the Le Nid d’Aigle upper station and the Tramway du Mont Blanc station. Tram ride and descent by the Bellevue cable car to Les Houches. Check-in at the hotel, dinner (at your own expense) and a well-deserved rest. Official end of the trip.

Route: the descent from the Gouter refuge to the Tramway du Mont Blanc top station is 4,8 km and 1450 metres down. The route takes 4-5 hours.

Accommodation: hotel in Chamonix or Les Houches, twin or triple room, breakfast included.

Day 8. (5.09 / 15.09)

Breakfast at the hotel, check-out before midday. Any extension of your stay is at your own expense.

Every year, hundreds of people successfully reach the summit of Mont Blanc. However, there are occasions when this is not possible. Below, we provide information on when this might happen.

An attempt, not a guarantee

The Mont Blanc expedition we organise is an attempt to reach the summit safely under the supervision of a certified IFMGA/IVBV/UIAGM high-altitude guide. It is important to remember that reaching the summit can never be fully guaranteed – every participant must be aware of this.

The guides will do their utmost to ensure the expedition is a success; however, this requires a combination of favourable weather conditions during that period, suitable route conditions, and the participants’ good physical fitness, technical preparation and mental resilience.

Cancellation of the expedition

Our guides are highly experienced mountaineers who consistently prioritize the safety of our clients – as well as their own – above all else. Guides have the full right to cancel the expedition at any time if they deem that continuing could pose a risk, and to refuse a client’s participation in the climb for the reasons listed below.

Reasons for cancelling the Mont Blanc summit expedition may include:

• a sudden change in weather conditions,
• an increased risk of avalanches,
• insufficient fitness and pace of participants (section: who is it for; checkpoints specified in the itinerary, e.g. the crossing from Tête Rousse to Gouter in no more than 3 hours),
• a sudden deterioration in the health of one of the participants,
• or other events threatening the safety of the entire group.

Additional costs resulting from the cancellation of the ascent to the Gouter refuge

If it is not possible to reach the Gouter refuge due to excessive risk to the whole group—caused, for example, by the group’s pace being too slow—the guide may decide to return to Chamonix. In this case, participants must cover the cost of accommodation in Chamonix themselves. The fee for accommodation at the Gouter refuge is non-refundable. Participants are also responsible for any costs associated with an alternative excursion on the final day (e.g. if the group and guide decide to visit the Aiguille du Midi; these costs include the cable car fare up and down for the clients and the guide).

Climbing Mont Blanc involves real, objective dangers – such as falling rocks, crevasses, altitude and rapidly changing weather. Safety is the cornerstone of our local guides’ work; they monitor conditions constantly and share information about the state of the route. In the event that conditions on the Normal Route on Mont Blanc do not permit a safe attempt to reach the summit, or if participants’ technical skills and fitness are insufficient, the guides will decide to change the objective and implement an alternative plan, at no extra cost. Participants accept that the guide may make this decision without consulting them. The most popular alternatives are the Gran Paradiso massif and an ascent of Gran Paradiso (4061 m), the Monte Rosa massif and an ascent of one of the many 4000-metre peaks, or the Swiss Alps and the Weissmies (4011 m).

In the event of the expedition being moved to a different region, participants are only required to cover the cost of travel to the alternative location (approximately €50-100). Cable cars, accommodation and half-board in mountain huts are provided by us, and the duration of the expedition remains unchanged.

Hotel in Chamonix or Les Houches – 2 nights’ accommodation, twin or triple rooms with breakfast included; bed linen and towels provided. Option to leave some of your belongings at the hotel during the acclimatisation period and the summit attempt (for a small fee).

Albert Premier mountain hut (2702 m) – 2 nights’ accommodation, shared dormitory; you must have a sleeping bag liner (or can purchase one on site). Shared toilets on each floor; no showers or running water. The price includes a buffet breakfast and dinner with meat and vegetarian options. There is also a bar on site serving drinks and snacks. The lodge has 140 beds and serves as a base for mountaineers.

The Goûter refuge (3815 m) and the Tête Rousse refuge (3167 m) – 2 nights’ accommodation, shared rooms; a sleeping bag liner is required and can also be purchased on site. The refuge has no showers or running water, nor is there electricity or a communal kitchen. The price includes a buffet breakfast and dinner with meat and vegetarian options. There is also a bar on site serving drinks and snacks. Hot tea for thermos flasks is available for a fee.

IMPORTANT: In the event of cancellation of the trip, the tour operator is not obliged to refund the cost of the air tickets. Please do not buy air tickets without contacting the tour operator in advance (for the final confirmation of the trip).
Transfer from the Geneva Airport to Chamonix is on your own – the cheapest option to get from Geneva airport to Chamonix is the FLIX BUS. It costs about €20 + €6 for extra luggage (when booking online you have to tick special luggage), the bus ride takes about 1,5h.

About two months before the trip, participants will be invited to a WhatsApp group where they will be able to contact the other participants and arrange shared transportation.

• high-altitude, tried-and-tested, warm and waterproof boots suitable for semi-automatic/automatic crampons,
• an ice axe and crampons (at least semi-automatic),
• climbing harness and helmet,
• warm down or Primaloft jacket,
• waterproof and windproof outer jacket (Gore-Tex or hardshell),
• comfortable, warm hiking trousers, preferably softshell,
• thermal underwear, preferably merino wool (top and bottom),
• trekking poles with wide baskets,
• gaiters (boot protectors),
• glacier sunglasses (minimum category 400),
• a warm hat and a thinner one/buff,
• 2–3 pairs of gloves, warm and waterproof, mittens and thinner fleece gloves,
• sun cream, lip balm,
• thermos flask,
• sleeping bag liner (required in mountain huts; can also be purchased on site for €10),
• first-aid kit, essential medication,
• high-capacity power bank (there is no access to electricity in mountain huts),
• head torch, spare batteries.

A detailed equipment list will be sent by email.