Mont Blanc 5 or 6 day course with CMBG

DAY 0: GEAR CHECK AND BRIEFING WITH YOUR GUIDE AT THE RECEPTION OF YOUR HOTEL***

The night before starting the climb of Mont Blanc, around 6.30 - 7 pm (will be confirmed based on clients arrival time), meet with your guide at the reception of your hotel for a briefing and gear check.  Your guide will bring the gear you have requested from us. Night in the hotel (shared twin room) on Bed & Breakfast base. Dinner is at your charge.

PS: Upon clients arrival time and guide's availability, the meeting can also be on the morning of the 1st day of climb around 8 - 9 am. Have no worry, you will have enough time to go over the gear check and leave afterwards in the mountains.

DAY 1: SNOW & ICE TECHNICAL SKILLS, ALBERT 1ER HUT

From the top of the Charamillon cable car, we head for Albert 1er hut, 2702m. Getting familiar with Ice and snow climbing basics on the Tour glacier with crampons, ice axes and ropes. Steep-snow-slope security will also be covered.

Altitude covered: + 570m
Dinner & night in Albert 1er hut in dormitories.

DAY 2: CLIMBING & ACCLIMATISATION, CHAMONIX

Wake up early morning, breakfast, heading towards the col Blanc, crossing a 50 degree slope to emerge between the Petite Fourche and the summit of the Tête Blanche. Fenêtre de Saleina and Fenêtre Supérieure du Tour, descend on the Tour glacier, chairlift down to Le Tour village. Upon the group dynamic and conditions climbing the Aiguille du Tour can be an option.

Altitude covered: + 530 m and – 873 m
Back to Chamonix for a good night sleep in the Hotel.

DAY 3: NID D’AIGLE TO THE TÊTE ROUSSE HUT

Take the tramway up to the Nid d'Aigle (Eagle’s Nest) at 2300m, then a 3 hour hike up to the Tête Rousse glacier.

Dinner & night in the Tête Rousse hut (3167m) in dormitories.

DAY 4: ASCENT OF MONT BLANC, BACK DOWN TO THE GOUTER HUT

The longest day of the whole course: 10 hours of intense effort. A 5am leaving the Tête Rousse hut, to reach the famous Gouter couloir. Rock scrambling will be required on the aiguille du Gouter until the Gouter hut where we'll have a short rest. We climb the Dome du Gouter and then continue to the Vallot Hut where we can stop for a drink and snack. We then climb the first technical steep slope on the Mont Blanc. The second slope is easier technically, but we will need to be motivated to counteract the effects of the altitude and fatigue before climbing the final ridge to the Mont Blanc summit.

At the summit we generally allow 15 minutes to stand on the top of Europe, look at the view over the Western Alps, catch our breath, and congratulate each other!

The descent of the Mont Blanc is via the same route, to reach the Gouter hut where we'll have dinner and spend the night.

Please note the Gouter and Tete Rousse huts are interchangeable, depending on when we are able to get reservations, and of course weather conditions.

DAY 5: DESCENT OF MONT BLANC

An easy and short day as you should be well rested. Breakfast will be at 7am. Descent of the aiguille du Gouter, short stop at the Tete Rousse hut for a drink then following down to the Nid d'Aigle train. Cable car down to les Houches village. Your guide will reward you with your Mont Blanc achievement certificate, normally over a well-deserved drink!

Altitude covered: - 2435 m

We have refined this schedule which we genuinely believe is the best way to climb Mont Blanc, for a number of reasons:

• You are not obliged to wake up in the middle of the night to commence the ascent
• You will be climbing during the day giving you extra light and warmer conditions
• You will descend the aiguille du Gouter having rested and recuperated

If bad weather is announced for day 4, we have the option to make our summit on day 5 instead, from the Gouter hut.