Mont Blanc and Monte Rosa
Ski Mountaineering
Description:
This week will be all about skiing beautiful lines in the heart of the Alps. The first few days will be spent on the Mont Blanc massif, skiing several warm up objectives before skiing from the summit of Mont Blanc herself. This time spent at high altitude will be important for our success later in the week. After a transfer to Zermat we will have several days to make an attempt to ski from the summit of Monte Rosa. A rest day/weather day is built into the itinerary as well as several days skiing shorter objectives around the Monte Rosa and Mount Blanc areas. Having this flexibility greatly increases your chances of success! Enjoy the culture of the alps while setting your sights on these fine ski mountaineering objectives!
Price: $3180/person for 2; $4400/person for 1
Trip Length: 8 days
Dates: April 22 - April 29, 2019; Please Inquire about custom dates
Prerequisites:
Significant ski touring experience. Please read below
Comfort skiing double black diamond terrain in variable conditions
Fitness to ascend and descend 6000 feet in a day while carrying a light ski pack
Mountaineering experience with crampons, ice axe, and short roping
Click Here for Gear List
Itenerary
Day 1: Meet in Chamonix. Ski the Valle Blanche or maybe one of the other steep couloirs accessible from the Aiguille du Midi or Argentiere ski area.
Day 2: Approach the Grands Mulets hut to stage our ascent of Mont Blanc.
Day 3: Climb and ski the north face of Mont Blanc. Descend back to the Grands Mulets hut.
Day 4: Ski back to the Aiguille du Midi or Chamonix depending on snow levels.
Day 5: Rest Day/Weather contingency day/Travel to Zermatt
Day 6: Meet in Zermatt, travel up the cable car and ascend and ski Pollux, the Breithorn, or another short objective before skiing down to the Monte Rosa hut
Day 7: Climb and ski Monte Rosa. Return to Monte Rosa Hut. This huge day will be a memorable capstone to your week of skiing in the alps.
Day 8: Ski back into Zermatt. Celebratory dinner and say our goodbyes.
Whats Included:
8 days of guided skiing in the Alps
IFMGA Licensed Guide with local experience and knowledge
Guides travel expenses, hut fees, etc.
Lodging, breakfast, and dinner while in the mountains huts
Group gear, permits, insurance, logistical support, etc.
*a note on whats included: This is the baseline of what our priced packages include. Due to the nature of mountaineering and travel, unforeseeable expenses can come up and will be addressed on a case by case bases to settle upon something that is fair for both parties involved. For example, if we do not go into a mountain hut there is the difference in cost between hut fees and in town accommodations.
Whats not included:
Airfare
Transportation from airport, to Zermatt, to Chamonix
Food and accommodation while in town
Additional food or beverages in huts
Personal backcountry skiing and mountaineering equipment
Incidentals
Travel insurance
Prequisites
Fitness:
This trip requires a very high level of fitness, there are two very big days of ski touring: the summit day on Mont Blanc and the summit day on Monte Rosa are both over 6500’ of climbing and descending. To train, focus on backcountry skiing and other endurance oriented activities. I recommend logging at least 10 days backcountry skiing 4500’ of elevation in the winter months leading up to your trip, with at least 1 day over 6000’. I can help you prepare with trips in Rocky mountain national park, the Cascades, and the Whistler Area if you would like.
Altitude:
The majority of our skiing will be over 3500 m, with the summits of Mont Blanc and Monte Rosa being over 4500 m. You will be much more successful if you take time to train at altitude before your trip. We will do our best to acclimatize throughout the week, but we will hopefully be skiing off of Mont Blanc on Day 3 or your trip so arriving some what acclimatized will make it much easier for you. Consider adding on a 3 day trip to ski Grand Paradiso before Mont Blanc if acclimatization concerns you at all.
Experience:
You need to have a health resume of ski touring with some ski mountaineering experience too. You must be efficient at skiing, transitioning, managing clothing systems, and managing your own food and water intake on big mountain days. You must also have at least a limited amount of experience mountaineering on mountains such as Mt. Baker, Mt. Rainier, or Mont Blanc. You must be efficient and competent at classic cramponing and ice axe use on moderate snow/ice, as well as have experience traveling on a rope team and short roping.
Skill
You must be comfortable skiing double black diamond terrain in variable conditions to enjoy this trip.