Discovering ski touring in Chamonix
Discovering ski touring around Mont Blanc with Chamonix as a base camp. What can be more delightful than a week within mountains, ensuring you 100% pleasure ?
Itinerary
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Day 1 Warm-up and leveling race at La Tête de Balme
Reception of the trainees and verification of the material.
Departure for a warm-up race and for a verification or discovery of techniques specific to ski touring, as well as research exercises of DVA (Avalanche Victim Detector).
From Chamonix, we drive to the village of Tour at the end of the valley. After taking the gondola to Charamillon, we go up steep slopes that will allow us to climb our first summit: the Tête de Balme at 2321m. During the descent, we will test our behavior off-piste, while being not far from the ski area and its welcoming slopes if necessary.Positive difference in altitude : 365m | Negative difference in altitude : 1240m | Altitude Max : 2371m | Accommodation : lodge / hotel
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Day 2 Aiguilles Rouges - Aiguilles Crochues (2837m)
Today, we will discover a summit and beautiful slopes generally powdery in the massif of Aiguilles Rouges, facing the great peaks and glaciers of Mont Blanc. We take the Flégère cable car and then the index chairlift, to start relatively high climbing Aiguilles Crochues (2837m).
Positive difference in altitude : 600m | Negative difference in altitude : 1000m | Altitude Max : 2837m | Accommodation : lodge / hotel
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Day 3 Descent in the Valley Blanche & night in the Torino refuge
A great combination between the classic start of the beautiful Valley Blanche followed by a night in a refuge.
We start our day by descending the Aiguille du Midi ridge. Departure from the classic Valley Blanche until we reach the Tacul glacier. We then but our skins on to join the Torino refuge where we will spend the night.Positive difference in altitude : Around 600m | Altitude Max : 3842m | Accommodation : Torino refuge
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Day 4 Grands Montets summit
Today, we will evolve on the Grand Montets domain. Located in the Mont Blanc massif, is it freeriders' favorite sport. Carved valleys are huge !
We start ski-touring to the top of the Grands Montets by the Rachasses pass. The landscape is impressive on the bottom of there large rocky sides. between the Grands Montets summit and the village of Argentière, there is more then 2000m of descent waiting for us at the end of the day.Altitude Max : 3275m | Accommodation : lodge / hotel
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Day 5 Vallée Noire & return to Chamonix
It is the Northside, the right bank of the Valley Blanche. Less crowded than the classical itinerary from the Aiguille du Midi, but more technical and wilder : this route is magnificent. It borders the right bank of the Géant glacier with its impressive crevices and seracs, and joins the Mer de Glacer and the arrival of the Montenvers train, which we will take to get back down to Chamonix by the end of the day.
Altitude Max : 2951m
Dates & prices
Departures for French-speaking groups:
No departure for now
Trip code: SRCHAM
Included
- A deposit of 30% of the trip’s price will be needed during the booking, the whole price must be paid at least 30 days before departure.
- The technical organization of the stay
- Mountaineering with high-mountain guides
- Collective equipment provided (ropes)
- Half-board accommodation in refuges, cottages and lodges
- Lunch picnics
- Planned transfers : Cogne-Valnontey and Lillaz-Cogne
Not included
- Individual ski material : shoes, ski, skins and knifes, sticks
- Transfers to meeting and separation points
- Snacks: dried fruits, cereal bars, chocolate bars, etc ..
- All the drinks and personal expenses in refuges
- Insurance and assistance
- Application fees (18€ per person)
- Technical individual equipment : crampons, harness, ice axe
- Anything that is not mentioned in the "price includes"
International flights
Terms and conditions
Booking conditions
Invoice procedure
Cancellation policy
- Cancellation received more than 30 days prior to the departure date: a sum of €50 per person will be retained
- Cancellation received 30 to 21 days before the departure date: your deposit, 30% of the total trip price will be retained
- Cancellation received 20 to 14 days before the departure date: 50% of the total trip price will be retained
- Cancellation received 13 to 7 days before the departure date: 75% of the total trip price will be retained
- Cancellation received less than 7 days before the departure date: 100% of the total trip price will be retained
- Fixed airfares: if your airline ticket was issued in advance, often done to avoid significant surcharges, you will be charged 100% of any non-refundable fees if you wish to change or cancel your flight plan.
- Fixed in-country costs: early charges for firm bookings will be charged if you cancel or modify your trip.
- Insurance costs: if you have taken out comprehensive or cancellation insurance, the cost of insurance is due and cannot be refunded.
Changes to travel contract
Pricing
Contract transfer
Insurance
Practical info
Staff
Food
- Lunch picnics
- Diners : meals prepared by shelter keepers
- Take some race food according to your own tastes (cereals bars, chocolate bars, dry fruits,…).
- Water is not for free in refuges (from 5 to 8 euros one bottle). We advise you to bring some water purification tablets (Aquatabs or Micropur) in order to drink tap water.
- Personal drinks are not included in the trip's price
- Bring cash for coffees, fruit juices, coke or beers during breaks… Shelters usually don’t accept bank card payments and Euros.
Accommodation
- Every refuges of this itinerary are comfortable and warm. Dormitories are equipped with blankets for the night (plan to bring your personal bed sheet for hygiene reasons).
- Slippers are at your disposal : no need to bring trainers.
- We advise you to bring protection against noise (ear plugs).
- A few electrical plugs are available in refuges, but plan to bring an external battery to charge your camera and switch off your phone during the day.
Transportation
Budget & exchange
Tips
Supplied equipment
- Collective equipment (ropes)
- Slippers and blankets while in refuges
- Individual safety equipment (beacon, probe and shovel) : thank you for letting us know if you have your own
Vital equipment
- 1 pair of ski touring skis, light and with adapted fixations as well as a break or safety strips, and sharpened
- 1 pair of ski touring shoes with VIBRAM soles
- 1 pair of adhesive seals skin adapted to your skis
- Knifes adapted to fixations
- Poles with large disks
- Safety equipment : beacon, probe and shovel
- crampons with "Antibott" system
- Ice axe
- Harness and carabineers
- Survival blanket
- 1 headlamp with extra batteries and bulb
- Pocket knife
- Thermos
Material
- Windstopper bonnet
- Hat or cap
- Neck scarf
- Sunscreen (high protection) for skin and lips
- Sunglasses for glacier category 4 + ski goggles
- 2 technical breathable long sleeve underwear type "Carline" (no coton which dries too slowly)
- 1 technical and breathable shirt to put under your jumper
- 1 thick fleece jacket
- 1 fuzz jacket
- 1 wind stopper and waterproof jacket type Goretex
- 1 pair of wind stopper mittens (fleece or wool)
- 1 pair of undergloves
- 1 technical and breathable pair of tights type "Carline"
- 1 pair of comfortable mountain trousers
- 1 pair of wind stopper and waterproof trousers type Goretex
- 2 pairs of socks : 1 thin and 1 thick
- 1 bed sheet for refuges
- 1 small toiletry bag with 1 fast drying towel
- Cream for sunburns (Biafine)
- Biodegradable toilet paper
- 1 or 2 100L plastic bags and an overbag to protect your belongings and your bag
- 1 waterproof pouch in which you will put your identity paper, your phone, your money and your insurance/assistance contract with all of your emergency numbers
Luggage
- A comfortable 40L backpack with straps for your skis
- A second bag which will stay at the hotel with your changing clothes
Medicine
- Personal medicine
- Pain reliever (preferably paracetamol)
- Double skin
- Elastoplast
- Local disinfectant
- Anti-inflammatory
- Antispasmodic
- Anti-diarrheal
- Anti-vomiting
- Intestinal antiseptic
- Eyewash
- Light sleeping pills
- Earplugs
- Broad spectrum antibiotic
- Vitamins C
Passport
Visa
- Up to 90 days visit in France : citizens from most countries do not need a visa to visit France.
- Over 90 days visit in France : non-EU or non-EFTA citizens must have a visa to visit France over 90 days.
Identity card
Mandatory vaccines
Health information & recommendations
Weather
Electricity
Local time
Sustainable tourism
- Most of our accommodations are run by locals, thus ensuring that the largest part of the revenue generated through your trip will stay within the region.
- France is known for its exquisite cuisine. The art of cooking and the joy of eating are part of everyday life. Each region has its particular foods and flavors which we would like you to explore and appreciate.
- Water is a precious and rare good. Our team and those travelling with us are thus advised to use it with consideration and avoid excessive water use where possible.
- Please try to recycle your waste whenever possible, even though recycling may not be a well-known concept in all areas.
- Be cautious and respectful when hiking. Make sure to wear suitable footwear and avoid picking flowers, moving stones or lighting fires.