Freeride in Chamonix
5 days of sliding down slopes to truly enjoy ourselves !
Our goal ? Get far away from the beaten tracks, ski in complete safety and share extreme sensations. In order to do that, we offer your 4 days of freeride skiing in four different skiing areas in the valley of Chamonix. from the Brévent to the Top of Grand Montets, we will roam through the best spots of the Mont Blanc massif. And last but not least, we offer you to descend the mythical Vallée Blanche !
Itinerary
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Day 1 Freeride skiing on the area of La Flégère
for our first day, we meet in the morning in Chamonix. Our guide will check our equipment (renting is possible). We then join La Gléfère for our first slides in the snow and to learn hors to use an avalanche transceiver. After training for a little bit, we then get down to business : freeride. We'll discover with our guide the hidden areas of the domain, the slaloms through pins and obviously the joy of sliding in the powdery snow ! For example, the Lachenal valley or the Crochues valley.
Free activities are included in the trip for the evening (check "the price includes") : rail toboggan, museum, skating-rink, sauna, hammam...Altitude Max : 2595m
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Day 2 Freeride around the Brévent
Today, our playground is the Brévent. After a few training slopes, here we are at the top of the slopes near our hotel. Every year, a world cup freeriding event takes place on these slopes. But no competition between us for today. Our aim is to have some fun ! We will ski through couloirs, depending on the conditions : the ENSA corridor, the Bellin, the Allais or even the Bozon. According to the snow conditions, we will get back down to the valley on the Brévent couloir or on one of the many other options.
Altitude Max : 2525m
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Day 3 Freeride at the Plan de l’Aiguille
It is on the Mont Blanc massif side that we'll have some fun today. The Rocher meadows is a wonderful descent, valued by inhabitants of Chamonix. Indeed, we climb up the famous Aiguille du Midi cable car in 8 minutes and enjoy a descent of a 1300m difference in altitude ! We then descend a few slopes (Pré du Rocher, Blaitière, Glacier des Pélerins...). Options are wide !
Altitude Max : 2317m
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Day 4 THE freeride skiing spot
Today, we'll play in THE best sport for freeride skiing : the Grands Montets. Located in the Mont Blanc massif, it is the freeriders favorite place. Valleys are immense.
Between the Grands Montets summits and the village of Argentière, it is over 2000m of difference in altitude that are waiting for us. Our guide will show us every secrets of this area, wether the Pendant valley leaidng us to the hamlet of Lavancher, the hidden valleys of Rachasse or Cordier, or even the variation in the middle of crevices of the Glacier des Rognons and the Glacier d'Argentière.Altitude Max : 3275m
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Day 5 Icing on the cake, the Vallée Blanche
To finish on a high note, we will descend the Vallée Blanche today. After taking the cable cars up to 3777m in altitude, we put on our harness to descend the ridge whilst roped up. We will be careful to stay close to our guide's marks as we evolve on a majestic glacier. During this hike, we evolve in the heart of High Mountain : La Dent du Géant, the AIguille Verte or even the grandes Jorasses will be our neighbors. The game will be to sigh hidden refuges in this immensity : the Cosmiques, the Requin or even the Charpoua. Our freeride experience will allow us to play with variations of the Vallée Blanche : to the right or to the left of Rognon ? Should we go to the Envers des Aiguilles ?
The end of this superb day will take plane in the Montenvers train or by the Mottets refuge. We'll say goodbye in Chamonix in the end of the afternoon.Altitude Max : 3777m
ITINERARY CHANGE
The program can be modified by your guide due to weather conditions or participants physical conditions. For safety reasons and to ensure a uniform level corresponding to the one announced, the supervision and organisation boards have the right to interrupt your participation if your technical or physical level are lower than the one required. The interruption will not give you any right of refund or payment of compensation.
Dates & prices
International departures:
No departure for now
Trip code: SHPCH
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)
- Safety equipment : avalanche transceiver, probe, shovel
- Cable cars included in the program
- Picnics for lunch
- Accommodation
Free access to :
- Buses in the valley
- Richard Bozon center : swimming pool, sauna, steam room
- Chamonix, Argentière and les Houches skating rink : skates renting for free
- Museums : alpine museum and Espace Tairraz in Chamonix, Mountaineering museum in Les Houches
- Sledge on rail in the Planards (entrance of Chamonix)
Prices for small groups :
Price per person for one person : 2750 euros
Price per person for two people : 1565 euros
Price per person for three people : 1196 euros
Not included
- Individual ski material : shoes, ski, poles
- Snacks: dried fruits, cereal bars, chocolate bars, etc ..
- All the drinks and personal expenses in refuges
- Insurance and assistance
- Dinner in Chamonix on Saturday night
- Batteries for the avalanche transceiver
- Anything that is not mentioned in the "price includes"
International flights
If you wish, we can take care of booking your international flights to the closest airport of your destination.
Terms and conditions
Subscription
Subscribe to one of our activities or travels means accepting general sales conditions. Each client must fill a subscription form, which will be accepted only after the payment of a deposit accounting for 30% of the travel’s price and according to the availability. If you subscribe less than 30 days before the trip, you must pay the whole price during the subscription. You can pay by bank transfer (SWIFT/IBAN) or with your credit card directly through our website (available soon). A booking confirmation will be sent to you be e-mail very soon.
Invoice procedure
Once your booking is registered, we will send you an email containing the invoice. Full payment is required at least 30 days before your arrival. If the customer does not settle the payment of the travel price within the period agreed upon, Altaï Alpes has the right to cancel the booking free of charge.
Cancellation policy
If for any reason, you decide to withdraw from a journey, the amount already paid will be refunded subject to the following exceptions:
- More than 30 days before departure, you will be charged for the amount of 50€
- From 30 to 21 days before departure, you will be charged for the amount of the deposit (30% of the trip’s price)
- From 20 to 14 days before departure, you will be charged for 50% of the trip’s price
- From 13 to 7 days before departure, you will be charged for 75% of the trip’s priceLess than 7 days before departure, you will be charged for the whole trip’s price
Particular case :
Whatever the cancellation or contract change date, the following fees will be added to the charges above:
- Airline fixed costs: plane tickets are bought in advance to avoid too high airline prices, however they are non refundable in case of cancellation or plan changes. In that case, the charges above apply to the price of your trip without the plane ticket’s price
- Ground fixed costs: you will be charged for the fees that were paid early
- Insurance fees: Insurance fees will not be refunded if you have subscribed to a multi-risk or cancellation insurance. The specific conditions will be written on your subscription confirmationIf you have no choice but to cancel your trip before departure, you must inform Montagne Expeditions and your insurance provider with a written statement as soon as possible, you will get a receipt.
The receipt date will be taken as the cancellation date to charge cancellation fees.
If Montagne Expeditions has no choice but to cancel a group travel due to an insufficient number of participants, the decision will be taken and the clients informed at least 31 days before departure. Altaï Alpes can also cancel a departure due to exceptional events threatening participants safety (social events, strikes, weather conditions). In that case, the trip’s price will be fully refunded but the participants will not get any compensation.
Changes to travel contract
If any change in travel contract is made at the customer’s request, the customer shall pay any fee that might arise from this change. In any case, every request for changes shall be notified in writing. In case of external events that could not be foreseen, Altaï Alpes might change some aspects of the travel contract. We will inform you of any changes as quickly as possible.
Pricing
All group travel prices on our website have been calculated for the indicated number of participants for each trip. The price list is confirmed after the booking. If the number of participants is lower than expected, an additional payment charge might be applied. For each travel and program, we mention the price per person – valid for the minimum number of participants – and we provide you with detailed explanations about the services included or not. Any change in the exchange rates or in the price of travel services in particular regarding the cost of the fuel, might entail price revision.
Contract transfer
In case of contract transfer by the customer to an assignee, modification and cancellation conditions apply.
Insurance
We recommend you to get your personal insurance before your departure to cover the activities undertaken by Montagne Expedition. If you have not purchased any of our insurances, we ask you to email us your insurance contract information (company, contract name, contract number, phone number) and bring those information with you on your trip.
Practical info
Staff
Your trip will be supervised by a high-mountain guide who will teach you technical elements needed for the good progress of your stay. He may need to modify the program in order to ensure safety regarding weather conditions and participants physical conditions.
Food
Meals
- Lunch picnics
- Diners : meals prepared by shelter keepers
- Take some race food according to your own tastes (cereals bars, chocolate bars, dry fruits,…).
Drinks
- 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
Nights will be in 2-stars hotels with shared rooms (2 to 3 people)
Possibility to have a single room on demand according to availabilities when registering (60€ supplement)
Transportation
You will carry only your belongings for the day, plus your picnic according to your choice of lunch.
Budget & exchange
France is in the Eurozone. Therefore, the unit of the currency is the Euro.
Credit cards and debit cards are very useful for cash advances (but don’t forget to bring your PIN number!).
Refuges often don’t have EPT (Electronic Payment Terminal): it is best to bring cash.
Be aware of the fees usually applied when purchasing products or services on a credit card.
Always take more rather than less, as you don’t want to spend your trip constantly feeling short on funds.
As currency exchange rates can often fluctuate, we recommend to check the following website for daily exchange rates: https://www.xe.com/
Tips
Clients usually pay for the guides’ drinks : you might find it practical to make a group kitty at the beginning of your stay (no obligation).
Supplied equipment
- Collective technical equipment (ropes, carabiners)
- Individual safety equipment (avalanche transceiver, probe, shovel) + harness
Vital equipment
Technical equipment
Skis
- 1 pair of skis
- 1 pair of ski shoes
- Telescopic poles
Other
- Safety equipmet : avalanche transceiver, probe, shovel
- Crampons with "Antibott" system
- Ice axe
- Harness and carabiners
- Survival blanket
- Pocket knife
- Thermos and water bottle
Personal equiment
Head
- Bonnet
- Hat or cap
- Scarf to put around your neck
- Sunscreen (face and lips)
- Sunglasses suited for glaciers (category 4) + ski goggles
Upper body
- Technical breathable long sleeve underweartype "Carline" (no coton that dries too slowly)
- 1 shirt to put under your jumper (breathable and technical)
- 1 thick fleece jacket
- 1 duvet jacket
- 1 windstopper and waterproof jacket type Goretex
- 1 pair of mitains (fleece or wool)
- 1 pair of globes (fleece or wool)
- 1 pair of silk under gloves
Lower body
- 1 pair of windstopper and waterproof trousers type Goretex
- 2 pairs of socks : 1 thick 1 thin
Other
- 1 toiletry bag
- Cream for sunburns (Biafine)
- Biodegradable toilet paper
- 1 bag to put over your bag in order to protect your belongings from getting wet in case of rain
- 1 waterproof pouch in which you will put your identity papers, your phone, your money and your insurance/assistance documents with all of your emergency phone numbers
Luggage
- You will carry your belongings and your technical equipment in a 35/40L alpinism backpack.
- Your personal belongings will stay at the lodge in Chamonix (you can bring them in a second bag)
Medicine
You guide will be carrying a collective first aid kit. However, it is important for you to bring your individual pharmacy, checked with your general doctor :
- Personal medication
- Pain killers (preferably Paracetamol)
- Double skin
- Elastoplast (excellent to prevent blisters)
- Bandages
- Disinfectant
- Anti-inflammatory
- Antispasmodic
- Anti-diarrheal
- Anti-vomiting
- Intestinal antiseptic
- Eye drops
- Light sleeping pills
- Ear plugs
Non exhaustive list
Passport
Please make sure your passport and travel documents are valid.
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.
For further information, please check the following website : https://france-visas.gouv.fr/
Identity card
For EU citizens, you can use your identity card to travel to France.
Mandatory vaccines
There are no mandatory vaccines needed to travel to France.
If your have any questions concerning a trip to France or if you’re wandering what vaccines you might need for your trip, take an appointment with your local clinic and travel doctor. You can call Passport Health at 1-888-499-7277.
Health information & recommendations
For this trip, you must be fit : you can train with other sports such as running, cycling, swimming or sportive walk. To have a reasonable chance of success, a high degree of fitness and stamina, some previous experience of altitude is highly recommended.
Training advices to check with your general practionner : six months before departure, try to do at least 1 to 2 endurance sport sessions a week (each one must last at least one hour) and do a 6 hours trekking during the week-end with an elevation of 400m/hour during three hours. Three months before departure, try 2 to 3 endurance sport sessions a week and increase your trekking time during the week end from 7 to 8 hours.
Please inform us of any health issues : allergy, diabetes, asthma, or old strokes...
Weather
The weather in the French Alps varies up and down the mountain chain. It is a mountainous region between 800 and 4000 meters, so altitude plays a big part in the local weather.
As you climb higher into the mountains it gets 1 degree cooler every 100 meters. It is the case all year around but other factors such as temperature inversions and winds influence the climate. The sun plays a very important role too. In the winter, when the sun is lower in the sky, some lower or north facing valleys are blocked from the sun by mountains for a large part of the day and are colder.
Keep in mind that weather conditions are unpredictable. Therefore, the trip organization can me modified for your safety.
Electricity
There will be electricity in Chamonix. If you are scared to run low on battery, we advise to bring an external battery charger.
Power plugs in France have the particularity of being male and female at the same time : they have 2 prongs and a receptacle. If you need an adapter, please purchase if before departure.
In France the power plugs and sockets are of type E. The standard voltage is 230 V and the standard frequency is 50 Hz.
Local time
France is in the Central European Time Zone. Central European Standard Time (CET) is 1 hour ahead of Greenwich Mean Time (GMT+1).
Like most states in Europe, Summer Time (Daylight-Saving) is observed in France, where the time is shifted forward by 1 hour; 2 hours ahead of Greenwich Mean Time (GMT+2).
After the summer months, the time in France is shifted back by 1 hour to Central European Time (CET or GMT+1).
Sustainable tourism
We do our best to offer trips subscribed to the principles of responsible and sustainable tourism. Our aim is to allow visitors to discover the many facets of France by taking you off the beaten path and getting you in touch with its nature and residents, while ensuring that your visits do not have a negative effect on its natural environment and people.
- 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.
My local agent
Sandra
- Technical adviser on all trips.
- Passionate about mountains and particularly with backcountry skiing.
- Region
- France
- Activity
- Freeride Ski
- Duration
- 5 days
- Group
- 4 to 6 people
- Code
- SHPCH
- Price
- From €1,495
- Level
- 3/5
- Comfort
- 3/5
- Language(s)
- English
Strengths
- 5 freeride skiing days in the best spots of the Mont Blanc massif
- The descent of the Vallée Blanche
- A high mountain guide guidance
- Exceptional panorama on the Mont Blanc chain
- Training course to avalanche rescue
- Small groups : maximum 6 person
Guide's advice
" For freeride, it is THE itinerary by excellence. The skiing areas allows an unlimited amount of variations and many cable cars insuring an easy and a very large access. The panorama is breathtaking and we'll finish in beauty by the Vallée Blanche descent. We're waiting for you !"