Join Crew Treks on this exciting expedition to climb Mt Blanc
Mont Blanc, affectionately called "The Roof Of Europe" is 15,780 feet high. Reaching it is a lifelong dream for climbers from all over the world. The view from the top is awe-inspiring! From there, you can look down on all of the major summits of the Alps.
Climbing Mont Blanc is a tremendous challenge requiring both fitness and determination to succeed, but we'll train you in all the necessary skills even if you've no previous mountaineering experience.
One thing we ask you is to be fit! Be in the best shape you can be!
Leader/Guide: Marek Wencel and Kyohei Oyama
Price: $2,550
Elbrus (Mt Blanc Group Schedule)
Aug 4 Flight to Moscow
Aug 5 Free Day in Moscow-chance to visit Red Square, Arbat Street and enjoy authentic Russian dinner
Aug 6 Flight to Mineralnye Vody and transfer to Terskol
Aug 7 Tram and chairlift to high camp at Garabashi station 3,750m (12,303ft)
Aug 8 Acclimatization hike to Pastukhov Rocks 4,700 (15,141ft)
Aug 9 Rest
Aug 10 Summit day on Mt Elbrus and back to Terskol
Aug 11 Shuttle to Mineralnye Vody and flight back to Moscow (end of the trip)
Day 1 (July 06)
Depart USA evening, fly to Geneva, Switzerland
Day 2 (July 07)
Arrive in Geneva and take shuttle to Chamonix. Meet at 7pm in hotel lobby for group dinner. You will have an opportunity to meet your guides and talk about the mountain.
Day 3 (July 08)
Start of the climb on Gran Paradiso. Early morning departure and drive to the Italian side via Mt Blanc Tunnel (about 2-3hrs drive)
We will then hike to Refugio Vittorio Emanuel (2,7350m/8,973ft) (about 3hrs hike)
Day 4 (July 09)
Summit Climb Of Gran Paradiso (4,061m/13,323ft) With alpine start, we will follow easy snow slopes to the final summit rocks. This will be an ascent of over 3,000ft and it will take 10hrs round trip. After the summit, we will hike back to Refiugio Vittorio Emanuel and then continue to the trailhead. Drive back to Chamonix.
Day 5 (July 10)
Rest day and preparations for Mt Blanc climb. Overnight at hotel in Chamonix.
Day 6 (Jul 11)
Transfer to Refugio Cosmique. We will use Aigullie du Midi cable car (3,842m), From here, we descend the Aiguille du Midi arête to the glacier du Tacul, where there is approximately 1 hour walk on easy terrain to the Cosmique Refuge (3,613m)
Day 7 (Jul 12)
Summit Day on Mount Blanc
This ascent can be difficult at times. Due to warm temperatures, in recent years more crevasses have opened up and, at times, this has required climbing on some steep exposed terrain.
After reaching the shoulder of Mont Blanc du Tacul descend and traverse the Col du Mont Maudit. From here, ascend a long snow slope to the final piece of technical ground, which can be very steep and requires good front pointing technique and use of an ice axe. Watch out for a bottleneck of mountaineers here!
Descend once again to Col de la Brenva, with stunning scenery towards Italy, then climb the last few hundred metres to the summit.
Although relatively easy, this is generally quite slow due to the effects of altitude. This route takes approximately 6h to the summit. Descend the same way or via the Gouter, completing the traverse of Mont Blanc.
This is a slightly more demanding route than the Gouter route, both technically and physically. Tackle steeper ground and there are a couple of traverses that may be icy and difficult. Good crampon and ice axe technique are essential. It is, however, a more interesting route with beautiful scenery and is less crowded.
The Cosmique Refuge can also mean a better night's sleep, and can be less busy than the Gouter Refuge. This is a route which is long and sustained, less popular than the classic route, but which traverses the roof of Europe.
The ideal period is from March to September (depending on conditions) 5 - 8 hours of ascent, 3 - 4 hours of descent. 1,300m of ascent, 3,800m of descent.
Considering the long summit day, we will most likely miss the last cable train back to Chamonix
Overnitht at Refugio Cosmique
Day 8 (Jul 13) After breakfast, we will hike to cable station and take the cable back to Chamonix
Day 9 (Jul 14) Depart for home. Shuttle Chamonix-Geneva Airport
To enter France, there is no visa requirement for US Citizens. The best way to get to Chamonix is either via Geneva or Zurich
Crew Treks strongly recommends that you enroll with Global Rescue prior to embarking on this trip. Please click on the link below for details and quotes.
The prices are reasonable and the signup process is simple.
https://www.globalrescue.com/partner/crewtreks/
We strongly encourage everyone to purchase travel insurance, which covers trip cancellation, interruption, delay, baggage loss or delay, medical expenses, etc.
Travel insurance offers the best possible protection if you have a sudden, unexpected illness or injury prior to or when traveling.
Here are some useful links:
http://www.travelguard.com
http://www.travelexinsurance.com/quote/?nc=1