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CLIMBING IN CHAMONIX
At the heart of Chamonix’s mountains are a stunning lineup of towers and spires home to some of the most iconic and adored routes in the world. The Mont Blanc Massif is literally a climber's playground. With a huge amount of stone of many types, the area has something for everybody. The heart of the range is composed of impeccable golden granite, and with an incredible network of trains, lifts, huts and trails, it's all easy to get to as well. Chamonix granite comes in all shapes of sizes too, yielding routes ranging from moderate ridges and rock climbs to massive faces and endless splitter cracks. Many of these are reached via short glacier crossings, bringing a unique set of alpine skills to bear.
Below the glaciers, Chamonix and the surrounding areas also offer a host of options with no snow at all. Those include sunny bolted and traditionally-protected routes, epic ridge traverses and scrambles, and single and multi-pitch climbs on a variety of rock types including gneiss, granite and limestone.
We’ll move between skills sessions and climbing routes of all sizes with two goals: Having fun, and making you an efficient, competent and confident alpine climber. Each day we’ll make sure you’re paired with climbers and climbs that match your ability so you don’t have to worry about being held back or pushed too far. Our expert guides are all internationally certified with the IFMGA badge, “the PhD of mountain climbing.” The best in the business, they’ll help you through the training and skills you need both on the ground and on route.
Our low ratios are also what make this program unique. The entire week we'll be in groups of two climbers per guide to maximize your learning and fun and give you the best experience of these incredible mountains.
FOOD & ACCOMMODATIONS
One of the best parts of climbing in the Alps - especially for American climbers used to long slogs, heavy packs and sleeping in tents - is that you get to combine a climbing trip with a European vacation. Sure the mountains are the best in the world, but you’re also in France, which means the food, hotels and mountain huts are superb as well.
In addition to being located in one of the great mountain ranges of the world, Chamonix is also one of the planet’s great mountain towns. With everything from nightlife to wine bars, fondue joints and fine dining, Chamonix has it all. It also hosts some of the most gorgeous chalets and hotels in the Alps, and we’ll be based out of the hip and centrally-located Hotel Pointe Isabelle. Just a few minutes walk from everything in town, it’s a perfect home base for any adventure.
In addition to our lovely hotel, we’ll also spend a night in one of our favorite mountain huts. Situated on the Swiss side of the Mont Blanc range, the Cabane d'Orny comes complete with comfy beds, delicious food, and incredible views.
We like to try hard, but we also like to relax and live well, so we’ve hand-picked our favorite hotels, restaurants, bakeries and snacks to give you a taste of it all.
Sample Itinerary
Day 1: Welcome to Chamonix!
You get yourself to Chamonix and we'll have a room ready for you. If you're flying, you'll want to arrive in nearby Geneva. It's the closest airport by far, and you can easily reach Chamonix via one of many low-cost transfer services available right from the arrivals hall. The drive is beautiful and just a little over an hour as you leave the green hills of Switzerland behind for the craggy peaks of the Chamonix Valley. We don’t like to make anybody do too much after a long day of travel, so you’ll be on your own to explore and shake off the jetlag, and your only job will be to find something tasty for dinner and to try to get some sleep.
Day 2: School of Rock
We’ll officially start the trip with breakfast at the hotel before getting our gear together and heading out for the day. We’ll start our training with rock climbing on one of the many fantastic crags around Chamonix, most likely at the top of the Brévent lift. We'll conduct some brief belay tests, and we’ll practice with the rope systems we’ll be using in the mountains. We’ll work on techniques for multi-pitch climbing, belaying, and rappelling, and for folks with multi-pitch experience experience already, you’ll have the opportunity to learn a few new tricks and just enjoy some climbing. After a full day, we’ll head back to town for a welcome dinner and another night at the Pointe Isabelle.
Day 3: Snow School & Intro to Alpine Climbing
After another breakfast, we’ll make sure everyone has everything they need before heading up the famous Aiguille du Midi cable car. The lift will take us up 9300' to the top to the Vallée Blanche, which we'll cross with another panoramic lift ride to the Italian side of the range. From there we’ll spend the day covering the basics of snow climbing with crampons and ice axes before climbing one of the nearby peaks via an introductory-level classic, the Aiguilles Marbrees. After that we’ll return back to Chamonix for another night at the hotel.
Day 4: To the Cabane d'Orny
Now that we'll have acclimatized and covered both rock and snow skills, we'll head over to Switzerland to one of our favorite huts to do some alpine rock climbing. The day will start with a drive to the northern end of the Mont Blanc range, and from the town of Champex Lac we'll ride a chairlift into the hills and hike a gorgeous trail to reach the Cabane d'Orny at about 9,300' on the edge of the Orny Glacier. The hike takes about 2-3 hours, and will get us there around mid-day so that we can deposit our things and go climbing. The routes and peaks around the cabin are the perfect classroom for folks hoping to just climb some classics, or to work on skills for anchors, leading or multipitching, all on picture perfect granite. Whatever we choose, at the end of the day we'll get back to the hut, which comes equipped with beds in shared rooms, and serves simple but hearty dinners and breakfasts. They also have beer, wine, soft drinks, and snacks, and will provide sandwiches and other lunch foods on request.
Day 5: Alpine Rock!!!
We'll start with an early breakfast at the hut before heading out to climb. With only one other climber and a guide, you'll be free to focus on routes that suit your style and ability, and that can be anything from a big granite route to a fun traverse or a bolted multi-pitch from two to twelve pitches long. These days are just meant to be fun, so the world is your oyster. For those interested in working on skills, you'll have one of the absolute best guides in the business at your disposal, and we dare you not to have a good time. We’ll once again finish the day at the hut where a cold beer, a hot meal and a warm bed are waiting.
Day 6: Back to Chamonix
After four days on, we'll be ready for a slow morning and a bit of a rest. We'll make sure to fuel up at the hut before walking the hour and a half back down to the lift, then returning to Chamonix. For those keen enough to get up early and get after it, you can always squeeze a route in before we go, but either way we'll aim to have you back in Cham by afternoon. Whatever you do, you'll have the evening to yourself to explore town, or to just rest and recharge.
Day 7: Climbing Day #4
This will be your last day to climb in paradise, so you'll have the day climb whatever you want. That can be anything from a day at the sport crag to a classic traverse on a knife-edged ridge. Depending on what's in condition, we should have options from snow to rock and anything in between. If you haven't gotten the idea yet, you'll just have to trust us on that whole Chamonix is a playground thing. Whether you decide to go big and crank hard or get something delicious at the bakery (or both) is up to you. Either way, we'll finish up with a farewell dinner party at a local favorite before we have to say goodbye.
Day 8: Heading Home
Unfortunately all good things must come to an end, and you’ll have to go home. A short journey from hotel to airport should have you on your way. Of course we recommend staying a few more days to climb or relax, but that one’s up to you.
MEET YOUR GUIDES (We're still staffing for 2023, so standby!
Giulia Monego
Silvia Loreggian
Silvia Loreggian
IFMGA Mountain Guide
A local through and through and our expert in all things Italian, Giulia was born in Venice and fell in love with the mountains sliding on snow in the Dolomites. She grew up as a ski racer, then switched to competing on the Freeride World tour, and is one of only a handful of women to complete the IFMGA certification
IFMGA Mountain Guide
A local through and through and our expert in all things Italian, Giulia was born in Venice and fell in love with the mountains sliding on snow in the Dolomites. She grew up as a ski racer, then switched to competing on the Freeride World tour, and is one of only a handful of women to complete the IFMGA certification in Italy. Giulia lives in Chamonix, France and works, skis and climbs full time. These days she even loves warm rock almost as much as cold snow, and can’t wait to bring her local knowledge to our programs in her old stomping ground.
Silvia Loreggian
Silvia Loreggian
Silvia Loreggian
IFMGA Aspirant Mountain Guide
Silvia was born in Padova, near Italy’s Dolomites, to a family in love with the mountains. She too fell in love early, and has spent most of her life pursuing her two passions: the mountains and travelling. Silvia lives and works these days in the heart of the Dolomites, and has chased her vertical dreams thro
IFMGA Aspirant Mountain Guide
Silvia was born in Padova, near Italy’s Dolomites, to a family in love with the mountains. She too fell in love early, and has spent most of her life pursuing her two passions: the mountains and travelling. Silvia lives and works these days in the heart of the Dolomites, and has chased her vertical dreams through the Dolomites and the Alps, and to Patagonia, Nepal, and in many other corners of the world that offer beautiful walls to climb. Passionate about climbing in all its forms, from the crag, to training, to big walls, Silvia does it all. She is one exam away from completing her certification, and we hope she’ll be joining us as a full IFMGA Mountain Guide this summer!
Erin Smart
Chris Wright
Chris Wright
IFMGA/AMGA Mountain Guide
Originally from Seattle, Erin grew up skiing and climbing in the Cascades of Washington State and has since traveled and worked in mountain ranges around the world including Norway, Alaska, Himalaya, and the Alps. She has Erin has pioneered first ski descents across the globe, has been mountain guiding since 2010,
IFMGA/AMGA Mountain Guide
Originally from Seattle, Erin grew up skiing and climbing in the Cascades of Washington State and has since traveled and worked in mountain ranges around the world including Norway, Alaska, Himalaya, and the Alps. She has Erin has pioneered first ski descents across the globe, has been mountain guiding since 2010, and lives in La Grave, France. In addition to working year round in the mountains, she is also a freelance writer and has been published in outdoor magazines from Backcountry to Alpinist.
Chris Wright
Chris Wright
Chris Wright
IFMGA/AMGA Mountain Guide
Now!Climbing’s founder and lead guide, Chris has climbed, skied and eaten his way across the globe. Winner of the “Gold Medal of Alpinism,” the Piolet d’Or for the first ascent of 7041m Link Sar in Pakistan, he’s as excited about his next cappuccino as he is about his next big climb. In addition to being an instr
IFMGA/AMGA Mountain Guide
Now!Climbing’s founder and lead guide, Chris has climbed, skied and eaten his way across the globe. Winner of the “Gold Medal of Alpinism,” the Piolet d’Or for the first ascent of 7041m Link Sar in Pakistan, he’s as excited about his next cappuccino as he is about his next big climb. In addition to being an instructor for the American Mountain Guides Association (AMGA), Chris has spent his summer seasons working, climbing, playing and eating in the Alps since 2014.
