There are a lot of reasons why Chamonix is the coolest mountain town on Earth, but don't take our word for it—come join us for a week of food, fun, and sunny stone to see what it's all about!
If you haven’t been, it’s hard to really appreciate the scale, diversity, and quality of the climbing and mountain culture the French Alps have to offer, and nowhere is that truer than Chamonix. The beating heart of the Alps, Chamonix is a Mecca for climbers.
With routes ranging from snow and ice climbs to rock faces, soaring alpine ridges, and anything you can imagine, the towering spires of the Mont Blanc Massif are where it all started.
At the foot of the magnificent Mont Blanc Massif lies Chamonix, a climber's paradise. Full of iconic routes across a range of different stone types, from gold-tinged granite to gneiss, granite, and limestone, the area has something for everyone. Plus, most everything is easy to get to, thanks to an efficient network of trains, lifts, huts, and trails.
The region additionally features plenty of routes without snow, from sunny bolted lines to classic ridge scrambles and multi-pitch climbs. Whether you're a beginner or an experienced mountaineer, Chamonix is the perfect destination.
If you want to climb in one of the most incredible places on the planet, look no further than Chamonix. More importantly, if you also want lifts, huts, short approaches, amazing views, and delicious food, you really won’t find a better place than right here in the French Alps. Climb moderate ridges or rock faces, tackle massive walls or take on a glacier crossings—whatever your preferences, this place has it all.
Save your spot now, and join us for some unforgettable climbing in Chamonix!
Chamonix Climbing Retreat
- Regular price
- $5,775.00 USD
- Sale price
- $5,775.00 USD
- Regular price
What's Included & Not Included
What's Included & Not Included
Included:
- Transportation to and from all climbing and outings including lift, gondola, and tram tickets in and around Chamonix.
- Seven nights’ accommodation in luxury hotels and mountain huts.
- Breakfast and dinner at the Cabane d'Orny. Vegetarian and gluten-free meals are available, but celiacs or those with dietary restrictions may find the huts challenging.
- Daily breakfasts at the Pointe Isabelle in Chamonix.
- Welcome and farewell dinners and drinks in Chamonix.
- Low-ratio, personalized guiding from certified IFMGA Mountain Guides with local expertise.Transportation to and from all climbing and outings including lift, gondola, and tram tickets in and around Chamonix.
- Seven nights’ accommodation in luxury hotels and mountain huts.
- Breakfast and dinner at the Cabane d'Orny. Vegetarian and gluten-free meals are available, but celiacs or those with dietary restrictions may find the huts challenging.
- Daily breakfasts at the Pointe Isabelle in Chamonix.
- Welcome and farewell dinners and drinks in Chamonix.
- Low-ratio, personalized guiding from certified IFMGA Mountain Guides with local expertise.
Not Included:
- Trip insurance.
- Airfare.
- Airport transfers to and from the Geneva Airport upon arrival and departure.
- Lunches and dinners in Chamonix.
- Snacks and lunches for climbing.
- Bottled water, soft drinks, alcoholic beverages, snacks or extra food in the huts.
- Personal climbing equipment.
- Ability to control the weather (In a worst-case scenario we may have to change plans completely due to weather and conditions, but we’ll do our best!)
- Gratuities for your guides. We recommend between 15-25% depending on your experience.
Cancellation & Trip Insurance
Cancellation & Trip Insurance
Here is a link to our cancellation policy. We strongly suggest purchasing trip insurance to protect your investment.
Climbing
Over the course of a week with our industry-leading IFMGA Mountain Guides, you’ll learn the techniques you need to approach multi-pitch rock and alpine climbs with confidence.
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).
We'll also cover everything from gear selection to multi-pitch climbing and belay techniques. You'll learn a variety of rope systems for ascending and descending, as well as basic snow climbing with ice axes and crampons, and cover the basics of glacier travel and navigation. Most of all though, we'll be going climbing!
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 possible of these incredible mountains.
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.
On top of being located in one of the great mountain ranges of the world, Chamonix is also one of the planet’s sweetest mountain towns. With everything from nightlife and wine bars, to 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.
Meals
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.
Schedule
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 jet lag. Your only job will be to find something tasty for dinner and then 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. Our training will start with rock climbing on one of the many fantastic crags around Chamonix, most likely at the top of the Brévent lift. We'll also conduct some brief belay tests, as well as practice with the rope systems we’ll be using in the mountains.
Next we’ll work on techniques for multi-pitch climbing, belaying, and rappelling. For folks who already have multi-pitch experience, 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've acclimatized and covered both rock and snow skills, we'll head over to Switzerland to do some alpine rock climbing and stay at one of our favorite huts. 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 climb some classics, or to work on skills for anchors, leading, or multi-pitching—all on picture perfect granite.
Whatever you choose, at the end of the day we'll head 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 upon 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.
Today is 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 will be 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. Either way, we'll aim to have you back in Cham by afternoon.
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 to climb whatever you want. This can mean 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 our goodbyes.
Day 8 | Heading Home
Unfortunately, all good things must come to an end, and you’ll have to go home. A short journey from our hotel to the 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.
FAQs
Age & Physical Requirements
- No mountaineering or multi-pitch climbing experience is required, but some rock climbing experience is helpful. If you can climb a 5.9 in the gym without taking or falling, you'll likely have a good time in Chamonix.
- This course will not involve camping or heavy packs, but you should be ready to hike for multiple hours, multiple days in a row, on and off trail, as well as climb on snow, rock, and ice.
- Climbers should feel capable of hiking with a 20lb backpack while ascending and descending up to 2,000’ of elevation in a day.
- A climbing harness, rock shoes, helmet, mountaineering boots, crampons, ice axe and pack are required for this course. If you don’t want to buy them, all of these items are available for rent in Chamonix at a relatively low cost. We’re happy to help you with gear (just ask), and a complete equipment list can be found here.
- Must be 18 years of age or older.
How many participants come by themselves?
The majority of women come to our clinics alone - somewhere around 95%. If you are hesitating to join because you would be coming solo, please know that we expect a majority of our participants to be joining by themselves, seeking community.
I've never climbed before. Can I still attend?
You do not need to be an experienced climber to attend but we recommend some climbing experience before signing up for a full week of climbing. We ask that everyone attending is able to top rope a 5.9 in a climbing gym without taking or falling. We are aware that climbing 5.9 in a climbing gym is much different than climbing a 5.9 outside, but having the ability to climb 5.9 in a climbing gym will set you up to have a great time in Chamonix. With multiple guides and options we can accommodate a wide range of abilities.
I'm an advanced climber. Will I be able to lead climb?
Probably. Lead climbing is certainly not a requirement for anybody on the trip, but we're happy to let you lead as long as you have prior experience as a leader and can pass a belay test similar to those found in most gyms (minus the falling).
Our main goal is to keep everyone safe, so on our first day out together we’ll just want to see that everyone is able to manage the rope, communicate, lead and belay safely before being cleared to do it throughout the week. If you don’t plan on leading, we’ll just want to go through a quick belay test to make sure you’re good to go belaying those who are.
For those aspiring to lead, we will try our best to coach you through the process throughout the week with the aim of you learning to do so safely.
What is the average age of climbers who attend?
We generally have a wide range of ages at our retreats. The average tends to fall anywhere between the ages of 26 to 45. But we have had quite a few women in their 60's join as well. It really is up to the attitude and physical ability of the participant.
What will the weather be like?
need info
How many people will be on the trip, and is it mostly men or women?
Because alpine climbing can only safely be done in small groups, this trip will be much smaller than some of our others. If the trip sells out, we will have 10 climbers and 5 guides.
Our trips are also made up of 90% women.
Men are perfectly welcome, but they tend to be outnumbered, making even these mixed gender trips a very woman-centric space. Our guide team will also predominantly be made up of women, though we promise Brian is also the best.
What if I have dietary restrictions?
need info
I'm plus sized. Am I able to climb?
We aren't experts in this area as this is not the lived experience of our current instructor team. But we want you here and we are committed to making your experience a positive one.
If you can:
- Hike three miles over varied terrain while carrying a 15 lb backpack
- Do 20 squats
- Have good balance
- And maintain a positive attitude
CLIMBING IS FOR YOU!
Currently the most limiting factor is the ability to fit into a harness. We have harnesses that can accommodate up to a 56inch waist. We are looking into getting a fleet of fully adjustable harnesses before next season starts.
If you want to learn more from plus sized climbers I highly recommend looking into Climb Big. Climb Big is an organization with a mission to "Make climbing more accessible for fat folx."
Can I bring my pet?
We know you love your fur babies, but unfortunately we cannot allow pets on any of our group trips or clinics.
Are payment plans available?
Yes we have two types of payment options. Please visit our Payment Plan page for more information.
How is this trip different from the Kalymnos Retreat?
Good question. Let's start with the similarities. Both are world-class climbing destinations, and with very similar styles of rock and movement. They both cater to climbers of all abilities, and are both in staggeringly beautiful settings that are hard to compare. They're also both dreamy, and of course they're both in Greece.
The three main differences are probably in the feel of the towns, the food, and the ease of getting there.
Leonidio is gaining popularity as a climbing destination, but is still a small, relatively quiet village and really feels like an authentic experience of being in Greece. Most cafes and shops are filled with locals, and it's not uncommon to feel like you're getting a very undiluted taste of Greek life. Kalymnos, on the other hand (and more specifically the village of Massouri, where we'll be staying), is an international climber's hub that's been a thing for a long time. As a result, it feels a little more touristy, and as Massouri is mostly a climber's town, you won't likely find yourself the only visitor in any setting. You'll still get a taste of Greece in either and you'll still find plenty of climbers in both, they're just different.
The food is also a bit different in each place. Like a lot of countries in Europe, a lot of dishes are highly regional, so there are certainly some things you'll find in one and not the other. More importantly though, is the effect that tourism has had on shaping the food in each place. In Leonidio, the food tends to be pretty simple and very little of it isn't Greek. It's delicious too, with some of the best eggplant dishes we've ever had, as well as incredible local olives, oranges, cheeses, seafood and local produce. The bakery outside our hotel is also outstanding. What it doesn't have a lot of is fancy restaurants. The breakfasts are amazing and we'll plan on going out together for some really nice meals, some of which will be quite elegant, but a lot are pretty rustic in their charm. Kalymnos, once again, is a little more cosmopolitan in its food offerings. The seafood and Greek food are still incredible, the local Kalymnian Mermezeli salad is to die for, and the locals are magicians when it comes to octopus and squid. Upscale dining options abound there though, and as a result food and drink prices can also vary a lot more in than in Leonidio. That's why we've decided only to include welcome and farewell dinners in Kalymnos, and to let you decide whether you'd like to dine on a budget the rest of the time or go big and splurge.
Lastly, there's the matter of getting there. Leonidio is, we have to admit, a lot easier. On the Leonidio retreat all you have to do is get yourself to the hotel in Athens and after that you won't have to plan a thing. Kalymnos is a little different. Since there are so many options for how to get there (see the FAQ on the Kalymnos page for details), we're going to let you make that choice for yourself. You get yourself to the island and we'll see you there; the rest is up to you. That means that if you're working with a shorter time window, Leonidio is probably a better fit since lining up flights to Athens is easy, but trying to nail the flight and ferry sequence to Kalymnos with no room for error is probably not the vacation anybody needs.
And because nobody is going to be able to resist asking which is better, the answer is neither - they're both incredible!
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