28th March, 2009

A week of varied day tours exploring the fabulous Mont Blanc Massif

Fantastic wild skiing with in the unique setting of the Chamonix valley

Six ski tours where the emphasis is firmly on the skiing!

Having organised for many years the classic Chamonix- Zermatt Haute route as well as many weeks of Haute Route preparation courses we have been persuaded by the charms of Mont Blanc to spend a week exploring its most exciting skiing itineraries.
This week will be a combination of peaks, cols, climbs and fantastic off piste skiing. Using mechanical uplift where appropriate we will be giving you the best opportunities to explore and ski the best of what the Chamonix valley has to offer.

There will always be some climbing on skis as we intend to get off the beaten track as much as possible but the emphasis will be on the downhill this week!
The exact itinerary will depend very much on conditions as our intention would always be to provide the best experience allowing for the vagaries of Chamonix weather and snow conditions.

It goes without say that we will during the week access tours around the Aiguille du Midi, Vallee Blanche as well as the Grands Montets. The following itinerary is meant as an example of routes rather than the exact plan for the week. The possiblities of thew Chamonix valley are endless and it would be a shame to stick rigourously to a plan if conditions are better elsewhere!

DAY 1 - Fly to Geneva
We collect you from Geneva airport and drive over to our meeting point in the village of Argentiere at the Hotel Couronne We meet up with Remi, our guide, and plan the weeks skiing.

DAY 2 – Off piste ski day and avalanche awareness
Today is meant as a warm up for all skiiers. This is not to say that you will not be challenged as the guide seeks out the best off piste spots in condition near to a lift system. The idea is to get as much descent in as possible. Much of this week will be spent in wild mountain terrain so the opportunity to refresh our avalanche awareness and transceiver skills will also be taken during the day.

Day 3 –La Vallee Blanche
Now the Sunday crowds have disappeared we will head for the glorious Vallee Blanche. This is one of the classic itineraries of the Mont Balnc Massif and offers 15 kilometres of descent as well as awesome views over Mont Blanc.
From l'Aiguille du Midi, at 3842 m we ski down the glacier to around 3100 metres. before climbing up towards the col d’entreves at 3527 metres. On the glacier we climb gently through a series of crevasses in the shadow of the Mont Balnc du Tacul. From the col, we ski down through the tumbling seracs de Geant and down the Mer de Glace to the Montenvers railway where we take this famous train back to Chamonix.

Day 4 – Le col du Passon
Starting with the lift from Argentiere to the Grands Montets, we will be at 3295 metres before we even break a sweat. From the top we ski down the Glacier des Rognons and onto the Glacier d’Argentiere. Whilst those heading off on the Haute route will continue across this glacier and up to the col de Chardonnet we head a little further down to around 2500 metres. From here we climb on our skis to the Col de Passon at 3028 metres. Once we have taken in the views over to the Aiguille du Tour and Back to the Verte we have 1600 metres of fresh snow to consider. We ski down the glacier du Tour and all the way down to the village of the same name. A swift shuttle bus takes us back to our Hotel.

Day 5 - Le col des Aiguilles Crochues
From Les Praz we will take a lift into the Flegere ski area. After an hour or so warm up ski within the ski area, we will take the Index lift from where we will climb 400 metres to the col which is at 2794 metres. From here we ski shortly down before a traverse in the shadow of the Aiguille Belvedere. From here, a short climb to the Col de Berard at 2459 metres, will open up a fantastic descent of over 1000 metres down to the small village of Le Buet. Initially on the open flanks of the Belvedere we finish with some tree skiing. A small mountain train will finish our day and take us back to Argentiere.

Day 6 and 7
It is possible that these two days will be linked with a refuge night so that a particularly high mountain itinerary might be undertaken. This could be a night in the Requin refuge for example to do the classic Breche Puiseux Route. Or perhaps dropping over into Italy from the col de Toule before getting the lift back up to spend the night at the Torino refuge above the Glacier du Geant. Lets leave the plan for this trip until we get you out there and see what you would find most appealing!

DAY 8 - Fly back to London
You are transferred back to Geneva Airport to connect with flights back home.


Please Note: This itinerary may be altered if conditions, weather forecasts or the overall fitness of the group are judged to put the safety of the group at risk. Pyrenean Mountain Tour Guides reserve the right to make changes to the itinerary without notice. These changes will be explained to the group as and when they occur.

EQUIPMENT AND CLOTHING NEEDED FOR THIS TREK
We recommend that people joining this trek are equipped with the following:

Technical equipment
Ski Touring Skis with Touring Bindings
Ski Poles
Skins (with good glue!)
Ski Crampons
Ski Strap (for tying top of the skis together when carrying on rucksack)
Avalanche Transceiver
Crampons
Climbing Harness
Figure of 8
1 metre sling
Two screw gate karibiners

Clothing suggestions
Thermal underwear- 1 set as a base layer
Fleece
Waterproof jacket
Waterproof overtrousers
Warm hat
Warm gloves
Warm walking socks
Sun hat or peaked cap
Sunglasses/Goggles

Other useful items
40-60 litre rucksack (needs side straps so that you can carry skis)
Head torch and batteries
Sun block for face and lips
Personal First Aid kit (plasters,compede, paracetamol)
Water bottle or Platypus
Penknife

Optional items
Change of clothing to include: underwear,tracksuit bottoms/ long-johns,dry shirt, spare socks.
Camera and film
Paperback novel
Maps
Snack bars/dried fruit/chocolate

Ski Touring Equipment Hire
Pyrenean Mountain Tours offer a full equipment hire pack. You can hire everything you need for this tour or individual items at the costs shown in the table below. We are unable to provide equipment "last minute" so you need to book what you need well in advance.

Please remember to carry as little gear as possible. A heavy rucksack will make the trip hard work and less fun.