All-In Mont Blanc and Gran Paradiso Climb

Day 1: Valsavarenche-Chabod Hut

Meeting with the Guide at around 2.30 pm in Valsavarenche for a quick debrief and equipment check.

From the parking area close to the river, we start our 6-day adventure following the path in the woods that leads to the Chabod Hut (2,710 m): the hike up to the refuge follows an easy path and it will take around 2,30 hours.

Before dinner, the Guide will make a fast briefing, to refresh the required equipment, and its use on the itinerary, and check the backpacks for the ascent.

Dinner and overnight at refuge.

D+ 900m

Day 2: Gran Paradiso summit

At 3.00 am we wake up for breakfast, to start 1 hour later as maximum from the Chabod Hut and take the Normal Route to Gran Paradiso summit. During the ascent, we will have only one stop at “Donkey Shoulder”, to have a short break and drink something.

The last part of the hike requires good confidence in using the crampons on steep and iced slopes; by a short climbing passage on rocks, equipped with some anchor points, we finally reach the statue of Madonna on the highest summit at 4,061m. We get back to Chabot Hut in the early afternoon, where we will take a well-deserved relaxing time. We will spend a second night at over 2,500 m, to increase the altitude acclimatization and recover after the efforts made to reach the summit.

Dinner and night at the refuge.

D+ 1,300m

Day 3: Rest Day

On the third day, after breakfast at the refuge, we’ll take our time to go back to Pont Valsavarenche from Chabod Hut. For this day, we can keep flexible options, depending on how tired you are after the summit experience.

We can decide on an easy hike to rifugio Vittorio Emanuele (3 extra hours hiking at about the same altitude) or go down to Pont Valsavarence to afford some rock training on the cliff close to the parking area, or take a complete break.

In the last option, we will spend the rest of the day in the Valsavarenche Valley, to relax and recover, before moving to our accommodation.

Night in B&B (Pont Valsavarenche, Introd village, Saint Pierre or Aosta town).

D- 900m

Day 4: Les Houches - Tete Rousse Hut

After a good breakfast, we will move to Chamonix-Les Houches, where the Mont Blanc ascent begins. From the parking of Les Houches, we’ll take a cable car to Bellevue Téléphérique. From there, after a 3-hour hike, we will reach the Tete Rousse Hut, where we will stay for dinner and overnight.

D+ 1,450m

Day 5: Mont Blanc Summit

After breakfast, we go up to the Goûter Hut (3,817m), crossing the “Grand Couloir” with the least risk of rocks falling, to arrive before dusk at the refuge. We’ll have dinner and rest here for a couple of hours before the summit attack on the next day. From Tête Rousse refuge we start around 3.00 am: we go up to the Goûter Hut (3,817m) for a short pause.

In order to take advantage of the sunlight, we’ll leave the hut around 3.00 am. After that, we will face a glacial plateau before arriving at the Dôme du Goûter, at 4,250 meters of altitude.

From there, we’ll keep ascending up to the Vallot Hut, where we usually take a short break to drink something and rest. Resuming the climb, at the end of the stunning Bosses Ridge, we’ll finally reach the summit of Mont Blanc, at 4,810 meters of altitude. We’ll return down to the refuge Goûter.

Dinner and overnight at the refuge.

D+ 1,650m

Day 6: Return to Les Houches

Wake up at Goûter refuge: we start early in time to reach the Tête Rousse and have breakfast there, before returning to Les Houches, hiking down on the same itinerary of the first day. The last cable car run from Bellevue to Les Houches is around 5.30 pm. When we arrive at the parking area, we will have time for a good lunch and a beer to celebrate the summit with the Guide.

We suggest to the customers planning to stay overnight in Chamonix, to avoid the risk of losing transport (train or flight) in case of late arrival back after the trip.

D- 2,050m