The day before – Welcome in Saint-Gervais
Meet at 6:30 p.m. at the Saint-Gervais guides’ office. This meeting is an opportunity to get to know your guide and the other participants over a welcome drink. The guide presents the course schedule, technical objectives, and the equipment required for the first few days. It is also a chance to discuss the forecast weather conditions and adjust equipment if necessary. Free night in accommodation of your choice in Saint-Gervais.
Sunday – Rock climbing school and ascent to the Tré-la-Tête Hut (1,970 m)
Departure at 9:00 am from Saint-Gervais to reach the village of Les Contamines-Montjoie, by private vehicle or carpooling organized the day before. On the way to the hut, a rock climbing school session in mountaineering boots to acquire the technical basics required for the ascent of the Goûter. Progressive ascent through the Tré-la-Tête valley, a lush and wild setting.
Elevation gain: +960 m – approximately 2 hours 30 minutes of walking.
Overnight in a dormitory at the Tré-la-Tête Hut.
Monday – Ascent of the Aiguille de la Bérangère (3,425 m)
Departure around 5:00 am for a full day of mountaineering. Ascent via the Chaborgne route, renowned for its wild atmosphere. This climb provides an introduction to crampon techniques, roped travel, and progression on mixed terrain. From the summit, outstanding views over the Dôme de Miage and the entire Mont-Blanc massif. Descent via the normal route to the Conscrits Hut (2,602 m).
Elevation gain: +1,435 m / -825 m – approximately 8 hours of walking.
Overnight in a dormitory at the Conscrits Hut.
Tuesday – Ice school and descent
Departure around 7:00 am to reach the Tré-la-Tête Glacier. This day is dedicated to ice school: learning and refining crampon techniques, belaying, and rope travel. In the late afternoon, a friendly debrief over a meal at the hut before descending back to the valley.
Elevation change: -1,460 m – approximately 5 hours of walking.
Return to Saint-Gervais and a free night in your accommodation.
At the end of the first three days of the course, the decision to undertake the ascent of Mont Blanc will rest solely with the guides. If your level is deemed insufficient to form a rope team, you will be required to leave the course and the remainder of the trip will not be refunded.
Wednesday – Ascent to the Tête Rousse Hut (3,167 m)
The departure time is set by the guides according to the weather. Early afternoon ascent to the Tête Rousse Hut, using the Mont Blanc Tramway or, early in the season, a 4×4 transfer. The trail climbs through a mineral landscape at the foot of the Aiguille du Goûter.
Elevation gain: +800 m – approximately 2 hours of walking.
Overnight in a dormitory at the Tête Rousse Hut.
Thursday – Ascent of Mont Blanc
Very early departure, before dawn. The ascent begins with the rocky slopes of the Aiguille du Goûter, an easy scrambling section over approximately 600 meters of elevation gain. After a break at the Goûter Hut, the climb continues on snow toward the Dôme du Goûter. From the Vallot emergency shelter, the famous Bosses Ridge leads to the summit of Mont Blanc in an exceptional high-altitude atmosphere. It is one of the most beautiful mountaineering routes in the Alps, requiring endurance and determination. Once on the summit, the day is not over: you must descend back to the Goûter Hut via the same route.
Elevation gain: +1,800 m / -1,050 m – approximately 9 hours of walking.
Overnight in a dormitory at the Goûter Hut.
Friday – Descent from the Goûter
Early departure for the descent via the same route. Crossing of the Goûter Couloir before the sun makes it unstable, then return to the valley. Closing meal shared together at the hut or in Saint-Gervais, depending on the descent schedule.
Elevation change: -1,470 m – approximately 4 hours of walking.
The guides may adjust the program according to the weather, mountain conditions, and the participants’ skill level.
The Mont Blanc Objective Course is a true human and sporting adventure, designed for those who dream of standing on the highest summit in Europe while learning the fundamentals of mountaineering.
Led by experienced high-mountain guides, this 6-day trip offers progressive technical preparation and acclimatization: rock climbing, crampon techniques, high-altitude hiking, and effort management. You will progress in a spectacular environment of glaciers, ridges, and iconic mountain huts.
The ascent of Mont Blanc takes place over three days, following the iconic route via the Tête Rousse and Goûter huts. The objective is to maximize your chances of success through a progressive, well-adapted program, in a friendly and safe atmosphere.
Group departures from Sunday May 31 to September 20 (except Sunday August 2, which will be moved to Monday August 3).
Private group departures available depending on hut availability (except the first weekend of August, which coincides with the Val Montjoie Guides’ Festival): please contact us.
Directly on our website or using the dated and signed registration form, accompanied by a 40% deposit and any optional insurance fees. The balance must be paid 60 days before departure.
You will be in a group of up to 8 participants. You may join alone, as a pair, or in a larger group. For the Mont Blanc ascent, you will climb in pairs; during the first three days, the guides will form the rope teams according to your level and affinities. You will be supervised by a UIAGM-certified high-mountain guide or aspirant guide.
The ascent of Mont Blanc is a true physical challenge: between 1,600 and 2,500 meters of elevation gain per day, up to 11 hours of hiking, temperatures that can drop below –20°C, and carrying a 10-kilogram pack. This course is designed to prepare you technically for the Mont Blanc ascent, but it will in no way prepare you physically. You must arrive in excellent physical condition if you want to successfully climb Mont Blanc.
During the preparation days, you must be able to ascend comfortably at a minimum pace of 400 meters of elevation gain per hour.
If you have any doubts about your physical ability, we recommend starting with the 4-day Mont Blanc preparation course, which will allow you to discover the environment without the pressure of the summit and return the following year with the benefit of your first experience and your guide’s advice.
Endurance training
You will be required to hike between 6 and 12 hours per day. You should therefore prepare by doing long-duration cardio workouts. Endurance sports: 2 or 3 sessions per week of cycling or running. We recommend increasing the intensity of your training six months before your course.
Training on varied terrain
From the second day onward, you will no longer be on a hiking trail but moving through often very technical terrain (slabs, scree, rock, snow, and ice). You can prepare by hiking in mid-mountain terrain and going off-trail in forested areas. Rock climbing is also excellent training.
By the end of your training, you should be able to easily manage 1,500 meters of elevation gain and loss in a maximum of 5 hours.
Keep in mind that for five days you will be hiking with an 8 to 10 kg backpack, which significantly increases the effort required. During your training outings, gradually practice hiking with this additional weight.
After your registration, you will receive a physical preparation guide prepared by our guides. You can also call us or send us your training schedules.
The group rate is set at:
€2,850 per person
The private rate is set at:
1 participant: €5,010 per person
2 participants: €3,030 per person
3 participants: €2,970 per person
From 4 participants: €2,850 per person
The price includes
The price does not include
Repatriation
Having “assistance–repatriation” insurance is mandatory to take part in our trips: it must cover you in high mountains for search and rescue by helicopter. If you do not have “assistance–repatriation” insurance, we can provide one at a rate of €5/day.
Cancellation
We also offer optional “cancellation” insurance at a rate of €12/day. This insurance does not take into account the sporting nature of our trips. It must be purchased at the time of registration to take effect.
As a reminder, cancellation insurance covers you from the moment you register until the start of your trip if something happens and you cannot attend. We apply cancellation fees as specified on our registration form and in our terms of sale. These fees may be reimbursed by the cancellation insurance if your reason for cancelling is covered.
If you pay by credit card, feel free to check the insurance included with it.
As a reminder, in the event of cancellation you must file your claim with the insurer within 5 days of the accident or reason for cancelling, otherwise it will not be valid (then check whether the reason for cancellation is covered).
Insurance fees are non-refundable.
Not everything listed here will necessarily be needed during the first three days of preparation; your guide will tell you during the briefing what to bring for those initial days.
Technical equipment
Technical equipment is available for rent from our partners:
For Saint Gervais : blanc-sport-saintgervais.com/ www.unlimited-saintgervais.com,
For les Contamines : www.intersport-lescontamines.com/
Clothing
Essential accessories
Feel free to contact us if you need advice on physical preparation, gear selection, or organizing your trip.
You will meet the guides the day before departure at the Saint-Gervais Guides Office (43 rue du Mont Blanc, 74170 Saint-Gervais), located inside the tourist office in the village center, at 6:30 p.m. Please let us know if you cannot attend; the briefing can be done by phone.
In the mountains, weather conditions are a critical factor for your safety. It is difficult, if not impossible, to obtain a reliable weather forecast more than three days in advance. The first three days of the course cannot be postponed, as you must be technically prepared for the Mont Blanc ascent.
If the weather does not allow for the Mont Blanc ascent:
In consultation with your guide, if you decide to attempt Mont Blanc and are caught by bad weather, no refund or credit will be possible.
As a reminder, if your guide considers your level to be insufficient, no refund will be issued in the event of bad weather.
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You can call us at (+33)4 50 47 76 55.
