ASCENSION DU MONT BLANC PAR LES TROIS MONTS from 8 July to 10 July

The guide welcomes you, checks your bags and collects any hired equipment. You must be wearing mountaineering outfit when you arrive and your rucksack be ready. Transfer to Chamonix and departure for the Aiguille du Midi.
The descent of the Aiguille ridge gives us a foothold on the Glacier. We change our belay method and head for the day’s objective. Your guide will choose the best itinerary for your party to practise walk with crampons on ice, snow and rock.
A short ascent then takes us to the Cosmiques hut.

Night in the Cosmiques hut.

This long traverse will start at dawn. The first stage will be to descend onto the glacier and then climb the large face of Mont Blanc du Tacul. Once on the shoulder, a short descent takes us under the north face of Mont Maudit. We’ll make a right turn towards the Col du Mont Maudit, where the slope rises to 50 degrees. From the col, we’ll begin a traverse and then a slight descent before climbing the wall of the hill. We’ll then have to climb a few hundred metres to reach the summit of the Alps.
After enjoying the exceptional panorama from the summit of Mont Blanc, we’ll need to refocus for the descent via the arête des bosses. After the Vallot shelter, we’ll have a last short climb before heading back down the Goˆuter dome to the refuge.

Overnight stay at the Gouter refuge.

Morning descent to the valley via the Aiguille du Goûter.

End of our trip at Les Houches, generally between 1 p.m. and 5 p.m.

Descent: - 1450m.

Everything will be done to help you succeed in your ascent of the roof of the Alps, but please note that the aim is not to prepare you physically, you must arrive trained, in very good physical condition and acclimatised.
For your acclimatisation, we recommend that you spend at least one night in an altitude refuge (between 2000 and 2500 metres minimum) in the 4 days preceding your ascent. It is the time spent at altitude that will allow your body to acclimatise more than the altitude itself. We can advise you on routes and refuges suited to your preparation.

1 participant maximum. Departure is guaranteed from 1 participants. You will be notified at least 7 days before departure in the event of cancellation. Where possible, an alternative solution will be offered.

This ascent may be considered with two participants for experienced roped parties. Details and price on request.

NB : For cancellation conditions for privatised trips (made up groups) please refer to our conditions of sale.

Personal equipment

Hiking in high mountain requires being able to cope with all weather and environmental conditions which can change very quickly. Appropriate equipment guarantees safety and represents an essential part of the success and comfort of your climb/stay.}
You will not necessarily use all the items on this list which but you must nevertheless have them in your bag.

All of this equipment is technical and generally quite expensive. Please note that we offer some of this equipment for rental, they are indicated by a * in the list below, you will find rental prices in the "Gear rental and extras prices" section. Please note, the mountaineering kit that we offer for rental only includes individual technical equipment (mountaineering boots, crampons, ice axe, harness, helmet); clothing (gore tex jacket, soft shell fleece, goretex pants) are not part of it.

Equipment hire and changes to your booking are only possible before payment of the balance of your booking (45 days before departure). We advise you to take the time, upon registration, to list the equipment you already have.No equipment initially rented from ROC ECRINS and not taken or used on the day of departure will be refunded.

Important, if you have your own personal equipment: the legislation regarding P.P.I. (personal protective equipment, this is the helmet, harness, and sunglasses) limits the use of the equipment over time. They can be used for 5 years from the date of purchase. Beyond this date, your equipment is considered to no longer be up to standard. You can find all the information regarding P.P.E. here > www.inrs.fr

Headwear

At high altitudes, snow reflects UV rays and the sun’s rays are not as well filtered by the atmosphere; even a cloudy sky allows 90% of UV rays to pass through, so it is essential to protect yourself against the dangers of the sun.

• A pair of class 4 protection sunglasses is highly recommended for everyone and very strongly recommended for sensitive eyes. They’ll come in handy on a ski holiday too.
• Sun cream high protection (index 50 recommended) for face and lips; remember to take the smallest size possible (no large tubes)
• a cap for the approach walk (prefer a soft model with no large seams that can be worn under the helmet)
• a ski mask (indispensable in case of gusts of wind or snowfall)
• a beanie hat that can be worn under the helmet (without pompoms)
• a helmet* approved for mountaineering ( 5 years max since date of purchase)
• a neck gaiters or Buff(avoid scarves)
• a headlamp with loaded batteries!!!

Bodywear

When making a prolonged effort at altitude, the principle is to be able to layer different garments according to the intensity of the effort and the weather conditions (temperature, wind, snowfall, rain), in order to stay as dry as possible.

NB: ski clothes are not suitable because they are often too warm, too heavy and not very breathable.

Upper body

• First layer: a long-sleeve base layer in a breathable, quick-drying material such as merino, wood fibre..., cotton to be avoided(to protect you from UV rays and for safety in the event of a fall).
  Second layer: a lightweight fleece or soft shell jacket*. Ideally, it should be windproof and breathable. Put it on as soon as the temperature cools, usually when you arrive on the glacier.
• Third layer: a warm, compressible down jacket (synthetic or down, -10°C protection). It will keep you warm during a long stop on the route, at the summit while you take photos, on the refuge terrace, and sometimes even while walking in very cold weather.
  Fourth layer: a gore tex* windproof jacket to protect against rain and snow. This is the waterproof jacket that keeps you dry in bad weather. It must be lightweight and breathable.
• a mountaineering harness* (5 years max from date of purchase)

Lower body

• a thin pair of tights in fleece or cotton, ideally ¾ so as not to make the socks too thick. You’ll need them in case of very cold weather, and you can put them on at the hut at the start of the ascent if necessary. You can also use it as nightwear.
• Mountaineering trousers: mountaineering trousers are water-repellent, windproof, breathable and hard-wearing. You can also take hiking or trekking trousers that aren’t too light (as long as you have a gore tex overtrouser to put over them). NB: mountaineering trousers are not available for hire
• an overtrouser* in GoreTex or equivalent material: these are very light trousers that you put over your trousers in case of rain, wind or snow. They have zips along the legs, so you can put them on quickly at any time without having to remove your shoes.

The hands

• a pair of thin gloves in fleece, softshell or leather for the climbs to the refuge.
• one pair of thicker gloves like ski gloves
• a pair of VERY WARM Mittens (if your ski gloves aren’t warm enough), which you’ll put over the thin gloves when you get to the top and for the descent.

Footwear

• Mountaineering boots* (crampon-compatible): these boots are different from hiking boots. They are rigid, which will enable you to crampon on ice while providing good support for the ankle and crampons. They must also be waterproof and offer excellent protection against the cold.
• Hiking or mountaineering socks : these should be warm and well-fitting and high enough to rise above boot level to avoid overheating. One pair is enough for a 48-hour mountain run. You can also take a pair of very light mini-socks to put on in the refuge in the evening while your pair of technical socks dry.
• a pair of crampons* with anti-boot in good condition and sharp, suitable for your boots,
• a mountaineering ice axe* light and long, suited to your height, it should almost reach the ground when in your hand with your arm extended alongside your body.
• gaiters* which will keep your feet dry in fresh snow; they also prevent crampon points catching on the bottom of your trousers.
  NB: all refuges provide slippers, so you don’t need to take extra shoes.

Guide’s tip for 48-hour tours: as most of the time the refuge is reached on footpaths, you can plan to go up and down in trail trainers (soles with crampons) to protect your feet from the heat that can be caused by the rigidity of mountaineering boots (you’ll need to have your mountaineering boots in your bag). You can leave your trainers at the refuge before setting off on the climb and pick them up on your return.

This adds weight, but it can be very useful for those with sensitive feet - the choice is yours...

And last but not least

• Telescopic walking poles* with snow washers (8 cm minimum diameter ). Not compulsory but highly recommended; they will help you on the way up and take the strain off your knees on the way down.
• water : make sure you have enough water for around 2 litres, ideally a one-litre plastic bottle plus smaller ones (around 25 cl) to keep warm and close to your body in your jacket. Water bags are not suitable for use at high altitude because they freeze! You can use them, but only when going up to the refuge.
• energy food (cereal bars, dried fruit...depending on your habits),
• small thermos 500ML max (not compulsory, a hot drink can be comforting but it adds weight...)
• camera: prefer a small size that you can slip into your pocket, no need to bring a large camera that risks being damaged. Besides, with the cold the battery would be empty very quickly.
• small first aid kit adapted to your personal needs, also containing elastoplast and double-skin dressings for any blisters. If you are taking medication, take only the number of tablets you need. Pack a few paracetamol tablets as it’s not uncommon to suffer from headaches when at altitude.
• micro Toilet Bag: just the bare essentials (toothbrush, mini tube of toothpaste...) and, very important, earplugs for a good night’s sleep in the refuge.
• a bed liner (meat bag): compulsory for nights in refuges. All the refuges are providing pillows and duvets but these are obviously not washed after each passage.
• a bin bag to isolate your wet stuff in case of rain or a waterproof overbag.
• documents always useful to have with you in a small waterproof bag: ID proof, references of your assistance insurance if you haven’t taken out the policy we offer.
• A small amount of cash for personal expenses (drinks, etc.) in the refuges (most of the refuges don’t accept payment by credit card).

And remember, all of the above must fit into:

• A mountain rucksack* of around 35 litres (40 litres max) with ice axe holder and chest strap. The filled rucksack should not exceed 10 kg, including technical equipment (crampons, harness, helmet). Remember that weight is the mountaineer’s enemy. Once you’ve packed your rucksack, there should still be room for a picnic!

You should also bring a second bag (such as a soft travel bag) to store the items you don’t need for the nights at the refuge and to leave in your car.

3 conditions for a successful ascent: Weather + Good shape + Experience}

Mont-Blanc ascent is a high-mountain route requiring mountaineering skills. The route can be vertiginous and exposed to natural hazards: rock falls, crevasses, avalanches.
Above 4,000 metres, the weather conditions can be extreme: wind, snow and cold can make the climb impossible because too dangerous. Our priority is always safety. The mountain guide who accompanies you has a thorough knowledge of Mont-Blanc and is best one to assess the feasibility of the ascent. Therefore, as a last resort, he or she will decide whether or not to continue with the ascent. If it is impossible to attempt the ascent of Mont-Blanc according to the weather forecast two days before, we will organise an alternative program in other alpine massifs.

Stamina and skills
After the first two days, if the guide considers that your physical and/or mental condition does not allow you to climb Mont Blanc without endangering your safety and that of the group, he will inform you. You will then have to leave the group. If another participant is in the same situation as you, you then would be able to set off as rope-mates for another summit. In no case this interruption could give right to refund.

Mountaineering is subject to various factors that we can sometimes neither anticipate nor control; we may therefore have to modify the programme of our high mountain holidays before or during the stay for various reasons:

• if the weather and/or snow conditions make it impossible to carry out the planned programme and/or
• if there is a delay in the opening or early closure of a ski lift or refuge,
  In these cases, we will offer you an alternative programm, sometimes on the day of departure, which you may not refuse.

Programme and supervision standards

• In the event of a change to the programm decided by the guide and this only on the second day of the stay, a partial refund (corresponding to the ski lifts not used and the difference in the price of the overnight stays in the refuges) will be granted only if the replacement ascent takes place in the Gran Paradiso massif.
• If ski lifts are closed the first two days of your stay, we will offer you a refund for the cost of the unused ski lifts. We may also, in order to make up for the extra height difference, change the programme and take you where ski lift are available and replace the night in the refuge with a night in the valley.

Also, mountain conditions change over the summer and can sometimes alter the supervision standards for each ascent. The supervision standards define the number of people that the mountain guide can supervise for each route and can be modified during the season.
These changes may affect the price of the stay or the program. Your registration for one of our trips or ascents means that you understand and accept these possibility.

For your information

You should know that every year on our Mont Blanc ascent courses, approximately :

• 70% of participants succeed in their ascent! stars in their eyes!
• 20% of the ascents are made impossible because of the weather conditions. For example, very bad weather forecast from the second day ; in this case we head to another massif such as Grand Paradis massif where conditions are better. Sometimes, however, conditions change once the ascent has begun and we are forced to turn back, sometimes even a few hundred metres from the summit, mainly because of the wind.
• 10% of participants have to give up due to lack of training, and sometimes because they are too impressed by the environnement of high mountain and the weather conditions to go on.

No medical certificate required to take part in our trips, but it may be useful to check with your doctor that you have no contraindications (particularly in the case of chronic illness) to physical activity in the high mountains.

If you are undergoing any particular treatment, please let us know so that we can take appropriate measures if necessary.

Altitude can cause acute mountain sickness when you are not sufficiently acclimatised, also known as AMS. In most cases, it is accompanied by headaches, nausea and a general feeling of discomfort, but in the most serious cases it can lead to pulmonary or cerebral oedema, requiring an immediate descent.

That’s why it’s always a good idea, before any ascent or high altitude stay wherever possible, to do some hiking in the mountains or medium mountains, especially for those who live at sea level.

Before registering for this stay, you should check:

• your fitness and technical skills:to take part in this trip, you must master technical mountaineering equipment and roped walking, crampon climbing and be able to move with ease over any terrain (snow/ice/rock) at a steady pace.

• your endurance and how speed you can walk in the mountains: to take part in this trip, you must be able to walk at 400 metres/hour in the mid-range mountains and to produce a long and intense effort at altitude (up to 14 hours on the day of the ascent). More specifically, you must be able to put up with 2400 metres of ascent (1200m positive and negative) at altitude (between 2000 and 3500m) over 48 hours with ease, i.e. with your feet as sure on the way down as on the way up.

You want to conquer the roof of Europe, but beware: this climb is physically very demanding. You will have to cope with a long effort at altitude on the way up, without forgetting the descent which can be traumatic for ill-prepared muscles and joints.

The ascent of Mont Blanc cannot be attempted without previous experience of mountaineering. It’s a long-term project, to be approached step by step, to ensure your safety and success. Being "sporty" is not enough!

How to prepare and train

You need to adapt your preparation and training according to your physical condition and your experience in the mountains.

To enhance your physical condition, the best is to practise an endurance sport regularly and intensively. Endurance sports are activities that require sustained effort, for example: running 3 times a week, with sessions lasting at least 1 and a half to 2 hours (i.e. at least 10 to 15 kilometres). Mountain biking and trail running with elevation can be endurance activities, as long as the sessions last long enough, (keep in mind that they are not enough on their own as a preparation).

The best type of training is mountain walking: hikes of gradual difficulty, with progressive elevation gain (don’t forget to also progressively increase the weight of your pack!).
As for technical skills, climbing and ice climbing can give you a better understanding of the technical aspects of mountaineering.

If you’ve never done any mountaineering or mountain walking before, you’ll need to plan your preparation in several stages.
We offer a number of programmes that will allow you to test yourself and/or acquire the necessary skills gradually:

To "test your physical fitness and endurance " we propose a specific course at the Sainte Victoire mountain in Provence from January onwards: > [TEST D’HABILETÉ DU WEEK-END (Condition Physique et Endurance) POUR PRÉPARER L’ESCALADE DU MONT BLANC]

To learn cramponing techniques (ice school) and take part in your first mountaineering course, including an overnight stay in a refuge :

> [2 JOURS D’INITIATION ET D’APPRENTISSAGE DE L’ALPINISME POUR PRÉPARER L’ASCENSION DU MONT BLANC
ou bien :
> lien vers STAGE D’INITIATION A L’ALPINISME : ASCENSION DE LA ROCHE FAURIO 3730M EN 3 JOURS

To test your ability to complete a major ascent (a summit above 3500m) at an adequate pace and to cope with 2 days of effort at high altitude :

> lien vers ASCENSION ROCHE FAURIO, 3730m EN 2 JOURS

By state-certified mountain guides or trainees mountain guides (aspirant guides) from the Roc Écrins team. They will have a VHF radio connected to the emergency services, a satellite phone or a mobile phone. They will also have a collective first-aid kit.

*A trainee mountain guide is a guide in training who is authorised to work and supervise climbs from their third year of training. They are not beginners, as it takes several years of practice and training to build up a list of routes and have the experience and technical level required to enter the mountain guide training course.

To take part in one of our stays, you must be properly insured for the chosen activity (rescue and repatriation costs) in the event of an incident or accident occurring during the stay. (We strongly recommend that this also includes cancellation cover). It is your responsibility to check the cover provided by your personal insurance policy. If you do not have such an insurance, you can take out the EUROP ASSISTANCE contract when you sign up. The amount of the "ASSISTANCE" insurance covering repatriation, rescue and search costs represents 2.4% of the price of the stay. MULTIRISK" insurance covering assistance, cancellation, loss of luggage and interruption of holiday, represents 5.6% of the price of the holiday.

First night at the Cosmiques’ hut, France’s largest and second highest mountain refuge! It’s situated at 3,613m on the Col du Midi glacier.

The second night we’ll be perched at 3815m in the Goûter refuge the highest refuge in France. The new refuge is a High Environmental Quality (HEQ) building. Well insulated, soundproofed and spacious, you’ll feel right at home here. The view over the Arve valley and the Bionnassay ridge is fantastic and the sunset incredible. There is no water available at the refuge. Bottled water is included in the price of the stay (1.5l/person + 1.5l/2 people during meals).

This accommodation is subject to availability at the time of booking.

Transfers from the meeting point to the start of the climbs will be provided by the participants in their own vehicles. In the event of a change of programme, generally to go to Italian Alps, travel costs (petrol and tunnel costs) will be covered by ROC ÉCRINS for the person using their own vehicle to carpool the group.

That’s the KgCO2 produced during your stay when you travel to the activities!

For information:

• Paris - Les Houches

– by car: 170 kg CO2
– by train: 1.4 KgCo2

• Lyon - Les Houches

– by car : 64 kg CO2
– by train : 3.3 kg Co2

• Marseille - Les Houches

– by car : 130 kgCO2
– by train : 1.1 kgCo2

Carpooling ? We can put you in touch with other participants. Contact us by email or telephone. https://www.blablacar.fr/

If you’re coming by train,

• TGV (Highspeed train) Paris-Bellegarde and TGV Marseille-Lyon, connections by regional train lines (TER) to Les Houches.
• The SNCF line is calling at the villages from St Gervais-les-bains-le Fayet to Martigny (Switzerland) via Servoz, Les Houches, Chamonix, Argentière and Vallorcine.

by car,

• From Italy, A5 motorway to AOSTE, follow roadsigns to Courmayer. Enter France through the Mont Blanc tunnel to Les Houches
• From the South, A7 motorway to Valence, take the A49 to Voreppe, follow roadsigns to Chambery and Geneva to join the Autoroute Blanche to Les Houches.
• From the North, A6 then A40 to Macon, Autoroute Blanche then N205 to Les Houches.

by plane:
Geneva airport is the closest to Chamonix - 90km or about 1h30 drive. You can also land in Lyon, but it’s a 2h30 to 3-hour drive (about 220 km). Turin-Caselle international airport is 171km away.

• Mountain guiding service , including their meals, overnight accommodation and lift passes
• Half board accommodation from the first evening to midday on the last day
• Mineral water in the refuges
• Lunch meal at the restaurant on the last day
• lift access
• Organisation and reservations (accommodation, guide, gear) of your stay

To book your trip :

• complete the pre-registration form online
• You will receive a booking contract by email. It sets out the details of your booking as well as the schedule and payment terms.
• On receipt of this contract, the deposit of 30% must be payed within 4 days in accordance with the terms and conditions set out in the contract. Your registration can only be confirmed when the deposit has been payed.
• The balance must be paid 45 days before the departure. Please note that any balance not paid within 45 days of departure will be considered as a cancellation of your booking. Financial withholding would therfore be applied in accordance with our terms and conditions of sale.
• For a of a booking made less than 45 days before departure, the total amount of the booking must be paid on receipt of the booking contract in accordance with the terms and conditions set out therein.