Grand Paradiso 4061m – 5 days
Introduction Level | Group Course
Grand Paradiso 4061m – 5 days
Introduction Level | Group Course
1850 euro per person
Contact All Dates & Prices Participants Form

✦ Experienced UIAGM/IFMGA mountain guides
✦ Fun and exiting program
✦ Hiking and Mountain Climbing
✦ Chamonix and the Vallée Aosta region

  • location | Chamonix, Vallée d’Aoste
  • Season | June – September
  • dURATION | 5 days
  • Guide Ratio | 1-6 & 1-3
  • Technical Level | 1
  • Fitness Level | C
  • Minimum Age | 18

Check our Grading Page

Latest Spring
≤ 3 months ahead

Alpine Basics

During 5 days, we travel through varied terrain and will try trekking, climbing, and mountaineering. You will acquire new skills and learn more about the mountain environment.

Grand Paradiso

Climbing to the summit of an alpine 4000m peak is a big challenge and the climb of the Grand Paradiso 4063m summit is not an exception. The route can be difficult and the climb is long.

Valuable Experience

Whether you have spent time in the mountains before or not, these five days will be a great experience and a chance to learn new skills and make new encounters. A highly skilled UIAGM/IFMGA mountain guide will be along with the group all the time.

Climb Grand Paradiso 4061m
Join us on a 5-day mountaineering trip with amazing and varied mountain experiences. We will start with a mountain hike above Chamonix and then move towards Italy to climb in the higher mountains. We will attempt the 4000m peak of Grand Paradiso, an independent peak in the Grauen Alps, just a 1h30m drive from Chamonix.

Both Chamonix and the Aosta Valley are popular with mountain tourism during the summer months. We enjoy this part of Italy, a self-controlled region with its special feeling. The Vallée d’Aosta region’s people are quite proud and independent. They set a high bar for service and catering. As the Aosta Valley is just a drive through the Mont Blanc tunnel away, we spend quite a lot of time here, enjoying the Italian hospitality, good coffee, and ice cream.

Active program – Lots of mountain time
This is an active itinerary with many different experiences, culminating in an attempt to climb towards the 4000m peak Grand Paradiso. Getting to the top isn’t something you can take for granted. It is a hard exercise and a great challenge. The weather must be good enough to allow access to the upper mountain and the glacier bridges solid enough for crossing. If you are new to mountain climbing but fit and well-trained from other sports, this could be a great introduction to the higher alpine mountains and your chance to bag your first 4000m summit.

Joining this course
We welcome participants without prior alpine experience as it’s an introduction course. The first two days are a gentle ease into climbing higher and will include training in moving on different terrain and using crampons and ice axes. You will learn more about climbing techniques and travel on glaciers as roped teams. During the last 3 days, we will attempt an alpine 4000m peak.
Joining this course could be a first trip before signing up for other more difficult mountaineering courses. Check the level required for this course – Click here.

Guide Ratio
The guide ratio is adjusted to the need for the different days and our group size. These are the general guide ratios that are applied.

1st-2nd day – Maximum 6 participants/guide
3rd-5th day – Maximum 3 participants/guide

Please note that we have chosen to limit the group sizes to a maximum of three participants per guide for the Grand Paradiso summit attempt. This is a lower ratio than many other agencies. As the conditions have changed over the last few years on the glacier section and towards the summit of the Grand Paradiso, we feel this is necessary for the group’s safety.

 

This course can run with the specified prices when a minimum of 3 participants are joining.

Tour IDWeekStart dateFinish datePrice pr. pesonSpacesEnquire
GP123Monday 2 June 2025Friday 6 June 20251,850€Available
GP224Monday 9 June 2025Friday 13 June 20251,850€Available
Tour IdWeek No. – YearStart DateFinish DatePrice Per PersonSpacesBook Tour
GP124 – 2024Tuesday 11th JuneSaturday 16th June1850€/person3 places leftEnquire ✉
GP230 – 2024Monday 22nd JulyFriday 26th July1850€/personYesEnquire ✉

The price is 1850€/person.

If you would like to make this trip as a “private group,” please let us know.

The minimum participation age is 18 years old for individual bookings.
We accept people from 15 years old if accompanied by a parent/guardian.

 

Included

Planning & logistics
We make arrangements so the trip runs smoothly (hire guides, book huts, take bookings, etc.).
If you need help finding accommodation or airport transfers or have other questions leading up to the trip, we will help you along.

UIAGM/IFMGA guides – 5 days of mountain guiding

Group equipment (ropes & safety gear)

All Mountain huts
Included are 2 nights in mountain huts on a half-board pension.

Valley Transportation
We use the Chamonix bus and train system to get around in the Chamonix Valley.
You will drive to the Grand Paradiso National Park with the guide in their car.

 

Excluded

Any cost not mentioned in the  “Included” section. The most important ones are:

Transport to Chamonix
Read more under practical info.

Accommodation in the valley
Let us know if you need help with finding a hotel or other. Also check our page “accommodation“, where we list places we recommend.

Lift-passes
We might have expenses in the order of 70-100 euros for uphill lifts. This amount can vary a lot depending on which lifts are taken.

Personal climbing gear
Check the list below.

Lunches & drinks
Most huts take credit cards, but it’s best to have cash for smaller amounts.

Insurance
You should make sure you are adequately insured. Check our page on insurance.

Summer 2024

This course can run with the specified prices when a minimum of 3 participants are joining.

The price is 1850€/person.

If you would like to make this trip as a “private group,” please let us know.

The minimum participation age is 18 years old for individual bookings.
We accept people from 15 years old if accompanied by a parent/guardian.

 

Included

Planning & logistics
We make arrangements so the trip runs smoothly (hire guides, book huts, take bookings, etc.).
If you need help finding accommodation or airport transfers or have other questions leading up to the trip, we will help you along.

UIAGM/IFMGA guides – 5 days of mountain guiding

Group equipment (ropes & safety gear)

All Mountain huts
Included are 2 nights in mountain huts on a half-board pension.

Valley Transportation
We use the Chamonix bus and train system to get around in the Chamonix Valley.
You will drive to the Grand Paradiso National Park with the guide in their car.

 

Excluded

Any cost not mentioned in the  “Included” section. The most important ones are:

Transport to Chamonix
Read more under practical info.

Accommodation in the valley
Let us know if you need help with finding a hotel or other. Also check our page “accommodation“, where we list places we recommend.

Lift-passes
We might have expenses in the order of 70-100 euros for uphill lifts. This amount can vary a lot depending on which lifts are taken.

Personal climbing gear
Check the list below.

Lunches & drinks
Most huts take credit cards, but it’s best to have cash for smaller amounts.

Insurance
You should make sure you are adequately insured. Check our page on insurance.

This course can run with the specified prices when a minimum of 3 participants are joining.

Tour IDWeekStart dateFinish datePrice pr. pesonSpacesEnquire
GP123Monday 2 June 2025Friday 6 June 20251,850€Available
GP224Monday 9 June 2025Friday 13 June 20251,850€Available

The price is 1850€/person.

If you would like to make this trip as a “private group,” please let us know.

The minimum participation age is 18 years old for individual bookings.
We accept people from 15 years old if accompanied by a parent/guardian.

 

Included

Planning & logistics
We make arrangements so the trip runs smoothly (hire guides, book huts, take bookings, etc.).
If you need help finding accommodation or airport transfers or have other questions leading up to the trip, we will help you along.

UIAGM/IFMGA guides – 5 days of mountain guiding

Group equipment (ropes & safety gear)

All Mountain huts
Included are 2 nights in mountain huts on a half-board pension.

Valley Transportation
We use the Chamonix bus and train system to get around in the Chamonix Valley.
You will drive to the Grand Paradiso National Park with the guide in their car.

 

Excluded

Any cost not mentioned in the  “Included” section. The most important ones are:

Transport to Chamonix
Read more under practical info.

Accommodation in the valley
Let us know if you need help with finding a hotel or other. Also check our page “accommodation“, where we list places we recommend.

Lift-passes
We might have expenses in the order of 70-100 euros for uphill lifts. This amount can vary a lot depending on which lifts are taken.

Personal climbing gear
Check the list below.

Lunches & drinks
Most huts take credit cards, but it’s best to have cash for smaller amounts.

Insurance
You should make sure you are adequately insured. Check our page on insurance.

This course can run with the specified prices when a minimum of 3 participants are joining.

The price is 1850€/person.

If you would like to make this trip as a “private group,” please let us know.

The minimum participation age is 18 years old for individual bookings.
We accept people from 15 years old if accompanied by a parent/guardian.

 

Included

Planning & logistics
We make arrangements so the trip runs smoothly (hire guides, book huts, take bookings, etc.).
If you need help finding accommodation or airport transfers or have other questions leading up to the trip, we will help you along.

UIAGM/IFMGA guides – 5 days of mountain guiding

Group equipment (ropes & safety gear)

All Mountain huts
Included are 2 nights in mountain huts on a half-board pension.

Valley Transportation
We use the Chamonix bus and train system to get around in the Chamonix Valley.
You will drive to the Grand Paradiso National Park with the guide in their car.

 

Excluded

Any cost not mentioned in the  “Included” section. The most important ones are:

Transport to Chamonix
Read more under practical info.

Accommodation in the valley
Let us know if you need help with finding a hotel or other. Also check our page “accommodation“, where we list places we recommend.

Lift-passes
We might have expenses in the order of 70-100 euros for uphill lifts. This amount can vary a lot depending on which lifts are taken.

Personal climbing gear
Check the list below.

Lunches & drinks
Most huts take credit cards, but it’s best to have cash for smaller amounts.

Insurance
You should make sure you are adequately insured. Check our page on insurance.

5 days of hiking & mountaineering

Day 0 – Arrival day – Afternoon brief
We meet in Chamonix in the late afternoon. The guide will present the program. We hope everyone can join this briefing as it is a great chance to ask last-minute questions and meet the entire group.

Day 1 – Lac Blanc
We set out on a beautiful hike above Chamonix. We could be doing the fantastic hike from Trelechamp to Lac Blanc. The steep ladders will get us into mountain mode while we can enjoy the tremendous views of the Mont Blanc range. This is a great day to ease into the surroundings and get the legs working. The guide will brief the group about the coming days of high-alpine adventures.

Day 2 – High mountain training
We spend a day up high with access from either the Aiguille du Midi cable car or Skyway lift to the Pointe Helbronner. We will have plenty of time to train in alpine technics and enjoy the fantastic scenery. We will have time to fit in a small summit or ridge climb. The day will also act as valuable acclimatization before the attempt at the Grand Paradiso summit. We return to the valley and will be able to enjoy a lovely late afternoon preparing for the next 3-day trip.

Day 3 – Ascent to the Chabod Hut
About 1h30mn of driving gets us to the trailhead towards the Chabod hut. A nice walk through a beautiful larch forest takes us into the alpine zone. Sometimes we are lucky to see the Alpine Ibex, for which this National Park is famous. After about 2-3h, we reach the hut. We have plenty of time to enjoy the surroundings around the hut or relax before the next day’s adventure.

Day 4 – Grand Paradiso 4063m
We get up around 4;30am and start while it’s still dark. In the light of our headlamps, we progress towards the glacier on dry paths (1h). Setting feet on the glacier, we put our crampons on for the ascent of the Lavacieau glacier.
The route is intricate, and sometimes we must go through some challenging glacier sections. Once we reach the saddle in 3800m, we meet other groups from the Vittorio Emanuelle hut (2h). From this point, we often feel the cold wind, and the last walk towards the crevasse below the summit block can feel challenging as the effects of the altitude kick in (1h). It can get a bit busy with other groups on the final stretch, but a one-way system via Ferrata ensures that we can get to the summit by its steep rocky section without problems (30mn). The views in all directions are amazing, and the position on the summit is extraordinary, with steep terrain on all sides.
We descend the same way to the Chabod hut. Tired but very satisfied, we can rest and enjoy the nice hut for the rest of the afternoon. We sleep an extra night in the hut.

Day 5 – Return to Chamonix
This is an easy day. We have a morning walk to the valley on legs well rested. We often stop on our way back in Morgex for a last Italian espresso/ice cream.
The program ends when we get back to Chamonix.

Note:
The program above is only a suggested itinerary. The guide will be able to make last-minute changes and be able to present an updated program on the first-day brief in Chamonix.

On this course, we travel through all the alpine zones—from warm summer trekking to cold morning alpine climbs. Towards the summit of the Grand Paradiso, it can get particularly cold.

You both need to be able to dress for trekking and the mountaineering part of the trip.

We can quickly and efficiently adjust for temperature, precipitation, and wind fluctuations using the layering technique.

An example of layering for the upper body:

  1. Inner layer – a thin base layer
  2. Mid layers  – a fleece 200
  3. Outer Shell – Goretex jacket with a hood large enough to cover the helmet.
  4. Extra Warm layer – light down jacket that you can wear either outside the first three layers or just inside the shell jacket (warmest).

You might have a lot of the clothing needed for the Mont Blanc from trekking, skiing, or other summer mountaineering trips. All the technical gear can be rented in Chamonix.

Clothes

Shell jacket
Mountain Pants (Schoeller fabric or other weather-resistant, stretchy/strong material).
Light overtrousers for rainy weather
Base layers
Mid-layer
Extra warm layer
Warm hat (beanie)
Sunhat / Cab
Neck gaiter
Warm gloves
Mittens (optional)
Fleece gloves
Socks
Snow gaiters
Shorts
Trekking pants
T-shirt

Technical equipment

30–40-liter backpack
Rain cover
Mountaineering boots
Trekking shoes
Crampons
Ice Axe
Telescopic pole
Helmet
Climbing Harness

Various items

Head-lamp
Water bottles / Tea flask
Snacks
First-aid
Suncream & sun-stick
Snow goggles
Sunglasses
Money
Sleeping bag liner
Headlamp
Phone charger
Tooth-brush
Earplugs
Small first-aid

Tour Grade: 1/C

Please read through the requirements for participating in this tour and follow the link to the “grading page.”

Technical Level

This is a demanding course, and while not every day is equally challenging, you must be in very good physical shape to handle the continuous effort involved.

We advise you to stay fit by running, biking, and hiking, making you stronger and enhancing your stamina and cardio performance.

It can be a good idea to climb indoors on a climbing wall to gain finger and upper body strength/stamina.

As we will carry about 8-10kg backpacks, you should not forget to do core training to strengthen your back and shoulders. We suggest 2-4 days of exercise every week starting at least six months before.
The last week or two before the trip, you must be careful not to over-train, as you risk getting an injury which, in a bad case, won’t have time to heal before the start.

Read more about training – Click here.

Fitness

This is an introductory course. You don’t need to have prior alpine or climbing experience. The guides will teach you the basics of using the alpine equipment. We will climb on rock, snow, and maybe ice, but never very steep or difficult.

We will be high up and could be in areas with near exposure to steep terrain. Any such passage will be protected by the guides when necessary.

General Information

Getting to Chamonix or the course venue
For most of our clients, the easiest way to get to Chamonix or the Alps, in general, is by plane. The nearest airport is Geneva.
Read more about getting to Chamonix here – Click here.

Valley accommodation
Not everyone wants the same accommodation type, so we rarely include Valley accommodation. Check our suggested hotels, B&B, and campsites on this page – Click here.

If you want us to include hotel nights in the price, please let us know what standard you are looking for.

Insurance
You must take out search & rescue, repatriation, and cancellation insurance. Read more about insurance here – Click here.

Safety
We believe our finest task is to give every client a unique mountain experience without taking unnecessary risks. The experience of the mountain guide, access to the most recent weather forecasts, and information sharing between guides are some of the important elements for making good and sound judgment calls. Suppose conditions or other situations render an attempt at a peak dangerous, avalanche conditions of a ski tour no longer possible, etc.. In that case, the guide will do his/her best to devise a good alternate plan. This might be a 100% change of the program. Emphasis is put on staying safe and having a great time!

Mountain huts
In some of our courses, we stay in mountain huts. On hut-to-hut trips, they are part of the itinerary; at other times, we use them as the starting point for a climb or ski tour.
The mountain huts offer basic accommodation in bunk-style rooms. Blankets and duvets are in the huts, so you don’t need to bring a sleeping bag. It is obligatory to bring a sleeping bag liner.
We are served a simple breakfast and a 3-course dinner (soup, main meal, dessert).
We will let the guardian of the hut know if you are on a special diet (vegetarians, allergies, etc.). Vegans will need to bring supplementary food.
There are hut slippers available for use inside the hut.
It’s helpful to bring cash for personal expenses (water, soft drinks, beer, lunches, etc.)
There is mostly no tap water in the huts, and you must buy bottled water.
You will be able to charge your phone.
Some mountain huts have showers. You must mostly pay for this; only a few huts can provide towels.

Make a booking
Please read through all the course information. Please make sure that you have the required level to join the course.
Contact us if you have any questions.

Read more about the booking process here – Click here.

We will need all to join a course to complete our “Participation Form.”

Contact Participants Form