Intermediate Level | Group Course
✦ Experienced UIAGM/IFMGA mountain guides
✦ Learn basic mountaineering skills
✦ Climb easy summits
✦ Get Confidence
- location | Chamonix
- Season | May – September
- dURATION | 3 days
- Guide Ratio | 1-4
- Technical Level | 2
- Fitness Level | B
- Minimum Age | 15
Check our Grading Page
Book at least 2-3 months in advance ✔
First Summits
Reach your first alpine summit and learn more about the basics of mountaineering. These three days are an excellent opportunity to learn.
Make Connections
We will join the group doing the 6-day Mont Blanc ascent. You will be part of their initial training and test yourself for a future climb. It is a great way to join a friend or spouse on the first days of their project.
Learn Alpine Skills
We will test the alpine gear while glacier traveling, scrambling on rocks, and using crampons and ice-axe on snow & ice.
High-quality days
Get a feel for what it takes to climb Mont Blanc by joining the first three days of the 6-day Mont Blanc course. You will get a lot of practice, learn skills, and become more aware of the mountains. You will have a chance to meet up with other like-minded who might be willing to share a trip towards Mont Blanc on a later date.
It is also possible to join a friend or family member who has set their eyes on Mont Blanc. Join them in the first three days of preparation.
Note that even if this course is less hard than going to the summit of Mont Blanc, you must be strong and motivated to join them on their first days.
Less pressure – more fun
We have organized Mont Blanc climbs for more than 20 years, and we have reason to believe it is a very good investment to join the first three days of such a trip without having the nagging pressure of having to climb Mont Blanc in the end. Particularly if you aren’t sure if you are ready for the challenge yet, this course will give you much more confidence and make it clear whether an attempt on the Mont Blanc is worth the investment in time and money for a later date.
You will additionally find more info on the first days you will attend on this page, where the full Mont Blanc trip is described. Click here
Joining this course
We welcome participants without alpine experience, but you must be fit enough to follow the Mont Blanc group during their training. This is three days of training and fun. We will aim to do more training than actual long-distance and tiring climbs, but it will certainly be challenging enough.
Joining this course could be a first trip before signing up for other courses, but it could also be following a friend or family member on their quest to climb the Mont Blanc.
Travel, accommodation, Insurance.
Please consult our pages about accommodation, insurance, the booking process, and other general information on our FAQ page.
Mountain huts
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.
Safety is important
We believe our finest task is to give every client a unique mountain experience without taking unnecessary risks. Our long history on the mountain serves as a solid foundation for making good and sound judgment calls. If conditions or other situations render an attempt at any of the proposed peaks dangerous, we will focus on other exciting climbing objectives.
Guide Ratio
You will be a maximum of 4 participants per guide on all three days.
This course can run with the specified prices when a minimum of 3 participants are joining.
Tour ID | Week | Start date | Finish date | Single person | Two people booking together | Spaces | Enquire |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
MBT1 | 25 | Monday 16 June 2025 | Wednesday 18 June 2025 | 1,650€ | 1350€ / person | 3 spaces left | |
MBT2 | 26 | Monday 23 June 2025 | Wednesday 25 June 2025 | 1,650€ | 1350€ / person | 2 spaces left |
Tour Id | Week No. – Year | Start Date | Finish Date | Price Per Person | Spaces | Book Tour |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
MB1 – Intro | Week 25 | Monday 17th June | Wednesday 19th June | From 1250 euro/person | Yes | Enquire ✉ |
MB2 – Intro | Week 26 | Monday 24th June | Wednesday 26th June | From 1250 euro/person | Yes | Enquire ✉ |
MB3 – Intro | Week 28 | Monday 8th July | Wednesday 10th July | From 1250 euro/person | Yes | Enquire ✉ |
MB4 – Intro | Week 36 | Monday 2nd September | Wednesday 4th September | From 1250 euro/person | Yes | Enquire ✉ |
MB5 – Intro | Week 36 | Monday 9th September | Wednesday 11th September | From 1250 euro/person | Yes | Enquire ✉ |
Don’t hesitate to contact us for a quote for private groups on other itineraries or dates.
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 course, we will help you.
UIAGM/IFMGA guides – 3 days of mountain guiding
The guides working with us hold the highest recognized mountaineering certificate. They are equally a friendly and sociable group of guides used to handling groups and climbs in the Alps.
Group equipment (ropes & safety gear)
Mountain hut accommodation
Included is one night in a mountain hut on a half-board pension.
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
You need to arrange your valley accommodation.
Lift-passes
A reasonable estimate is around 100 euros for lift expenses during the days. We will advise you which lift pass to take out or if we make do with single-day tickets.
Personal climbing gear
Check our Mont Blanc Equipment page or a short list below.
Lunches & drinks
Most huts take credit cards, but having cash for smaller amounts is best.
Insurance
You should make sure you are adequately insured. Check our page on insurance.
Other possible costs
If the weather makes it impossible to climb mountains in Chamonix, the guides will propose a program further away. The guides will inform you if any extra costs are associated with this proposal.
Summer 2024
This course can run with the specified prices when a minimum of 3 participants are joining.
Don’t hesitate to contact us for a quote for private groups on other itineraries or dates.
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 course, we will help you.
UIAGM/IFMGA guides – 3 days of mountain guiding
The guides working with us hold the highest recognized mountaineering certificate. They are equally a friendly and sociable group of guides used to handling groups and climbs in the Alps.
Group equipment (ropes & safety gear)
Mountain hut accommodation
Included is one night in a mountain hut on a half-board pension.
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
You need to arrange your valley accommodation.
Lift-passes
A reasonable estimate is around 100 euros for lift expenses during the days. We will advise you which lift pass to take out or if we make do with single-day tickets.
Personal climbing gear
Check our Mont Blanc Equipment page or a short list below.
Lunches & drinks
Most huts take credit cards, but having cash for smaller amounts is best.
Insurance
You should make sure you are adequately insured. Check our page on insurance.
Other possible costs
If the weather makes it impossible to climb mountains in Chamonix, the guides will propose a program further away. The guides will inform you if any extra costs are associated with this proposal.
This course can run with the specified prices when a minimum of 3 participants are joining.
Tour ID | Week | Start date | Finish date | Single person | Two people booking together | Spaces | Enquire |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
MBT1 | 25 | Monday 16 June 2025 | Wednesday 18 June 2025 | 1,650€ | 1350€ / person | 3 spaces left | |
MBT2 | 26 | Monday 23 June 2025 | Wednesday 25 June 2025 | 1,650€ | 1350€ / person | 2 spaces left |
Don’t hesitate to contact us for a quote for private groups on other itineraries or dates.
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 course, we will help you.
UIAGM/IFMGA guides – 3 days of mountain guiding
The guides working with us hold the highest recognized mountaineering certificate. They are equally a friendly and sociable group of guides used to handling groups and climbs in the Alps.
Group equipment (ropes & safety gear)
Mountain hut accommodation
Included is one night in a mountain hut on a half-board pension.
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
You need to arrange your valley accommodation.
Lift-passes
A reasonable estimate is around 100 euros for lift expenses during the days. We will advise you which lift pass to take out or if we make do with single-day tickets.
Personal climbing gear
Check our Mont Blanc Equipment page or a short list below.
Lunches & drinks
Most huts take credit cards, but having cash for smaller amounts is best.
Insurance
You should make sure you are adequately insured. Check our page on insurance.
Other possible costs
If the weather makes it impossible to climb mountains in Chamonix, the guides will propose a program further away. The guides will inform you if any extra costs are associated with this proposal.
This course can run with the specified prices when a minimum of 3 participants are joining.
Don’t hesitate to contact us for a quote for private groups on other itineraries or dates.
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 course, we will help you.
UIAGM/IFMGA guides – 3 days of mountain guiding
The guides working with us hold the highest recognized mountaineering certificate. They are equally a friendly and sociable group of guides used to handling groups and climbs in the Alps.
Group equipment (ropes & safety gear)
Mountain hut accommodation
Included is one night in a mountain hut on a half-board pension.
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
You need to arrange your valley accommodation.
Lift-passes
A reasonable estimate is around 100 euros for lift expenses during the days. We will advise you which lift pass to take out or if we make do with single-day tickets.
Personal climbing gear
Check our Mont Blanc Equipment page or a short list below.
Lunches & drinks
Most huts take credit cards, but having cash for smaller amounts is best.
Insurance
You should make sure you are adequately insured. Check our page on insurance.
Other possible costs
If the weather makes it impossible to climb mountains in Chamonix, the guides will propose a program further away. The guides will inform you if any extra costs are associated with this proposal.
Three days of Training and climbing an accessible summit
We join the first “Training & Accliamitisation” days of the 6-day Mont Blanc course.
The itinerary for the first three days is not always identical from one course to another. As the summer advances, conditions change, and the guide in charge might decide on another program for these days. Any such changes will be announced at the latest during the briefing on arrival day.
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 – Trek to the Albert Premier hut, 2702m
Rendez-vous in the Le Tour village around ten o’clock. You can take a bus from the town center to the meeting place.
With a lift, we reach the Col du Balme, where the trek to the Albert Premier hut starts. The tour takes about 2-2.5h.
After eating lunch at the refuge (you can bring your sandwich or buy in the hut), we descend to the glacier below the refuge. Here we spend valuable time practicing alpine technics using crampons and ice axes.
Day 2 – Climb of the Aiguille du Tour / Tete Blanche or Petit Fouche
Setting off at an alpine start, we have many various peaks to climb. We can go for the Aiguille du Tour, Petite Fouche, or the Tete Blanche. We decide according to the group size and the current conditions. Any route we do will involve glacier travel reaching an alpine summit, and, if the weather god is with us, great views of the surrounding peaks.
We gather our equipment and continue to the valley, where you will have a well-deserved relaxing time in the afternoon.
Day 3 – Aig. du Midi or rock-climbing.
We will take an early departure from the Aig. du Midi cable car, and experience the beautiful area around the Col du Midi. The descent down the narrow ridge of the Aiguille du Midi will be a good test for those venturing onto the Mont Blanc and a good practice for anyone with other alpine ambitions.
Suppose the weather isn’t good enough to access the Aig. du Midi, or if conditions are too icy on the ridge, we will choose another exciting venue for the day. This could be a half-day of rock climbing/scrambling in the Aiguilles Rouges or on a nearby climbing crag—a good investment before climbing the rocks between the Tete Rousse and the Gouter hut.
We try not to make this a massive day, as those going onto the Mont Blanc will need to save energy before attempting it.
At the end of our day, we will make a debrief and wish the Mont Blanc group good luck on their attempt.
The 3 days Mont Blanc intro course is at lower altitudes than the actual climb of the Mont Blanc. We will go as high as 3500m maximum. It can get very cold and you should make sure your equipment and clothes are up for the challenge. If you have ambitions to climb the Mont Blanc it is a good test of your gear and could be a good way to see what you really need.
Read our page for more information on “Mont Blanc Equipment”
A lot of the clothing you might have from normal trekking, skiing, or other summer mountaineering trips. If you don’t want to spend money on all the technical gear, you can rent this in Chamonix.
Shell jacket
Shell pants
Mountain Pants or Trekking pants
Base layers
Mid-layer
Extra warm layer
Warm hat (beanie)
Sunhat / Cab
Neck gaiter
Warm gloves
Mittens (optional)
Fleece gloves
30–40-liter backpack
Rain cover
Mountaineering boots
Crampons
Ice Axe
Telescopic pole
Helmet
Harness
1 x Screw-carabiner
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 (headache tablets, blister kit).
Tour Grade: 2/B
Please read through the requirements for participating in this tour and follow the link to the “grading page.”
Technical Level
It is not your first time in the mountains, and maybe not the first alpine summit you climb.
We don’t expect you to have the same technical level as those aiming to climb Mont Blanc, but you need the skills to keep up on the initial climbs.
You either have done some climbs before or simply are in great shape and willing to learn.
Fitness
You must be fit and ready for three active days in the mountains to enter this course. As you are joining a group of people with ambitions of climbing the Mont Blanc, we need you to be fit enough not to hold them back on their initial training days. The first three days are not nearly as hard as the actual climb of Mont Blanc, but don’t be fooled. You will still need to dig deep to follow the crew into the mountains while learning skills you can use later on other trips.
Read more about training – Click here.
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.”