Climbing Mont Blanc has to be on every mountaineers bucket list. Mont Blanc stands at 4,810m (15,782ft) above sea level, has been the preparation and training ground for many Himalayan climbs. In the 1920’s Mallory made an ascent of Mont Blanc in preparation to climb the highest peak in the world, Mt. Everest. Mont Blanc is one of the most beautiful and iconic climbs in the Alps and it draws crowds from all over the world, attempting to stand on the highest summit in the Alps. Ian has climbed Mont Blanc 7 times. Climbing Mont Blanc is physically demanding so you need to make sure you have the right training, preparation and team available to help you achieve this amazing experience of standing on the top of Mont Blanc.

A little bit more about Climbing Mont Blanc

When you are climbing on Mont Blanc, you are not only preparing yourself for the task ahead of you and acclimatizing, you are gaining experience and knowledge of using crampons, ice axes and ropes. We do require that you have some previous mountaineering and altitude experience prefer join this trip. You will also need a high level of fitness which is essential for safety and success. We highly recommend first completing one of our Winter Skills courses in Scotland or Colorado or elsewhere. We highly recommend coming with a climbing partner as you will be roped together with a guide on Mont Blanc.

The best way to approach Climbing Mont Blanc

From experience, along with our Local guides we have developed this six-day Climb Mont Blanc itinerary with 3 days dedicated to the summit attempt. This allows for more flexibility should bad weather intervene and maximizes your chances of reaching the summit of Mont Blanc. The three preparation days offer an exciting itinerary learning new skills, training and climbing Gran Paradiso at 4,061m/ 13,323 feet. If conditions don’t allow this we will first go climbing from Switzerland to France and then completing the classic traverse of the Vallee Blanche including taking the Panoramic lift back across to France at the end of the day.

During these days you will be taught glacier travel techniques and have plenty of time to practice your crampon and ice axe skills in preparation for a safe and successful ascent of Mont Blanc. The final three days are for the ascent itself, with a guide to client ratio of 1:2. We recommend joining this climb with your climbing partner. On the Mont Blanc part of the program you move as two climbers with a guide and best to travel with someone of the same ability and fitness to maximize your chances of making the summit. If your partner on the rope has to turn around you would also have to turn around so coming with a person you have climbed with and trained with has proven to give the best results and avoid disappointment.

Climbing Mont Blanc is a challenging, strenuous but an extremely rewarding experience for any avid trekker looking to take the next step to mountaineering. With the right training, preparation and team we can help your dream of climbing Mont Blanc a reality. The cost of our Mont Blanc is EUR 3,350.