Chamonix guided ice climbing weekend

Try ice climbing or improve your winter mountaineering skills during a weekend in Chamonix. Access the 2 best ice climbing spots of the Valley, in Argentière and above les Grands Montets. Be guided by Julia, a local IFMGA-certified guide.

Alpes

2 Days

Jan, Feb, Dec

Description

Why not experiencing a new winter outdoor activity during your next stay in Chamonix ? ICE CLIMBING !

I have designed this ice climbing program for the ones staying in Chamonix between December and February, for a weekend or longer.

Ice climbing is a real unique sport practiced in a very special environment. You'll be fascinated by this original univers.

Staying for several hours on an ice fall is really not commun but so much fun. You'll notice that it is more flexible than rock climbing since you have more freedom on where to put your hands and feet. I just love this !

For this weekend trip, I have selected the 2 best ice climbing spots of the valley :

La Cremerie, above Argentière;
La Rive Gauche (left bank) of the Argentière Glacier, above Les Grands Montets.

Based on the conditions, a possibility could be also to drive to Cogne (in Italy), one of the best places of the Alps to practice ice climbing. It is not very far from Chamonix.

The program of the weekend will be adapted based on the level of the participants within your group. La Cremerie has ice falls which are very well adapted for the ones starting with ice climbing. The climbing routes don't go higher than 60°.

The ice falls at La Rive Gauche of The Argentière Glacier are a little bit more complex. The routes there are suitable for the climbers having some experience with ice falls.

The views on day 2 are amazingly beautiful. We will spend the day in a real alpine environment, surrounded by ice and some of the famous peaks of the Mont Blanc range.

You can book me if you are interested by such a weekend in Chamonix. I can adapt the program, make it shorter or longer, based on the time you have and your wishes. It will be a great pleasure for me to coach you and guide you on these ice falls.

If you wish, we could also combine some ice climbing with some freeride ski (at Brévent-Flégère, Les Grands Montets, Vallée Blanche). We could also do some ski touring in the best spots of the Chamonix valley.

Price includes

- Guiding fee

Price details

The price does not include the guide´s expenses (accommodation, meals, lift tickets, etc).

Itinerary

Day 1: Ice climbing in Argentière (Crèmerie)

During our first day we learn or review the basics of ice climbing above Argentière. The spot is called “Crèmerie”. You have several climbing routes there which allow to climb several at the same time. It’s a great place to learn.

Day 2: Ice climbing on the left bank of the Argentière Glacier

The second day will be spent in les Grand Montets. We will take the lift till the first stop (Lognan) and walk till the left bank of the Argentière glacier. This spot is amazing and allow to see stunning views while ice climbing. There are several climbing routes.

Details

More info

Guide ratio : For day 1, 1 guide for 4 clients, for day 2, 1 guide for 2 clients
The lift fee to Lognan (Grands Montets) is not included in the guide's fee

Meeting point

I can pick you up at your hotel.

About the guide

-Julia

5.0

(6)

Mountain Guide

I grew up far from the mountains, and I didn't imagine what was waiting for me...
When I was 17, I had the first symptoms: I left without second guessing it my foreign tongues studies and I settled at Briançon, in the Hautes-Alpes, to satiate my passion for snowboarding. I practiced non-stop for some winters, spending the "summers" in the southern hemisphere.
The virus started spreading: my love for large spaces led me to get certified as a mountain leader.
During 10 years, I spent my summers taking groups to discover the most beautiful hikes around the Ecrins massif.
During this time, I discovered alpinism and a there was a new spark in my eyes. The diagnostic came fast: I was severely passionate about the mountains. Since then I never stopped dreaming of every kind of ascent, and I organised my everyday life to try to achieve many of them.
I learned to appreciate equally the end of the mountain journey and the friend or rope parter with whom I share my trips. After 10 years going through paths with hiking groups and with a fierce desire to go higher, I started studying to become a High Mountain Guide. I became IFMGA-certified in August, 2017.
Today I propose to travel this path, leading us sometimes to a summit, to admire the vastness of the horizon, taking us to something simple, pure and essential.
My head is filled with memories and projects, and I would be thrilled to share one with you. But I'm also here to help you turn your own project into a reality.

Languages

French | English

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What people are saying about Explore-Share

Man

Climbing with guide Guillaume was absolutely a highlight of my 2-week Europe vacation. Originally, we were planning on climbing in the Calanques, but the park was closed due to wind and fire danger. Guillaume chose another amazing location (Pic de Bretagne) based on my climbing abilities and preferences and kindly offered train station pick-up and hotel drop off, which I appreciated very much. The multi-pitch route we did was not only fun but also the right amount of challenge, which I thoroughly enjoyed. The communication from the team (Gauthier) was prompt and clear—highly recommend!

Maxine

Luis Silva was a great climbing guide and belayer! He taught me how to do moves that were difficult and encouraged me to try routes that were challenging for me! Because of his encouragement, I managed to complete these routes! I really enjoyed the climbs and completed 8 routes in the Sesimbra/Azoia area. The weather was perfect, no direct sun and cool enough to enjoy the climbs. Explore-Share made booking an outdoor climbing experience in Lisbon extremely easy. Luis, our guide, was fantastic, and the platform’s organization was flawless.

Valeriya

You’re simply the best!!! :))) Explore-Share made everything easy and stress-free. Will definitely use again.

Joshua

We had Léo as a guide for our day climb in Fonty. We were blessed with a knowledgeable, warm, and instructive guide. Communication with Léo and Ivan was smooth and swift. Explore-Share was excellent in arranging everything for our day climb. The communication was quick, and the platform was easy to use, making our adventure stress-free.

Cami

Patrick was a great guide. He took us on an intermediate Via Ferrata at Passo Sella. Renato was quick to respond with any outreach on the Explore-Share platform. The booking process was straightforward, and once Patrick was confirmed, all went well. It was a wonderful experience, and I’d highly recommend the platform.

4.8