All-In Mont Blanc and Gran Paradiso Climb

Mont Blanc ascent requires a very good physical level and some previous experience on glaciers in mountaineering activities (in particular, confidence in progression with crampons on glacier areas and some climbing ability on rocky terrains, with snow and ice). During the first few days on Gran Paradiso, we have the opportunity to practice the use of crampons, roped advancement, and other techniques necessary to climb Mont Blanc: thanks to the Guide’s suggestions during the Gran Paradiso ascent, you could improve your skills and get more confidence with the use of the equipment on steep, in particular the crampons.

About your fitness, you should consider that it will be a very demanding week, but that there will be times to relax and recover nonetheless. We still recommend that you train seriously in the months leading up to the trip, so you can experience the adventure to the fullest and not get too tired.

In the months leading up to the Mont Blanc and Gran Paradiso trip, we recommend consistent training to improve your endurance and your cardiovascular fitness. When you confirm the trip, we will send you specific recommendations about the training.

The loan of the personal technical equipment is included in the tariff: the Guide provides it on the day of departure. The gear for rental includes a mountaineering helmet, mountaineering harness, straight-hand ice axe, crampons ( if you don’t have yours).

In addition, the Guide will bring the common safety gear, such as rope, ice screws, daisy chains, and carabiners.

All you need to check and bring is your personal mountaineering clothing, including technical mountaineering boots, waterproof, with rigid soles, warm and comfortable (please avoid bringing new ones, if you have never used them before the ascent!). After your booking confirmation, we will send a complete and detailed list of recommended equipment and clothing and, if you need anything for rent, we will recommend some shops where you can hire the necessary gear. Boots renting is around 20-22€/day, and trekking poles are 8-10€/day.

Absolutely no porters are expected for the ascent to either Mont Blanc or Gran Paradiso. Each participant should bring a personal backpack and technical equipment, including thermos for tea/water and energy bars/dried fruit and energy food for the trip.

We will take care of the reservations for all the overnight accommodations in half board formula, that includes:

• n. 2 overnight stays at the Federico Chabod hut

• n. 1 overnight stay in local B&B

• n. 1 overnight stay at the Tête Rousse hut

• n. 1 overnight stay at the Goûter hut

All the accommodations include breakfast and dinner, but not the beverages/drinks or extra meals. For this reason, any other meals or beverages (water, beer, sparkling beverages, etc.) are NOT included and have to be covered by the customers directly on the spot and for Guide/Guides too.

Packed lunch is are provided on the second day at Chabod hut.

Any other meals and beverages remain NOT included.

On the Gran Paradiso and Mont Blanc mountains, the weather and conditions can change unexpectedly and very fast, especially in recent years, due to climate changes; in general, forecasts and conditions have to be appropriate to try the attempt, but the final decision regarding the ascent belongs to the Guide, who is responsible to evaluate the risks and the safety conditions for all the team. Safety is our priority, both for the Guide/es and for the customers. If the weather is not good and the forecast is not favorable for the attempt, we prefer to plan an alternative ascent to nearby mountains with better conditions and better chances for a safe summit attempt. Please note that confirming the trip you are booking is the professional’s availability for the duration of the tour. This means that it will not be possible to cancel at the last minute, due to poor conditions or bad weather. The Guide fee could not be refunded. For this reason, in case the Mont Blanc is out of reach, we guarantee our availability to arrange an experience that lives up to your expectations. We know very well and totally understand that this may be a frustrating outcome. However, safety is a top priority for our team of professionals, and every mountain has a lesson to teach to all climbers. Customers' and the Guides’ safety is more important than any summit.

Some detailed alternatives to replace the Mont Blanc attempt, in case of bad weather or restrictions to the climbing due to safety reasons, are listed in the options below:

• “Monterosa 4K Seven Summits collection” (Pyramide Vincent, Balmenhorn, Schwarzhorn, Ludwigshöhe, Parrot, Zumstein, Signalkuppe/Punta Gnifetti) - 3 days

• Pollux + Castor starting from Cervinia (overnight staying at refuge Guide del Cervino) - 3 days

Yes, there are several special requirements that you need to consider for the ascent to Mont Blanc and Gran Paradiso. Here are some of them: please read them carefully before confirming the booking.

• The first part of the stage is based and takes place in Italy, in the Valsavarenche Valley (inside the protection area of the Gran Paradiso National Park). If you are going to plan flights, we strongly recommend checking your time of arrival and being sure your travel planning leaves you time to reach the meeting point with the Guide by private car or by public transport. The nearest airports are Turin or Milan. On the 4th day, we will move to Chamonix, on the French side of the Mont Blanc massif, from where the route to Mont Blanc starts. To reach Chamonix, we will cross by car the border between Italy and France, by the Mont Blanc tunnel. We invite all non-EU citizens to inform themselves about specific permits to travel from Italy to France.

• Due to French regulations is mandatory to show the hut booking confirmation to the authorities before starting the ascent. Peakshunter Mountain Guides will take care of the hut reservation for clients and Guides, as a guarantee for the attempt to the summit. To give you this extra booking service, the payment confirmation has to be done in advance (even as a deposit of 25% of the total amount) and the submission of your personal information is essential and mandatory to finalize the refuge reservation. You have to share with us your personal info: name, surname, place, date of birth, nationality, address, mail, mobile contact, and a copy of your ID card or passport. Giving this information, you authorize Peakshunter Mountain Guides to use them for the booking process and during all the steps of the tour (planning, reservation, logistics, contact with Guides and professionals involved in the tour).

• There are no specific vaccine requirements for this trip, but it is always a good idea to check with your doctor or a travel clinic to make sure you are up to date on routine vaccinations. Also, there is no longer a need to provide proof of vaccination, recovery from COVID-19, or negative test results.

The ratio for Gran Paradiso is 1:4, while that of Mont Blanc is 1:2. This is the maximum number in order to ensure safety during the trip and it is established by local regulations. This means that if you are a group larger than 2 people (3 or 4 people), you will need only 1 Guide for Gran Paradiso ascent and 2 Guides for Mont Blanc (this is also the best way to save money).

Under no circumstances will exceptions be made with regard to the Mont Blanc ratio; safety is our priority and local rules can’t be disregarded in any case.

The best time to do the ascent to both Mont Blanc and Gran Pardiso is between June and September.

No, due to the guide-to-client ratio, we only accept private requests for this trip. If you are a group of more than 2 people, we have more Guides available to undertake the adventure. We will be happy to support your group with other professionals on our team!

Our Mont Blanc program is designed to give you the highest chances to reach the Mont Blanc summit. If you don't have any particular mountaineering experience, during the first few days, we will focus on the main techniques needed to reach Mont Blanc. Please note that physical effort will be intense, so it requires a good fitness level and serious preparation during the months leading up to the trip. Cardiovascular training is very important, with at least 2 to 3 sessions per week of running, biking or swimming.

Our team will take care of every detail of the trip, including huts and lift ticket reservations.

We will provide you with:

• a helmet

• harness

• crampons

• ice axe

You shall have only your personal clothing, suitable for the ascent of Mont Blanc, including technical mountaineering boots.

If a climber can't make it to the summit, the whole group will go back. For safety reasons, no clients will be abandoned or left alone on the glacier.

Yes sure. We recommend you this 4-day mountaineering tour designed for beginners - https://www.explore-share.com/trip/beginner-mountain-climbing-around-Mont-Blanc/ - It takes place in the Mt Blanc range, on the Italian side. It's a great tour to learn the basics of mountaineering and to have a first experience on a glacier, sleeping in a mountain hut above 2,500 m, etc.

The meeting point is Pravieux village (Valsavarenche Valley - Italy), in the hearth of Gran Paradiso National Park. If you are not familiar with this area, let us give you some more information. The meeting place is in Aosta Valley, which is the smallest but highest Italian region. This is the realm of the Alps, where the most famous mountains of Europe arise, such as the Mont Blanc, the Matterhorn (Cervin), the Monte Rosa massif (with Breithorn, Castor, Pollux, Lyskamm Nose, Signalkuppe/Margherita Hut and Dufourspitze), the Gran Paradiso, and the Dent du Géant.

Depending on your country of origin, you can decide to reach Aosta Valley arriving from:

• Italy: the nearest airports are Turin Caselle or Milan (Malpensa or Orio al Serio). Once you arrive at the airport, you can move to Aosta Valley by train (Trenitalia national services), by bus (Flixbus and Arriva operate coach run every day), by private transfer, or (better choice) by renting a car.

• France: Geneva Airport (Switzerland) is the closest to Chamonix (around 90km), so it only takes about 1 hour 20 mins to drive; you can move to Aosta Valley by car, by bus, or private transfer from Chamonix, passing through the Mont Blanc tunnel.

• Switzerland: Geneva Airport is the closest to Chamonix (around 90km), so it only takes about 1 hour 20 mins to drive; you can move to Aosta Valley by car, by bus, or private transfer from Chamonix, passing through the Mont Blanc tunnel. Another option is Lausanne Airport which is the closest to Aosta (around 150km), so it only takes about 2 hours and 10 mins to drive by car or private transfer, passing through the Great St. Bernard Tunnel.

To get around Aosta Valley, if you don't have a car and don't want to use private transfers, you can rely on the regional bus service, with daily runs to all municipalities of Aosta Valley.

The hiring of the trek poles and the renting of the boots are NOT included. If needed, the renting of the boots has to be done by the customers before the trip to one of the shops in Gressoney. We will send you more details in case of need.

The costs for beverages and extra meals for the clients and the Guide are NOT included and have to be covered on the spots, sharing the guide’s fee between all the participants.

Transfer to the meeting point and during the trip are NOT included.

The starting point on the first day will be in Valsavarenche at around 12:00 am. We will end in Les Houches (FR) the last day at around 12:30 am.