Day 0: Arrival in Chamonix, equipment check at the hotel at 5 pm.  Group dinner to discuss the week ahead, overnight in a hotel in Chamonix. 

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Day 1: We begin our week with an off-piste day skiing in Chamonix.  We usually take the famous Aiguille du Midi cable car and aim to make a descent of the Vallee Blanche by one of it's steeper routes.  This is an opportunity to get to know your guide and for them to get to know you.  The Vallee Blanche is one of the most famous off-piste run's in the world accessed by the 2-stage cable car from the center of Chamonix to the famous needle of the Aiguille du Midi.  From here we have some time to enjoy the magnificent views of Mont Blanc and her surrounding 4000m peaks and to check the snow conditions for our descent.  There are a number of routes and varients that we can ski and your guide will choose the most appropriate for the conditions at the time.

We often make two descents in the day or head to another ski area in Chamonix for an afternoon of lift-accessed off-piste skiing.  Return to your hotel in Chamonix.

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Day 2: For our first heli-ski day we usually make the short drive to Italy through the Mont Blanc Tunnel to the helipad at Entreve close to Courmayeur.  From here we can make multiple runs in the day and there are many landing options within the Val Ferret area such as Lex Blanche, Colle Aiguilette des Glaciers, Mont Fortin and Col des Piramides.  Every flight is spectacular with stunning views of the south-side of Mont Blanc and her satellite peaks and the huge glaciers of the Miage and Brenva. 

At the end of the day, we usually get a skidoo toe back along the flat cross-country ski tracks to Zarotta where we can have a late lunch or a drink and plate of Italian antipasti before heading back to Chamonix by road.  Overnight in your hotel in Chamonix.

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Day 3: Today we drive to Valgrisenche in Italy, down the Aosta Valley, this journey takes about 1 hour.  The heliski operation here offers options to fly from their base in the valley to peaks and cols within the different drainage systems within the main valley.  This valley is quiet and remote and had no lift-accessed skiing, the peaks rise to around 3800m and descents are typically around 1300 - 2100m in vertical distance.  The valley is truly beautiful and also offers some stunning tree skiing in the larch forests above the valley floor.  If the snow is deep and the snowpack settled then you can ski some of the best tree skiing available in the Alps here.  We often manage up to 5 or 6 runs in a day.  

We return to Chamonix and overnight in your hotel.

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Day 4: We make a short drive over the border to Switzerland and take the helicopter from the roadside to the Plateau du Trient.  This is a high glaciated plateau overlooked by the peaks of the Aiguilles Dorees, Aiguille du Tour and the Pointe d'Orny.  We land at around 3300m high on the glacier, from here we have a number of route options to descend back to the valley, all offer long skis across this magnificent terrain.  The first part of the skiing is wide-open and flowing, we then meet the steeper more technical part of the glacier where the slopes are steeper and you need to ski more carefully due to the nature of the terrain.  Usually, we can ski all the way back to the road head in the valley (depending on snow conditions and time of season).  If time allows we may make a second flight and ski a different route from the same landing area.  

We return to Chamonix and overnight in your hotel.

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Day 5: We head to Switzerland again today with a road transfer of around 1 to 1.5 hours.  We have 2 options for today either we meet the helicopter in La Chable, below Verbier and fly to the Petit Combin at 3663m.  This flight, summit and the ski descent that follow offer a magnificent 360-degree panorama of the alpine peaks from the Mont Blanc to the Matterhorn.  

The other option is to fly from La Chable or Arolla to the peak of the Pigne d'Arolla at 3796m, this peak is within touching distance of the Matterhorn and offers at least 3 separate ski routes off its summit, all offering nearly 2000m vertical skiing.  Sometimes we can combine the two summits with 2 flights in the day.  We return to Chamonix and overnight in your hotel.

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Day 6: Our final day is an off-piste ski day in Chamonix or Courmayeur in Italy.  Both resorts have plenty of lift-accessed off-piste skiing to enjoy.  In Chamonix, we might use the Aiguille du Midi cable car again or enjoy some sunshine skiing on the south-facing slopes in the Brevent and Flegere areas where there are many excellent freeride skiing zones.  In Courmayeur, we can use the high lifts of Youla and Arp to ski long powder-filled runs or the state of the art Skyway Monte Bianco cable car to the peak of Punta Helbronner at 3462m on the fabulous Glacier du Toule.  

We return to Chamonix and overnight in your hotel.

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Day 7: Departure day and onward travel.

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Please note that the itinerary is subject to change and just an idea of the many options that are possible during this week.  We may interchange the heli and off-piste days depending on the weather and conditions at the time.  Your guide will advise you at the start of the week what the most likely program will be and how the days will run.  Your guide makes the final decision on what location and routes you will ski during the week.