Heli Assisted Mont Blanc

Ski Descent

Start with a heli bump from Italy to the Piton des Italiens at 4002 m.  From there, we skin and climb up the Dome du Gouter and the Bosses ridge to the summit of Mont Blanc at 4810 m.  We put our skis on at the summit and make an incredible descent down the north face towards the Grands Mullets refuge, across the Jonction of the Glacier des Bossons and all the way to the Plan de l'Aiguille or even straight down to Chamonix if there is enough snow.

​

This incredible trip can be done in a day with an early start in Italy.  The flight to the Pitons des Italiens takes about 10 - 15 minutes over some of the ranges most spectacular scenery.  The climb to the summit is still a long way, there is a 1000m height gain, at altitude, over technical glaciated terrain to the summit.  This should take around 4 - 5 hours to complete with a few short stops.

 

This trip is entirely dependant on the conditions at the time.  It's the perfect trip to build into part of a longer ski touring trip, for example, add it onto the end of a Haute Route or Bernese Oberland Ski Tour; you will be well acclimatized and fit.  If you are interested then please contact us to discuss the trip.

​

Participant Requirements

We grade this as an advanced level ski tour.  Participants should have previous ski touring experience, be able to execute a good up-hill kick turn and be familiar with using boot crampons and carrying an ice axe.  Skiers need to have a good ski level where you can ski off-piste in all snow conditions including powder, crusty and heavy snow where you can link controlled parallel turns in the fall line at a regular speed and stop in control.

 

We will be touring through various snow conditions (possibly including everything from deep powder to ice).  You should be comfortable touring on slopes up to 40 degrees, using ski crampons, and making kick turns.  If you have not had much experience ski touring, we recommend going out with a guide in your local area for a day or two before the trip.  Alternatively, if you are a good athlete and a quick learner, you can hire one of our guides for a day or two before the trip to help nail down some of these important touring skills. 

 

The downhill skiing component of this trip is also very important.  You should be comfortable skiing black diamond runs in the ski area in any condition (crud, powder, ice, etc).  It is very helpful to practice skiing on your touring skis to get used to their performance as it may differ from your typical downhill skis.  If you feel comfortable on them on black and double black runs as well as crud and powder, you should do well.

​

We run this tour on a maximum ratio of 1:2 or 2:4.

 

FAQs

Expected Weather:

Spring weather in the Alps can vary from hot and sunny to cold and stormy very suddenly.  The temperatures can fluctuate between highs in the 70’s and 80’s (Farenheit) during the day to lows below freezing at night.  If we are touring on the glacier in the mid-day sun, it can feel extremely hot, but a strong wind or cloud cover can cause the temperature to drop drastically.  We could also encounter stormy conditions that could be bad enough to make us abandon the route and search for skiing at lower elevations or in marked ski areas. 

 

Groups:

We do not put together groups of skiers who do not sign up together.  We have found that trips are much more enjoyable when you do them with friends.  All you need is a group of 2 or more and we will run a trip for you.  We can also run this tour for individuals if required, so please contact us for more information. 

​​

Travel Information: 

We suggest you fly in to Geneva airport and book a seat on one of the shared minibus transfer services that operate.  If you require assistance with this please let us know and we can book it on your behalf, you will need to provide your full flight details (including flight numbers) and payment in advance of travel. 

​

Accommodation:

If you require assistance with accommodation in Chamonix then please do ask, we have lots of contacts with local hotels.  Alternatively, you can arrange your own accommodation to suit your needs and budget. 

 

Insurance:

There are 2 different types of insurance: Travel or Trip Cancellation insurance and Rescue insurance. Typical travel insurance will cover the cost of the trip if you have to cancel before or during for any reason.  There are many companies that offer this type of insurance such as Travelguard and Travelex. For rescue insurance, we recommend getting the Swiss heli rescue insurance (https://www.air-glaciers.ch/carte-de-sauvetage). If you have rescue insurance through an Alpine Club or your own provider, that should work also.