Mont
Blanc One Shot 2025 
4 day program, with 1 day ascent
from the valley to the summit |
|
|
|
|
|
 |
 |
|
Course
overview
|
 |
Climbing
to the summit of Mont Blanc isn't that
hard, as most people complete the climb
over two days, with a night in a mountain
hut high on the peak. Climbing Mont
Blanc from the valley floor in one push
in one day is very hard, a huge physical
effort, requiring high stamina and drive.
It's a challenge for the few. |
|
So why is this website page lurking amongst mountain running courses? We don't want it found too easily, and it's far more likely to appeal to a very fit trail or ultra runner, who has excellent footwork and is also a climber, rather than a mountaineer who thinks they are a bit faster than the average Mont Blanc client. |
|
All
mountain guides are fit - that goes
without saying, but the guides who lead
this trip are the fittest of the fit.
For example, Alain (pictured right above)
was the French vice champion trail runner
in his age category in 2016. We provide
exceptional guides for this trip, who
are at the very top of their game. |
|
If you haven't climbed with us before, we're expecting to see an impressive ITRA index, number of days on crampons, and previous one-shot type challenges. We have to be sure of your experience and safety. If we're left with any doubts at all, simply we won't accept your booking on this trip. |
|
The
ascent is a cross-over between trail
running and speed climbing, in that
up to the Tete Rousse hut you can wear trail shoes, then
change into lightweight mountaineering
kit from there to the summit. This isn't an elite (Kilian-esque) epic wearing adapted crampons on runing shoes, but a one-shot climb in safe kit. |
|
This
trip won't appeal to many people, and
if you don't think you are the level
for it, don't even think about it. You'll
know in your heart of hearts if you
are really ready for this once in a
lifetime challenge. |
|
6 point checklist to ensure your suitability for this trip:
 1) Completed a mountain running event with at least 5000m of vertical ascent, within a 24 hour period.
2) Minium of 5+ days previous experience in crampons, and very strong on broken mountain terrain.
3) Previous altitude experience over 4000m in snow for multiple days, such as Monte Rosa / Saas.
4) Experience in lightweight mountaineering equipment, e.g. Sportiva Aequilibrium Speed GTX boots.
5) ITRA index / previous one-shot / speed ascents of Alpine 4000ers / mountain running experience.
6) Personal skills and ability to suitably acclimatise and prepare before your guiding commences.
If you are missing ANY of these pre-requisites, you aren't the level for this trip, and we won't knowingly accept you. Several people call to try and convince us why the pre-requisites don't apply to them. They do!!! |
|
Dates: these
are listed in the column on the right,
and they show the live availability
from our secure online booking system.
When you book online, you receive immediate
confirmation, your Alpine Information
Booklet, course specific kit list and
invoice. |
|
|
|
 |
Brief
Course Itinerary
Please
note that whilst the itinerary below is an ideal,
the weather and conditions, as well as your skills,
fitness, experience and acclimatisation all play
a part too. It is imperitive that you understand
how flexible this course must be. You are dealing
with the high mountains and extreme altitude, not
a prescribed coach tour! Before the course, you'll need to travel out to Chamonix and undertake your own acclimatisation program.
|
 |
|
Day 1
The
course starts at c.08:30am, with a briefing
and kit check. You meet the guide for a final
acclimatisation and training day. Typical
choices are the Cosmiques Arete or Aiguille d'Entreves, above the high cable cars.
The aim is for the guiding to complete your acclimatisation program at altitude, and for you to sleep at altitude in either the Cosmiques or Torino mountain huts for the night. It's your opportunity to treble check how your equipment is fitted and performs, or any final adjustments of what you need to carry for the main ascent. It's the details that count, with you selecting the most suitable lightweight mountaineering equipment; boots, harness, helmet, and crampons, of which there's plenty of choice on the market. |
|
|
|
 |
|
Day 2
After breakfast in the mountain hut, you set off to climb another day route. It might be whichever of the Cosmiques Arete or Aiguille d'Entreves, that you didn't climb yesterday, but there are plenty of extra options, depending on your experience and what the guide thinks will be most beneficial to prepare you for Mont Blanc. Normally you finsh the guiding back at the top of the Aiguille du Midi cable car station, and there's usually the possibility of spending a few extra hours at altitude at the station, to acclimatise as much as possible. Every extra bit you do, stacks the odds in your favour. At the end of the afternoon, you descend to Chamonix, and spend the next two nights in town. |
|
|
|
 |
|
Day 3
Rest day. A spare day, with no guiding, that can be used for flexibility for the best summit push weather window, or in case you opt for a two day ascent (subject to obtaining mountain hut spaces). Ideally this is simply a rest day for you to sleep, eat, dry kit, and pack your bag for the next morning. Typically the one-shot ascents start from Les Houches church sometime between midnight and 3am in the morning of Day 4, so on this rest day your priority is sleep and rest. The summit day is typically 15-16 hours long (most 8.5 hours up, and 6.5 hours down, with c.1 hour resting on the descent). These times form a pattern, with little variance, so it gives you a good focus for your pre-trip training, to mirror this. |
|
|
|
 |
|
Day 4
Setting off from the church in Les Houches 1000m, up the steep trails to the Col du Mont Lachat 2100m, then along the Mont Blanc tramway tracks to Nid d'Aige at 2372m. Here you quickly hike to the Tete Rousse hut 3167m, where you put on your mountaineering gear (helmet, harness, crampons, etc) to cross the Grand Couloir and scramble to the Gouter hut 3850m, before the final push via the Dome du Gouter, Vallot, Bosses, and upper ridge to the summit of Mont Blanc 4810m. You normally descend exactly the same route, to reach Les Houches after c.15 hours continuous effort, ascending around 3900m vertical in total. An absolute monster of a day! Depart for home. |
|
ITINERARY NOTES: Where possible we
follow itineraries. Mountaineering is often weather
and conditions dependant, so occasionaly we are
forced to alter the plans. If this is the case,
suitable alternatives are offered. Please use this
outline course itinerary as a guide to the types
of route that you will attempt, not necessarily
the exact routes that you climb. |
|
 |
|
| Course
Prices |
|
| Standard
course |
3 or 4 days guiding, 4 days holiday in total
IFMGA mountain guides for 4 days |
£2995 |
| Live
availability |
Click
on the planner logo to the right to
see the real time live course availability
|
 |
| How to book |
Secure
payments, bonded tour operator
Details of how to book, click
here |
Book
online |
|
|
|
| Inclusions:
1) IFMGA Mountain Guide for 3 days min / 4 days max, 2) Chamonix
course hosts for logistics & briefings, 3) Pre
course information booklet, 4) Equipment discount
voucher for our UK, 5) Free 36 page technical Course
Instruction Booklet, 6) Road transport in Chamonix
valley, 7) One night half board for you and guide in mountain hut in Cosmiques / Torino hut. |
|
| Exclusions:
1) Travel to and from Chamonix, 2) Cable Cars (approx
c.£75 for training day) for you, and guide if required, 3) Personal laundry,
telephone calls, lunches, meals in valley,
& any purchases in mountain huts / hotels /
restaurants, 4) Extra night in mountain hut, if required, 5) Activities insurance, & excess
baggage charges, 6) Chamonix accommodation. |
|
| Notes:
The price is a total for the guiding fee, for just
1 person on a 1:1 guiding ratio basis. We do not offer 1:2 guiding for this, to allow you to move at your pace on the ascent, and maximise your summit chances. |
|
 |
|
|
|
Current
course availability
|
Course Dates
Mont Blanc One Shot
- [ 1 ] 27 - 30 Jun 2025
- [ 1 ] 25 - 28 Jul 2025
- [ 1 ] 1 - 4 Aug 2025
- [ 1 ] 29 Aug - 1 Sep 2025
|
|
NOTE:
This trip has scheduled
dates, but it can be operated on
any date you wish, so contact
us for a bespoke date. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
|
| Testimonials |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Press
& media |
|
|
|
|
| Films
& videos |
|
|
|
|
| Photo
gallery |
|
|
|
|
|
| Location
data for this trip |
|
|
 |
|
| The
trips are based in the Chamonix valley in the French
Alps, at the foot of Mont Blanc. It is easily accessed
via a 90 minute transfer from Geneva airport. |
|
Time
Difference
GMT +1hr |
Local
Currency
€ Euros |
Travel
from UK
1hr flight |
|
|
 |
|
| Free
resources |
|
|
 |
FREE
Podcast
Training
for Mont Blanc
A no holes barred podcast, to
fully explain what an ascent entails
physically and technically, including
several examples of hill training. |
|
|
|
|
|
Equipment - summit
day kit list...
|
| We
send a course specific equipment list to all those
booking on our courses, but due to the popularity
of this course, we outline a typical packing list
for the Mont Blanc summit day in the list below. |
|
Basic
clothing
- Light coloured
long sleeve wicking layer
- Schoeller / soft shell climbing trousers
- Mid layer fleece jacket / gillet
- Fleece hat and gloves, and sunhat / cap
- Super lightweight mountain boots |
|
Equipment
- Harness, helmet,
ice axe (without leash)
- 12 point crampons andanti-balling plates
- 1 x 120cm Sling, 1 x karabiner, 1 x prussic
- Telescopic trekking poles with snow baskets
- Head torch (LED style is lightest type) |
|
Altitude
gear
- Synthetic or down
insulation jacket
- Goggles in case of high wind
- Neoprane face mask in case of wind
- Thick waterproof over gloves
- Windproof over trousers (eg PacLite) |
|
General
kit
- Close fitting
sun glasses (Factor 4 for snow)
- Pocket snacks for summit day (eg Haribos)
- Water bottle (bladder type may freeze)
- Rucksack (up to 35 litres max is ideal)
- Basic blister kit, Aspirin, suncream |
|
|
| Suggested
reading and kit |
|
|
|
|
 |
View
full course equipment list,
with examples of kit, click
here |
|
|
| Any
further questions? |
|
|
A
key part of choosing a company is being able to
come and talk about your plans with an experienced
course advisor face to face. In an increasingly
virtual world, we know our clients value speaking
to real people, getting open and honest advice.
The vast majority of our clients are British, and
our office and outdoor store is based in Windermere
in the English Lake District.
 
Get
in contact to arrange a meeting, and come in for
a coffee to discuss your course in person with a trip
advisor. Many people opt for this
service, and it is an integral part of what we offer,
as we are keen to ensure that you are prepared as
possible, and that you select a course that is suitable
for you. It makes it easier and more enjoyable for
you and us, if you are on the right trip. |
|
|
