Vallée
Blanche off piste 2025 
Ski the iconic 23km glacier off piste from Aiguille du Midi to Chamonix |
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| Course
overview |
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Vallee
Blanche is the most famous off piste ski
run in the world. Starting from the highest
cable car in the Chamonix valley you ski
23 kilometers over the Glacier du Geant
and Mer de Glace. A guide is esential to
look after your safety and to pick a challenging
route across crevasse bridges and past huge
towers of ice. |
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Suitable
for skiiers or snowboarders who are confident
on all levels of pisted runs, this route is
an ideal opportunity to learn off piste skiing.
It is a great way of experiencing the high
mountains as the route starts from the Aiguille
du Midi at 3842m. Many people enjoy it so
much that they repeat it many times during
their lives. |
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There
are many variations on the Vallee Blanche,
so the Guide can always choose a suitable
route for your skiing level and the conditions.
From February it is often possible to ski
all the way back to Chamonix, otherwise
you catch the Montenvers train. |
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Extend
your ski trip by a day to enjoy this amazing
ski descent. Our prices are for a private
group bookings, and can only be booked up
to 72 hours before your planned day. This
allows plenty of time for accurate weather
forecasts, to enable you to select the best
day for weather and snow conditions. |
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On
demand: We
only offer the Vallée Blanche to existing
groups, and do not offer 'collective' groups.
If you are ready to book, select a date that
fits, and you can then book securely online.
If no suitable date is listed, let us know,
and we will upload one for you. |
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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. |
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Day
Itinerary |
In
the morning you meet with your IFMGA Mountain
& Ski Guide, an expert skiier and altitude
mountaineer. After sorting out your safety equipment
and fitting your harnesses and avalanche tranceivers
(included in the price if you don't have your
own), you go to the Aiguille du Midi cable car.
This ascends from the valley to over 3800m in
about twenty minutes, so when you arrive at the
top, you will notice much thinner the air is at
this high altitude. The cable car station provides
stunning views of Mont Blanc and the high mountains. |
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start of the Vallee Blanche run is accessed by a
short snow ridge, fixed with rope handrails and
steps, to reach a flat area where you put on your
skis / board. Often the Guide will decide it is
safer for the group to be equipped with crampons
for this descent, which we will provide if required.
The Guide will usually clip you on to a rope to
ensure your safety. There
are many challenging variations of routes down the
Vallee Blanche, so the Guide can pick the most exciting
one that best suits your group. All of the routes
converge at the Requin mountain refuge, where you
are about half way down the route. Here you can
stop for a well earned hot drink and a bite to eat.
You also have time to get some amazing photos of
crevasses and the high mountains. |
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the Requin you descend over the snow bridges through
the Salle a Manger icefall, and the Guide will navigate
you safely through the icy towers of seracs and
past the huge exposed holes of the crevasses. This
section of the route is impressive, and also the
most technically demanding. You need to have good
ski or board control, with experience of side slipping
and varying snow conditions from icy crusts to soft
powder. Soon you reach the easier, flatter surface
of the Mer de Glace glacier, where boarders are
advised to have some collapsible poles or keep up
a good speed. It is a fairly straight run down towards
the Montenvers mountain railway station, from where
you can catch the mountain railway to Chamonix. |
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It
is normal to finish the run at the Montenvers
train station, but in exceptionally good snow
conditions you may be able to descend all the
way through the trees down to Chamonix. Normally
you finish your day in mid afternoon in time for
a congratulatory beer and some aprés! Great
places to head to for a cheeky post VB pint are
Chambre9, Moo Bar, Elevation, or MBC (Micro Brasserie
de Chamonix). Enjoy!!! |
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| ITINERARY
NOTES: Where possible we follow itineraries. Mountain
adventures are 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 itinerary as a guide to
the types of route / activity that you will attempt. |
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| Course
Prices |
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| Standard
course |
1 full day IFMGA guiding, 1:6 max ratio
Includes load of transceiver & harness |
£480 for 1-4 per, +£20 for 5-6 per |
| Live
availability |
Click
on the planner logo to the right to
see the real time live course availability
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| How to book |
Secure
payments, bonded tour operator
Details of how to book, click
here |
Book
online |
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| Standard
Course Inclusions: 1) IFMGA Mountain Guide
for one day for the Vallee Blanche ski descent, 2) Pre
course information booklet, 3) Equipment discount voucher
for our UK shop, 4) Provision of safety harness and avalanche
transceiver for each person, and crampons, snow shovel
and probe (if required). |
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| Exclusions:
1) Travel to & from Chamonix, 2) Cable Cars (if you
already have the Mont Blanc Unlimited ski pass the Midi
is already included), 3) Accommodation, 4) Personal laundry,
telephone calls, lunches, & any purchases in mountain
huts / hotels / restaurants, 5) Ski / board hire, 6) Activities
insurance, & excess baggage charges. |
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| Note: If for whatever reason the Vallee Blanche is not possible
(eg too windy / closed cable car / avalanche risk too
high etc.) you have a day off piste ski guiding instead
for the same price. Locations for this could include Grands
Montets, Le Tour or another ski area in the Chamonix valley.
By completing a booking form you accept this very rare
potential change to the itinerary, for safety reasons. |
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| Upgrade
options |
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Avalanche
Skills Day
£75 (throughout the season) |
To
learn avalanche prediction, reutschblocks and use
of avalanche tranceivers. Course is available on
any day during the week (includes ARVA), details. |
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Current
course availability
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