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Mont Blanc Snowshoe and Ski Week

Price £849 or 1045€

Grade: Beginner/Novice

Sunday 1st March – Sunday 8th March 2009

This 8 day trip is especially suited to those who are regularly active and would like to experience a winter wonderland on both skis and snowshoes. It is aimed at those of you who have little or no cross country skiing or snowshoe experience. Both activities are very easy to pick up and enjoy in a week.

The world famous Chamonix Valley in the French Alps is a good base from which to explore the alpine valleys and plateaus of the Mont Blanc Massif. With Switzerland and Italy each just a 30 minute drive away it allows us to experience three different cultures in just as many days.

• Learn to cross country ski in both skate and classic technique
• Snowshoe peaks around Mont Blanc
• Ski along an Italian Valley, then snowshoe to a remote mountain hut for the night

Day 1 Arrival in Chamonix Valley

We meet you at your hotel the evening you arrive to brief you on the days ahead and answer any questions.

Day 2 Introduction to snowshoeing - La Crête des Benes

Today we fit our snowshoes and travel along the Chamonix Valley to the start of our route. We begin with a climb through thick woodland. We pass ancient farm buildings to reach a ridge whilst learning snowshoeing techniques along the way. This lovely ridge is a great vantage point, allowing us stunning views either side of the ridge and of the Mont Blanc Massif itself. We have lunch at the summer alpage or meadow, for a well earned rest and lunch.  Ascent 700m.

Day 3 Chamonix – Classic Skiing

Our morning is spent fitting our skis and taking the time to learn and look at the classic technique of cross country skiing. After lunch we re-visit those newly learned skills and develop them further. We finish the day with a journey along the groomed tracks in the Chamonix Valley.

Day 4 Snowshoeing – Loriaz Alpage, Vallorcine

We head towards the Swiss border and the hamlet of Vallorcine which means the ‘valley of the bears'. Unfortunately because the locals used to pay their taxes in bear meat there are none left today! We leave the village to climb steadily until we reach the open mountainside of the alpage at Loriaz. This true mountain day gives us excellent views of the Mont Blanc range, where we can see into Switzerland and also Italy. Ascent 700m. Optional further ascent of the Charmoz peak behind Loriaz.

Day 5 Argentière – Skating Style or Classic

Today we are based in Argentiere where we try the ‘skating’ method of cross country skiing. Our ski tracks take us along side the village and into the woods. We have plenty of opportunities to rest and enjoy the valley views whilst gaining exercise and learning new skills along the way. The afternoon is optional to stay with your skates or revert to your classic skis. We’ll head back to the Chamonix tracks and explore more of the 10km circuit. You can now see how far you have progressed since your first day on skis!

Day 6 Val Ferret, Italy – Bonatti Refuge – Ski and snowshoe day

Today we travel through the famous Mont Blanc Tunnel into Italy. We head up the beautiful Val Ferret with a small back pack with enough supplies to satisfy a night in a mountain hut. We ski the tracks through trees to the meadows at La Vachey. The mountain views of jagged ridges, spires, and glaciers are stunning. We stop for lunch in a remote mountain chalet where we are often blessed with fantastic views of several 4,000m peaks.

In the afternoon we have the option to ski some more before swapping your skis for snowshoes! We leave the skis at the lunch venue and replace them with snowshoes to complete our day’s adventures by snowshoeing up to the mountain hut for the night. The Bonatti Refuge enjoys stunning views of the Mont Blanc Massif from the Italian side giving another perspective to this famous alpine range. This is a new mountain hut which pays homage to the world renowned Italian mountaineer and photographer Walter Bonatti. It makes a fantastic overnight trip, with excellent accommodation, Italian coffee and pasta to match!

Day 7 Val Ferret, Italy – Snowshoe and ski - Return to Chamonix

After a relaxing breakfast in the high mountains we make our way back down to the Val Ferret valley floor and remove our snowshoes. We then need to return onto our skis to ski out and down the valley back to our transport. As this is our last day and depending on how we feel we can do as much or as little skiing as we wish. Val Ferret has 40km of groomed tracks to keep us busy! We complete our trip with a little ‘après ski’ celebration in the delightful Italian town of Courmayeur before returning to our Chamonix Valley accommodation.

Day 8 Departure

Today is departure day. The package ends after breakfast.

Price

What’s included: The price includes full board accommodation, based on two people sharing, in a chalet at Yeti Lodge (www.yetilodge.com) and half board in the mountain hut based on non-segregated dormitory accommodation. Twin rooms can be arranged in advance in the mountain hut, subject to a small fee. The transport to and from the ski area’s via mini bus, the ski passes, ski and snowshoe hire, essential avalanche equipment, trip organisation, the fees of a qualified BASI Nordic Ski Instructor/International Mountain Leader and their expenses are also all included. 
It does not included: Insurance, flights & transfers (but we can advise on the best options), drinks and any ski lifts that could be used as an alternative itinerary.

Minimum numbers

This trip requires a minimum of 4 clients to run. We take a maximum of 8 clients.

Further Information

We prefer not to specify exactly where we will ski each day, but have given a possible itinerary (this is dependant mainly on weather/snow conditions at the time).
Upon booking a full list of the necessary suitable clothing will be provided.
Our starting point at Chamonix is easily reached by airport transfer, car, train and bus from Geneva airport. It is a drive of approximately 1 hour 15 mins.

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