MONTBLANC – NORMAL ROUTE GOUTER

CLIMBING MONT BLANC IS THE DREAM THAT ALL MOUNTAIN LOVERS HAVE HAD SINCE YOU WERE LITTLE

Without being an overly technical mountain, it is not an easy summit and requires good training, practice and correct technique in the use of crampons. Its height must also be taken into account. Let yourself be accompanied by a professional mountain guide to its 4,808m summit.

The normal classic route departs from Chamonix, first we take the train to Nide Aigle were we start to climb up to Tete Rousse hut were will stay overninght. The second day will climb up to Gouter hut and pass through the famous Gouter couloir, to avoid rock collapses will pass early in the morning when is more stable, once in Gouter hut will take dinner and go early to bed for the next day early wake up. From Gouter hut will climb to the summit and after the photograph from top of Europe will start our long descent till Chamonix.

Most of our climbers choose a 5 days program (2 days Gran Paradiso + 3 days Montblanc) to have better chances of Montblanc summit success doing two 4k summits. This will allow a proper acclimatization and better preparation for Montblanc.

Our program is fully inclusive and is not only a 2:1 guide cost, it includes lifts, train and mountain huts with half pension (client+guide).

Do you have any doubt? Get in touch with the B4Experience team!

Climbing the Montblanc is a challenging adventure that demands a high level of skill and preparation. To successfully summit, you must be confident with crampons use and have a minimum level that allows you to do a mountain route of 1000m of elevation gain daily over 3 day.

The 3 days climbing program can suppose altitude problems, it is strongly advised to do some acclimatization by yourself prior Montblanc or take a longer program with our guides to reduce the risk to suffer form Acute Mountain Sickness (AMS). Most of our climbers choose a 2 days Gran Paradiso + 3 days Montblanc to have better chances of summit success.

Our trainer Mr. Pablo Ral,  graduate in Physical Activity Sciences, Master in High Performance, Chilean Ski Mountaineering Coach and specialist in endurance sports… can make you a specific personal training plan for this trip.

• Standard training plan (one-time payment): 99€ (Fill out online form, 30 min personal interview (to adjust the plan and resolve doubts), Receive your personalized plan)
• Premium training plan (monthly): 130€ (Fill out online form, 1h personal interview (to adjust the plan and resolve doubts), Receive your personalized plan. Weekly monitoring of your progression and monthly readjustment of the training plan)

You can request your training plan at the time of booking your trip or later. (Standard training plans are valid for a maximum of 3 months)

FUNCTIONAL CLOTHING:

• Gore-Tex or waterproof jacket and breathable
• Waterproof rain pants
• Warm jacket – down jacket or preferably primaloft (as they can handle water)
• Lightweight fleece lining
• Short sleeve t-shirts easy drying
• Stretch pants, a little thicker, colder days or nights
• Trekking type pants
• Thermal pants and t-shirt set
• Underwear and spare clothes

CLIMBING EQUIPMENT:

• Crampons
• Climbing harness
• 3 safety carabiners
• 1 Ring of 120 cm
• Ice axe between 55 to 66 cm long
• Climbing helmet

*In case you are missing some personal climbing equipment can be rented in Chamonix. Take a look into this rental shop.

HEAD:

• Lightweight running cap
• Wool beanie
• Neck Gaiter
• Wind and radiation proof
• Ski goggles.

HANDS:

• Thin fleece gloves.
• Leather gloves
• High thermal gloves or mittens

FEET:

• 2 pairs of merino ski socks 1 x thin, 1 x thick
• Lightweight trail shoes or hiking boots (what you usually wear in mountain)
• Mountaineering boots
• Gaiters (only if your boots do not have them integrated)

BACKPACKS:

• Mountain backpack 30 liters
• Small travel bag (for documentation and wallet)

SHELTER MATERIAL:

• Hut sleeping bag made of silk (required in all shelters)
• Earplugs

ACCESSORIES:

• Headlamp and battery or spare batteries
• Sun cream, lip cocoa and after sun

EAT/DRINK:

• Canteen or thermos, minimum 1 liter. If you choose a Camelbak type bag, keep in mind that the tube can freeze, so recommending carrying an auxiliary bottle.
• Snacks, nuts, gels, hydration and sufficient power bars, protein bars, trail mix, magnesium tablets and recovery supplements

TRAVEL EQUIPMENT:

• Casual clothes
• ID or passport, Visa, cash, insurance documentation, vaccination card.
• Microfiber towel
• First aid and medication kit
• Thermal blanket
• Mobile phone and watch with the route track
• Powerbank, camera, charging cables, headphones, selfie stick…

Food:
The Itinerary explains what meals are included each day according to the program. If you have allergies or preferences, let us know on the registration form and we will take it into account.

We always recommend that you bring your own energy bars, nuts… so that you can eat while doing the activities.

Accommodation:

The program provides accommodation in shared rooms in Goûter and Tete Rousse mountain huts.

In case you wish extra nights in Chamonix you can add to the package either a bunk bed in dormitory style hostel or twin room in 2* or 3* hotel. You can add this service in “extra services” on the checkout before booking the trip.

Montblanc is regulated that mountain guides can bring max 2 persons. All our tours follow strictly this rule.

Ideally the 2 persons should know each other and have similar technical and fitness level or will put you with other client of us with similar technical and fitness level.

In case you are a solo climber you can decide to pay full services to be alone with the guide in a 1:1 ratio. You can add this option (+1,000€) in “extra services” on the checkout before booking the trip.

The popularity of Montblanc in recent years has made getting a place to spend the night in the huts on the Gouter to Montblanc route very complicated.

Reservations for professional agencies open before Christmas and all spots for the season are usually filled within a few months.

If your dream is to climb Montblanc, don’t wait until the last minute to book. Contact us and we will advise you.

Tete Rousse and Gouter huts has served as both the destination and starting point for Montblanc climbers for over a century. Situated at an altitude of 3,160 and 3,830meters, it opens every season the last days of May till 3rd week September. In case you wish to climb Montblanc outside this period the emergency shelter from the mountain huts can be used but this involve bigger logistics as food and other things have to be transported for the climb. Also the snow conditions out of this period make the climb much more complex and technical. Contact us to evaluate a climb when huts are not open.

In case you wish that we can look for the best flight combination tickets from your nearest airport to the destination you can add this service in “extra services” on the checkout before booking the trip and will give you the best proposal beforehand and once accepted buy it for you. This service includes monitor the flight prices over time to get the best deal when prices are low and check in of your flight. The administrative fee for this service is 35€ + the flights cost that will be invoice to you afterwards.

Visas, and Entry Requirements
Certainly! It is important to have a valid passport with at least 6 months validity when traveling to any country.

To know the specific visa requirements for your trip, it is recommended to contact your local embassy or consulate, or consult with your travel agent. Remember that it is your responsibility to ensure you have the correct travel documentation. Visa requirements can vary based on your nationality and your destination. While we strive to keep our information updated, visa rules can change unexpectedly. Therefore, it is crucial that you verify the information yourself and understand that you are accountable for meeting your own visa requirements.

Vaccines
For each trip, clients are solely responsible for having the mandatory and/or recommended vaccines required in each region or country. Consult with your doctor to have all vaccinations before the start of the trip.

We offer you a 5% discount on your IATI travel insurance. The discount is just valid if you buy the travel insurance policy after clicking on the link.

In case you wish that we can look for the best travel insurance that covers the trip destination/activity with your nationality. You can add this service in “extra services” on the checkout before booking the trip and will give you the best proposal beforehand and once accepted buy it for you. The administrative fee for this service is 15€ + the insurance cost that will be invoice to you afterwards.

The client is informed that B4Experience will issue the trip without including a cancellation, repatriation or accident policy, unless it is explicitly included in the trip contract and paid in the first payment. During the trip contracting, you will be offered how to contract it if you wish.

Rescue insurance: Mandatory. 
Rescue in the Alps can be very expensive (above 10k eur), you should take and insurance that covers helicopter rescue for this specific activity. If you have doubts regarding rescue insurance that cover the activity contact us for advise.

The user is informed that the GUARANTEE COMPANY that covers the risks of contractual liability and guarantee against insolvency is MARKEL INSURANCE SE

The client can take out trip cancellation insurance to be able to obtain payment of the entire amount paid (according to its conditions).

The end user may withdraw from the contracted trip, having the right to a refund of the amounts paid, except for the indicated penalties, but must also satisfy the Agency in the amounts indicated below once the trip has been confirmed. If it is not carried out due to not reaching the minimum necessary places, the client can save the credit for future trips or request a full refund of the reservation.

Cancellation Policy 3:

• • FULL REFUND UP TO 24H AFTER PURCHASE
  • Up to 60 days before the trip 100% refund of the trip amount.
  • Up to 45 days before the trip Refund of 50% of the trip amount.
  • For terms shorter than those described in the cancellation policy, the amount already paid will not be paid.
  • *€250 management fees apply.

* Cancellation fees will not be paid for reservations already issued. If there are other non-refundable expenses already issued, these will not be paid either and will be deducted from the amount to be paid.
* The cost of cancellation of issued flights is 100% of the amount.

EXEMPTION OF LIABILITY AND ASSUMPTION OF RISK
B4Experience offers active trips for different sports and Outdoor activities, as well as information related to these activities through our web platform www.b4experience.com and other channels.

The practice of any activity in nature carries a risk for those who do it, with most of these activities being considered high-risk sports. Each one must know and apply their limits and be aware that regardless of the technical training and physical level one has, their practice can lead to accidents or even death.

The in-person activities and trips offered by B4Experience are carried out on land and activities that may inherently involve risks for those who carry them out and thus clients are informed that they contract them.

DOSSIER DISCLAIMER:

The information in this trip details document has been compiled with care and is provided in good faith. However it is subject to change, and does not form part of the contract between the client and the operator. The itinerary featured is correct at time of printing. It may differ slightly to the one in the brochure. Occasionally our itineraries change as we make improvements that stem from past travellers, comments and our own research. Sometimes it can be a small change like adding an extra meal along the itinerary. Sometimes the change may result in us altering the tour for the coming year. Ultimately, our goal is to provide you with the most rewarding experience. Please note that our brochure is usually released in November each year. If you have booked from the previous brochure you may find there have been some changes to the itinerary.

VERY IMPORTANT: Please ensure that you print/ download a final copy of your Trip Details to review a couple of days prior to travel, in case there have been changes that affect your plans.

ITINERARY DISCLAIMER:

While it is our intention to adhere to the route described below, there is a certain amount of flexibility built into the itinerary and on occasion it may be necessary, or desirable to make alterations. The itinerary is brief, as we never know exactly where our journey will take us. Due to our style of travel and the regions we visit, travel can be unpredictable. The Trip Details document is a general guide to the tour and region and any mention of specific destinations or wildlife is by no means a guarantee that they will be visited or encountered. On all Outdoor trips, the routes will be adjusted depending on the weather, the level of the group participants and the risks assessed by the guide/trip leader.

Additionally, any travel times listed are approximations only and subject to vary due to local circumstances.