Conquer the highest peak in Western Europe!
This time we head to the Mecca of mountaineering, the Alps. There, the highest peak in Western Europe awaits us, which needs no introduction - Mont Blanc (4810 m). Set amidst an idyllic mountain landscape, this extremely popular peak with its varied and challenging trails is a must-see for any mountaineer. to do list. The main trail is also suitable for beginners, so you don't have to be afraid. In addition to the prominent Mont Blanc peak, we will try to climb at least one more peak in the nearby Monte Rosa mountain range during our acclimatization: Parrotspitze (4432 m). We will also do an exciting warm-up via ferrata, through the trail and on our days off we enjoy the summer weather in the mountaineering cult town of Chamonix. So we walk through the Alps crème de la crème'i; believe me, this is one memorable trip!
Overview - short & sweet
Goal: Mont Blanc (Gouter Trail)
Dates: 17-29.07.2020
Activity: mountain climbing/hiking
Adventure guide: Allan Tobi
Technical difficulty: 2/5 (suitable for beginners; read more) From the FAQ page)
Physical difficulty: 3/5 (moderate effort; read more From the FAQ page)
Group size: 9
Early bird ticket (until 31.03.2020) — €1090
Less dizzy chicken (from 01.04.2020) — 1190€
Please note: For community members discount of -5% applies
[If the trip is canceled due to pandemic circumstances, we will refund the advance payment in full!]
EQUIPMENT LIST
View of the Mont Blanc mountain range
Travel cost
Price includes
Luxury minibus VW Crafter 2017 with Elamus+ with a cart
Fuel, customs and road taxes, parking fees
All overnight stays (hotels, spa, Gouter's hut, campsites)
Breakfast and dinner on the mountain (high-quality Tactical food pack camping food)
Meat snacks for mountain days (Rakvere City Council)
Mont Blanc Tramway tickets
Group special equipment
Stylish designer sports shirt
Video and image material
Health assessment + pulse oximeter for the group
Group pharmacy (i.e. “tougher” high-altitude medications)
Travel arrangements
A guide with trail experience and training
Help guide
Price does not include
Insurance (travel insurance and MANDATORY sports insurance suitable for mountain hiking)
Personal hiking and special equipment
Tents and tent (on top of the tent)
Meals off the mountain
Extra snacks for the mountain
Personal hygiene products and medications
Lift tickets (total around 30-50€)
Unscheduled excursions, transportation, etc. (or if you want to do something extra)
Overnight stay in Prague (if we decide to go)
Registering for the tour
[The trip has already ended]
Before registering, please read travel conditions. To secure your place on the trip, a deposit (3%) must be paid within 50 business days of receiving the confirmation and invoice by email; if there are less than 30 days left until the trip, the total cost (100%) must be paid. Read more: frequently asked questions.
Schedule and activities
Day 1 - We're rolling like bosses
At 14:00 we will depart from Tartu in a superlux by rental bus Towards the Alps. In addition, we hitch a ride on the back of the bus Elamus+ trolley to make being on the bus as comfortable as possible. Basically, you can take all your party dresses with you and no one will complain about not having enough space. Premium stuff! We talk, have fun and feel good. We'll go to the Alps with one thing in mind, so the first night will be spent in our pimp bus.
Day 2 - We arrive in the alpine wonderland
We admire the increasingly mountainous nature from the bus window and by the evening of the second day we reach the Alps, in the mountain town of Staffal, where we spend the night in a decent hotel and rest up. In the evening we eat, pack up our equipment and prepare ourselves for the next day. My Action!Ready for it.
Day 3 - Let's go!
In the morning we turn on the bus again and take a short drive a little higher, to Piedmont Aosta. We leave the big bags on the bus and head to the first challenge with the summit bag - via ferrata, Cimalegna trail (at an altitude of ~2700 m). Via ferratad are rock climbing trails equipped with ropes and, if necessary, iron ladders, so you definitely don't have to be a rock climber to get by. Climbing equipment is already available there. We climb on the rocks and hike back to the lift, and from there back to the bus. About 4-5 hours in total. A quick lunch and we exchange our small backpack for a large one.
We won't be able to bask for long, as we'll take the next lift towards the Monte Rosa mountain range. We'll land at station 1 at 2350 m and find a campsite nearby. We'll set up our tents, have dinner, and test out our sleeping bags and mats.
Day 4 - Let's gain altitude
Light acclimatization from the previous day, we go higher and higher. Breakfast, we pack up and take a leisurely 4-5-hour hike to 3000 m, where we look for the next place to camp. Depending on how we feel, we make a short hike up without backpacks to let our bodies know about the increase in altitude. We take it easy, because now the altitude can already start to make itself felt.
![IMG_20170804_080737[2].jpg](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5dba85e02c0d5772bca9e94b/1582833456839-C7ETF8FKBCMG2EUYUBJ5/IMG_20170804_080737%5B2%5D.jpg)
Day 5 - We camp between the stone walls
After the morning activities, we head towards the Mantova hut, next to which a rocky camping site awaits us. It is at an altitude of about 3600 m and it takes about 4-6 hours to get there. We set up our tents, rest a bit and then head a few meters up, to the beginning of the Lysi glacier. There we calmly review the techniques of moving on the glacier and in the snow. We do a few exercises and learn to use crampons and picks in real conditions. We can expect that moving will become a little more difficult at this altitude and you may experience a slight headache. This is normal, the body gets used to it. Boys/girls with stronger heads will also have the opportunity to have a little drink in the hut.
Day 6 - First glacier and first peak!
If the weather is good and everyone is feeling normal, we will go to our first summit event. We will leave the tents at the camp and take only the summit bags with us. We will start at 06:00 in the morning. Climbing harness, crampons, picks, helmets, etc. are all on our backs and pretty soon the first glacier crossing awaits us. Depending on the year, you can already see some pretty big ice crevasses here, so we will move forward with a rope and be a little more attentive. There are quite a few peaks in the area, so we will probably meet a few other adventurers on the trail. Soon after crossing the glacier, we will reach the Lys Pass, from where we will have a view of the fierce peaks of Monte Rosa. We will race upwards and head towards the flat summit ridge of Parrotspitze (4436 m). Parrotspitze is the easiest of them - we will still save our strength for our main peak.
We will leave the summit and come back down, covered in the expected snow. If we have the strength and will, there will be another small peak on the way, Balmenhorn (4176 m), which peakbaggers can be snapped up on the way. It takes about 8 hours in total. We get back to the tent, eat, rest and go to bed. With that, the acclimatization is done!
![IMG_20170805_121351[1].jpg](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5dba85e02c0d5772bca9e94b/1582833638805-FIXXDGX0134ATRBI9X6B/IMG_20170805_121351%5B1%5D.jpg)
Day 7 - Down to Chamonix to enjoy the amenities
We pack up our bags in the morning and head back down in one go, to the lift and the bus. Expectedly 4-6 hours. Then we take a 2-hour bus ride to the “capital” of the Alps, Chamonix, where a top-notch hotel awaits us right in the city center. It also means that we can finally do our laundry!!! If we have the time, we will have a little celebratory drink and meal in the city and tuck ourselves into the extra soft bed.
Day 8 - Chillax
Acclimatization has been done beautifully, now it's time to rest our feet and fill our lungs with oxygen-filled air again. In general, we have a free plan: we will sleep in, discover Chamonix's hiking shops, look for souvenirs, try the local cuisine and explore other aspects of life. Wine lovers will also find a suitable sauce here. In other words, we will rest in a beautiful alpine town with snowy peaks as a backdrop.
Day 9 - Tram ride, choo-choo!
We transfer ourselves back to the bus from the hotel and take a short ride to the Mont Blanc Tramway. This mountainous tramway is a sight and experience in itself! I am happy to say that we leave our large hiking bags on the bus and only throw on our peak bag. We drive through the mountains to an altitude of 2300 m, from where we are carried kondimootor. The approximately 5-hour trail takes us through a notorious couloir, where you can often encounter flying rocks, which is why it is also the most dangerous part of the trail. We cover this ~50 m section as quickly as possible. Then there is relatively gentle rock climbing, where you also need to use your hands from time to time. At the top of the rock wall, we are waiting for accommodation in the Gouter hut (3850 m). We settle in there and try to go to bed early, because tomorrow is already (again) summit day!
Day 10 - At the top of Western Europe!
We start at 02:00 in the dark, with headlamps, all our gear on and roped in. The day is going to be hard! It is expected to take about 6-8 hours to reach the summit, and about 6 hours to descend. The whole time we are moving on snow, which is rather icy at night; when we come down it will probably already be in a slush formation (depending on the weather). We pass a few ridges and when we reach the first plateau, the mighty Mont Blanc shows itself to us. A slight anguish may creep into our breath that there is still so much to go, but we press on. Before the summit we have to cross the Bosses ridge, which is a cool experience. There is a long way down in both directions and stumbling here is categorically forbidden. After that, the peak is already tangible and finally… finally we reach the top of the Alps! Oh the intoxication of joy and emotion - done!
At the top, we take in the surrounding beauty, take in Instagram photos, and despite our fatigue, we try to grasp the fact that we are at the highest point in Western Europe. Once in a lifetime With pictures in memory and on the phone, we begin the descent. Reaching the summit is only half the battle; the most important thing is to take those memories back home with you.
We retrace our steps back, which fortunately is a little easier thanks to gravity. If we have time, we make a refreshment stop at the Gouter hut, where you can buy water, Coca, food, etc. at a reasonable price. After that, we do the rock climbing part again (including the couloir) and take the tram back down. By then, everyone will probably be pretty tired. We drive to a nearby campsite, where there is also a washing facility, and spend another night in a tent for a change - otherwise it would be too much of a hassle. ;)
Day 11 - Spare day and a rich spa
This is a backup day in case the weather doesn't allow us to summit on day 10. This means that using the backup day will push the summit day and everything that follows forward by one day (does not affect the return time).
This also means significant changes to the summit day and overnight stays. Before going on the trail, we will spend 1 night in a campsite. Then, on the backup summit day, we will go up fully equipped and will not stay in Gouter, but will stay before the couloir, at the Tete Rousse campsite (3150 m). From there, we will still go with a small bag. In this case, the start time will also be moved earlier: start at 00:00. The summit day will also be longer and harder, but still doable (I have done this option myself).
We make it to the summit and head back to Chamonix by bus, where a luxurious spa awaits us! A spa visit is always a must - even if everything goes according to plan and we don't have to use the spare day. We relax and are proud of our achievement. You can even imagine how appropriate a visit to a Chamonix spa is at a time like this.
Day 12 - Homeward bound... or a party instead?
In the morning there is still the opportunity to take a quick sauna, or sleep. At noon we will take the bus back to Estonia. Here we have a small choice - depending on the group's wishes, we can drive all the way to Estonia or make a stopover, e.g. in Prague. Beer is cheap there and there is a chance to have a proper party. The group will spend the night in Prague.
Day 13 - Home sweet home
In the afternoon we will arrive back in Tartu and consider the event a happy ending. Everyone can now enjoy the comforts of home again and boast about a great achievement. There will be plenty to talk about and colorful memories for years to come - that's guaranteed!
Don't worry, let's do it!
My altitude record is Munamägi. Can I still do it?!
Yes, you can. Going straight to the highest peak in the Alps may seem daunting at first glance, but it's not that bad at all - especially if you have a good hiking guide at your disposal. A little practice and a few training sessions.
But I don't have any hiking gear, who can afford to buy it?
You'll still have to spend a little, but not much. Hiking and climbing equipment can be rented at a very reasonable price and, of course, borrowed from friends. In addition, you can use any kind of clothing you have - for example, a ski jacket is also very good for the mountain. The more resourceful can manage with almost no additional expenses.
Will I survive?
It's an extreme sport/hobby, but you shouldn't be too afraid here. Of course, there are certain dangers in the mountains and you have to take that into account, but at the same time, you could get hit by a bus walking across the street tomorrow. The most important thing for the group leader is to ensure the safety of the participants - to do this, we learn and use correct mountaineering techniques and turn around if the weather gets too bad. The point is still to have an enjoyable experience and not let this mountain go away. ;)
Okay, I registered. Now what?
Well, theoretically you could just vanish into thin air and show up on the bus, but then you risk discovering on the spot “oops, I have the wrong cats and what is this middleman node?”. It can happen, but a warm recommendation is to participate in preparatory events - it's part of the fun. We organize preparatory hiking trainings, give advice on suitable insurance and equipment, where to rent cheaply, what to train for, etc. We will definitely check the collected equipment just before the start of the trip and send reminders about important things.
Read more also frequently asked questions.
Travel documents and footnotes
The participant is responsible for the validity and orderliness of travel documents. This trip requires ID card/passport, sports insurance suitable for mountain hiking (read more on the FAQ page) and also travel insurance. A suitable sports insurance policy must be carried. and is a prerequisite for participating in the mountain hike.
Plan your trip early and start training for it. We will organize several trial trips, training sessions and recommend training plans beforehand. It would be a shame if the peak was only behind the physique. Also a good opportunity to get in shape. ;)
Summits are not guaranteed. As you might expect, weather is king in the mountains. So it is entirely possible that weather or dangerous conditions will prevent us from even attempting the summit. Nevertheless, it will definitely be an awesome experience!
Although at the end of the day everyone is still responsible for their own actions and consequences, we do our best to mitigate the risks associated with mountaineering. As a result, the group leader has the right to make ongoing decisions about the competence of the participants, the suitability of their equipment, physical/mental capacity, etc. and, if necessary, for example, to prohibit participation on summit day if it endangers the health of the group or the participant themselves. Hopefully, of course, there will be no need for this.
Read more also travel conditions.
