This is undoubtedly one of the worlds most spectacular ski tours, and with the support of the French and Swiss Alpine Club, huts can be comfortably achieved by most advanced skiers.
NCMG offers this program with an extra weather day built into the itinerary. We have been guiding this tour since 2003 and have used this extra day many times to complete the tour. As with most mountain trips (and most things in life in all reality), a little bit of flexibility goes a long way.
2024 Dates:
Price Includes:
Price Excludes:
Starting in the birthplace of Alpine climbing, Chamonix, France, we will spend 8 days touring through the heart of the European Alps en route to Zermatt, skiing the shadow of the Matterhorn into this charming Swiss village.
We will begin the tour with a day trip of the incredible Vallee Blanche. After riding the telepherique to the top of the Auguille du Midi(12,600′) we descend a short, but steep snow ridge to the glacier. This 9000-foot descent back into Chamonix will give us a chance to warm up for the tour, discuss some of the ski mountaineering techniques we will be using, and get acclimatized to the altitude. The terrain allows us a number of different options for skiing down and provides an excellent opportunity to shake down all of the equipment we will be using on the tour.
The next 7 days will be spent touring through some of the most spectacular scenery in all of the European Alps. The Tour takes us across more than 12 glaciers, over many high mountain cols and through some of the most rugged alpine terrain imaginable. By taking advantage of the staffed huts along the way we are able to undertake the tour carrying only daypacks. Huts provide hot meals and warm bunks to ease the body after each day of skiing. Each day’s lunch can be purchased in the huts as well allowing us to carry only the food we need for that day. There are numerous variations once on the Route. Everything from peak climbs with ski descents, to skiing down into a village for lunch and riding a lift back up into the mountains to continue the tour, are possible. We will take current conditions and the group's abilities and desires into account when choosing the exact route each day.
Many companies offer this trip as a 6-day program, which is physically possible, but 7-days to get from Chamonix to Zermatt gives you more time to enjoy the mountains, culture, and skiing. We not only want you to complete the tour, but we also want you to enjoy the full experience of skiing across the European Alps.
NCMG highly recommends skiers purchase trip insurance for this program.
To maximize your enjoyment on a tour of this nature, the most important skills to have are skiing skills. While most of the terrain is fairly moderate by resort standards, we typically encounter a wide range of snow conditions. It is important for skiers to be able to comfortably ski black runs at a ski area in any conditions. Further, you must be able to perform survival turns (hop turns, stem christie etc.) down steeper terrain and in very difficult snow conditions. Skiers should have some touring experience and be adept at using skins, performing kick turns and skiing with a small pack.
Previous mountaineering experience is not required though will prove beneficial. We will cover skills such as the use of ski crampons, avalanche transceivers, boot crampons, ice axes, and traveling as a rope team. We have factored time into the tour to cover these skills thus ensuring a high degree of safety and comfort for all members of the team.
This tour will also demand a high degree of fitness. You don’t need to be an Olympic athlete as many people complete the tour every year, however, the more fit you arrive, the more you will enjoy the tour. Not to mention having the energy to ski an extra run after arriving at the destination hut for the day.
If you have any doubts or concerns about your abilities or skiing skills, please don’t hesitate to call and address them. We will gladly offer training advice or we can arrange for some pre-trip training to ensure your skills are up to speed before embarking on this trip of a lifetime.
EQUIPMENT LIST – European Ski Touring
TRIPS COVERED BY THIS LIST:
A NOTE ABOUT EQUIPMENT LISTS: Nothing can ruin a trip faster than having the wrong gear for the conditions at hand. All our programs are subject to rapid and severe changes in the weather. Select garments that are warm, lightweight and durable. Generally speaking, the best arrangement is to think in terms of layers – a system that dries quickly, allow flexibility and resists wind, water and abrasion. All of us have different tolerances for heat or cold; for example, you might choose warmer gloves than specified here if you tend to get cold hands. If you have doubts about a specific garment’s appropriateness, please talk to your guide in advance about conditions you are most likely to experience. This list is built for a trip with an unsettled weather forecast. With a good weather forecast some of these items may be left behind to save weight.
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CLOTHING Head, Hands & Feet
Upper Body Layers
Lower Body Layers
ACCESORIES
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ACCESSORIES continued…
SKI / RIDE
AVALANCHE SAFETY (these may be rented from NCMG)
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CLIMBING / TECHNICAL (these may be rented from NCMG)
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HUTS
TRAVEL
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2024 Dates TBD
