Today, the 15 miles of the Vallée Blanche are incontestably an integral part of the story of the Mont-Blanc Range. From the summit of Aiguille du Midi at 3842m of altitude through to Chamonix (1030m), the run down unfurls along the most elegant, the most majestic itinerary possible. We will stop for lunch at the Requin mountain hut which is perched above an impressive cascade of ice-pinnacles. The final part of the run follows the course of the “Mer de Glace” with the famous north face of the Grandes Jorasses on the horizon. The Vallée Blanche can be skied by all who are comfortable on red runs.

Prepare yourself for a magical and unforgettable evening in the heart of the Mont-Blanc range with the full moon as your traveling companion. This heavenly body's silver glow will light up our descent towards the valley, having dined in the Cosmiques refuge, perched high on the edge leading to the "Hand of Noon", an awe-inspiring viewpoint suspended high above the Chamonix Valley on one hand, and the Vallée Blanche on the other.

During 5 days, you will ski on the great Classics of off-piste skiing. Each day, your personal mountain guide will take you to a different resort of the Chamonix valley through its best off-piste itineraries. His goals : to find for you the best snow, to help you with your technique with a few tips, to ski with the sun, and of course before any of that : your safety.

Cable-cars of the Aiguille du Midi, Grands-Montets or Brévent offer infinite possibilities for the powder “addict” : The Rectiligne couloir just bellow the Drus, The “Bellin” or the “Ensa” gullies from the Brévent area, the Glacier Rond or the Cosmiques couloir, both of them “hanging” over the north face of Aiguille du Midi, the Gervasutti couloir at the Tour Ronde, lots of them offering 13.000ft vertical drop and more of intense riding ! Many of those slopes require the use of the rope and crampons. To participate to this 5 days course your ski/snowboard level must be excellent such as your fitness level.

Heliskiing is well organised in the mountains of our Italian and Switzerland neighbours (and forbidden in France). The helicopter will give us access to huge slopes in the core of some beautiful ranges of high glaciated mountains. After one or two drops, we will use our ski-touring gear for ½ hour or so to pass a col and to take advantage of a last descent towards the valley.

You'd like to escape from the crowd, resort and lift queues. You want to find out about the beauty of being in the mountain wilderness again : join me in the Chamonix Valley or its surroundings (Italy and Switzerland are 1/2 h away by car) and enjoy your day ski touring !

You'd like to escape from the crowd, resort and lift queues. You want to find out about the beauty of being in the mountain wilderness again : join me in the Chamonix Valley or its surroundings (Italy and Switzerland are 1/2 h away by car) and enjoy your day ski touring !

Those 3 days are based on the instruction and practice in the fundamentals of ski mountaineering on glaciated terrain.

Searching exercises with the avalanche transceiver, glacier travel, crevasse rescue, avalanche awareness and at least 2 summits and lots of powder skiing are the main items of this exciting and challenging programs. The Italian, Swiss or French northern alpine range will be chosen, regarding on the best winter and snow conditions at the time.

Ski mountaineering trips are ski-touring days which take place over several days. From January to May, they allow you to discover the mountain in its winter finery. Each day is an opportunity to uncover undiscovered places, grandiose viewpoints, secret valleys. Towards the end of the afternoon, a shelter is ready to welcome us for the night. It is a magical journey where amazement, contemplation, and the pleasure of team effort are the joys which every alpine-skier dreams of experiencing at least once in his life.

You will be included in a pre-formed group of at least 3 people, and I will then study your requirements with you in order to work out the raid which suits you best.

You would like to consider ski touring but are not sure if you want to set off for a whole week. I am offering shorter trips with stages closer spaced and a program for all levels of experience.

Winter’s cold immobilizes water into a frozen, transient mass. Basic Ice Climbing Week-End is a unique opportunity to learn a fantastic sport in a magical environment. You will develop the skills , knowledge and attitudes required to safely climb waterfall ice. Personalized instruction will help you to develop techniques on short water falls, such as crampon technique, tool swinging and placement, setting up an ice anchor and learning how to get confident on steeper ice. On the 2nd day, you will already be climbing a 2 or 3 pitches climb in the Chamonix valley !

Ice climbing requires technique and experience. After a refreshment of the basics, we will climb as much as we can top-roping and for the ones who are willing to lead, some special “1st lead” pitch will be at their disposal. During the last 3 days of the course, we will climb some multi-pitch routes, focusing on the choice of the line, placement of ice screws, setting up your own anchor and climbing on steeper ice. This course will take place in Chamonix and in its neighborhood valleys (Cogne, Trient, Valsavarenche,…) 

I could have named this course “Winter Alpinism” because this is what it’s about : climbing ice gullies, water ice routes and snow ridges during the winter or in winter conditions. Through the ascent of a route in the Mont-Blanc Range, we will develop some important topics of winter climbing such as the preparation & organization of a winter ascent, progression techniques adapted to the terrain, safety of your party, crevasse rescue, etc…