Alps Adventure-Tour du Mont Blanc – coordinated by Global Football
Patrick Steenberge, president & founder of Global Football, is thrilled to return to Adventure Travel roots this summer when he partners with Wilderness Medicine Utah to coordinate the Alps Adventure-Tour du Mont Blanc.
This 6-day outdoor trek will be the culmination of the courses taught in Chamonix by Dr. Richard Ingebretsen, and provide a fabulous way to view experience the stunning natural beauty of the Chamonix Valley and Mont Blanc high country.
Please visit the Wilderness Medicine Utah website here to book your place on this wonderful adventure, or contact Patrick Steenberge: 817-219-7274 / Patrick@GlobalFootball.com.
Download the AWLS Hut to Hut Equipment List
Here is more useful info: FAQs Hut to Hut
Our Hut to Hut Guides Qualification is: Staatl. gepr. Bergwanderführer Steiermark (International Mountain Leader). Please see the website: http://www.bergwanderfuehrerverband-steiermark.at/index.html
“From my South American sojourn in 1977 to the outdoor tours we led into Guatemala, Peru and Hawaii in the ’80’s, and through my personal mountain expeditions each summer since then, I am at my best when in the wild, walking with other adventure seekers. See you in Chamonix!”
Global Football has already experienced a fantastic similar adventure, climbing Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania, which you can read about in the book Tupande Kileleni.
This six day program starts with an acclimatization day high above the Mont Blanc valley. With a speedy cable car we will ascent almost 3000 vertical meters in less than 20 minutes to the top of the Aiguille du Midi (3842m). The panorama from the cable car station is simply breath-taking! Many different platforms provide great views over the Mont Blanc and the heavily glaciated area. The step into the void will give you a little adrenaline rush as only a thin transparent glass will separate you from the void. The Espace Vertical exhibition will give you an insight of crazy extreme sports taking place in the Chamonix mountains.
In the afternoon we will take the cog railway up to the Mer de Glace. The Mer de Glace (sea of ice) is in spite of the deglaciation the biggest glacier in France and a very historic place to visit. We take a cable car and 420 stairs down to enter a real glacier cave and admire the blue thick ice around us.
The rest of the day will be preparation for our big hut to hut adventure. You will check all the equipment with your guide look at the maps etc.
Day 2-6 Hut to Hut trekking On our five day Tour du Mont Trekking we will hike in great parts of the Italian, Swiss and French Alps and explore different cultures, food and traditions in the charming villages and mountain huts.
Beside the Mont Blanc you will hike close to impressive peaks, huge glaciers and charming mountain lakes.
To participate on the trekking you should have a reasonable fitness and be able to walk between 15 to 20 kilometers with around 1000 meters ascent a day. We will stay in simple & traditional huts and enjoy delicious three course mountain meals for dinner. Most of the people stay in dorms but there are private rooms available if you desire.
Here is a five day itinerary for you to get a better idea what the hike looks like:
Day 1: We will take a minivan through the Tunnel du Mont Blanc to reach the Italian village Courmayeur. After a short walk through the charming mountaineering village we will climb up to the Bertone hut and traverse a beautiful mountain ridge with spectacular view on the Grand Jorasses mountain chain. We will spend the night at the end of the Italian Val Ferret in the Refuge Elena.
Day 2: A great hike from the Italian to the Swiss Val Ferret. We will ascent 500 meters to the Grand Col Ferret, the Italian-Swiss border and head down to the small village of La Fouly where we will spend the night in a charming hut.
Day 3: A long walk in the valley links the two villages of la Fouly and Champex. We will hike through a silent valley passing through charming little villages from time to time. We will spend the night in Champex also called the Canadian villages of the Alps. There is a beautiful mountain lake in the middle of the village.
Day 4: From Champex we will ascent 600 meter to reach the scenic alpage called Bovine. After a great lunch we will head down to the Coll de la Forclaz where we get spectacular views over the famous Wallis with its many vinards and all the 4000 meter peaks. A nice easy traverse leads down to the foot of the huge Trient glacier and than finally to the village Trient where we will spend the night.
Day 5: From Trient we will reach the Col de Balme the Swiss-French border at an altitude of 2190 meters. Surrounded by stunning views we cross over to the Aiguilette de Possettes. To reach our final destination le Tour, we will descent a beautiful trail. On a short bus ride we will get back to Chamonix. In the evening we will meet up with the other group and there will be a great dinner party organized for you!