Chamonix Beta (Summer)

I'm planning a trip to France for this summer (my honeymoon) and I'm looking for some insight on route and accommodation suggestions. We are planning to spend about a week in Chamonix while the Tour de France is in the area. I have a few specific questions but will also take all the beta I can get. So hit me!

Our main aspiration is to climb Mont Blanc from the Italian side (so Monte Bianco, I guess), hopefully via the Tournette Spur. Consolation prize would be the Pope Route. I'm not all that interested in the more-approachable routes from the French side, but we will consider them if necessary. Does anyone have any recent insight/experience on the Tournette Spur? Or Pope Route?

I'd also love to tackle a smaller route on the French side, maybe something comparable to the West Ridge of Pigeon Spire in the Bugaboos. Is there anything like that that is doable in a day (up to like 5.8-5.9)? I've looked into the Aiguille Rouge side of things, so that's an option. But I think I'd prefer something on the south side of the valley (but still in France). That said, I'm not terribly interested in the classics on the Aiguille du Midi since it seems like they are always slammed!

Finally, I'm debating whether it makes sense to rent a camper van for our time in France or whether we ought to just rent a small, cheap passenger car. If I went the camper van route, is it possible to sleep in the van in/around Chamonix in the summer time? Or will we get hassled (particularly during Tour de France time)?

Cheers,

Andy

As you will be there mid July conditions will be everything. Last year by that time the guides were not active on the Goûter Route because of rock fall. Not sure how that translates to the Tournette Spur. Regardless you should have alternatives.

There are pay camper van sites in and around Chamonix.  That said, depending exactly what you are able to do renting a car maybe more economic. Or not even at as it is easy to get around as if you are staying in the valley at an accommodation the bus is free. (Gîte d'Etape La Tapia is recommended and thy have some private rooms). Regardless you need to have a reservation, especially with Tour de France.

I've had bad luck with the weather in Chamonix. Briançon might be a good backup plan... 

Out of curiosity, if your primary goal is to climb Monte Bianco from the Italian side, why are you planning on basing yourself in Chamonix instead of around Courmayeur? It is usually a good bit more ‘low key’ and, I’m guessing, less expensive, on the Italian side than in France and, while Cham is always busy, it is a complete zoo when the Tour comes through town. Also going back and forth through the tunnel will be very pricey and can be quite slow during busy periods.

As for rock routes, there are many such routes of that grade range in the area ( including a fair selection on the Italian side). I suggest getting the Piola guidebooks and finding something that looks attractive to you. You are looking for routes with grades in the F5s for the equivalent of the US 5.6-9 ratings. But, you don’t necessarily have to limit yourself to routes of those grades, since it is quite common there for folks to pull on gear to get past a crux move or 2 ( it isn’t known as ‘French free’ for no reason!!!). You want to look for the ‘obligitoire’ ratings ( many routes have 2 alternative grades) as the level at which the route can be climbed with a few ‘judicious pulls’.

However, it is not only the routes on the Midi that will “always be slammed”. Climbing is extremely popular in Europe and Cham is the the ‘heart’ of alpine climbing. Since the weather is ‘variable’ at best, on any good day ( and many that aren’t that great) pretty much all of the reasonably accessible, quality routes ( especially in such grades) will be busy.

Having said all the above, one option I can recommend ( though no doubt will be busy) are the routes on the ‘M’ above Chamonix. It is the smallest if the Aquilles, with a short approach, has several good routes in that grade range, and is less serious and committing than most climbs on that side.

> Same advice as others, around tour de france the place will be a zoo... everything busy, everything much more expensive and it will be booked solid months ahead anyway...
As far as climbing goes if you like ridges you can do Les perrons over a day (my advice is to do it in reverse) if you have 2 days arete des papillons is beautiful as is aiguille du moine by the south ridge or the La nonne ridge.
If you have never been there climbing style can be pretty old school, have some margin in the grade 

I only went up mont blanc by routes on the french side so no advice there

nb: glacier travel is becoming more and more tricky in summer, watch out for that as well

nb2: if you re based in chamonix having a car is nice but not mandatory

Thanks, everyone. Fair points all around.

We are still nailing down our plans, so we may well stay in Courmayeur for a part of the time, but the other half wants to spend time in Chamonix. So rather than lock ourselves into dates in Courmayeur and dates in Chamonix now--and thus sort of lock ourselves into the dates we would attempt MB from the Italian side--I'm kind of inclined to set up one home base, rather than move around a lot. And then we can make the drive through the tunnel back into Italy when weather is best. If we go the campervan route, maybe my thinking changes.

I'm OK with dealing with some craziness and expect that during the Tour. Joining that craziness is a bit of a bucket list item for us, so we will embrace that the best we can. We plan to nail down plans in the next week or two and it looks like there are decent options for accommodation, etc. still available in and around Chamonix.

I'm definitely still interested if others have direct (and recent) experience on the Tournette Spur. From what I've been able to gather, climate change and warm summer conditions have made accessing R. Quintino Sella harder, but the route itself doesn't have anything like the Grand Couloir that could make the route prohibitively dangerous (though if we did an up and over, the Grand Couloir would still come into play).

Thanks for the recommendation on the M. It looks like the Arete NNE could be a great fit as a second objective! Though I take the point that all approachable objectives will likely be busy, at least on the French side.

Keep the suggestions coming, if you have them! Thanks again, folks.

My friend, I have done the Tour and I have lived and climbed in Chaomonix. I am sorry to tell you that you will never get all you want to do done in one week. Climbing Mount Blanc including organizing and acclimation, decent and recovery is largely a one week process. Going from the Italian side will add even more approach time. 

Go see the Tour and pick a good classic climb like Dent du Gent. Spend the night in the Torino Hut, climb this great rock route with a reasonable approach, and take the Gondola back down to Chamonix or to the Italian side and you will have a rewarding experiance.

Any beta or advice on accommodation or routes for 1-1.5 month trip in June-July that's mostly vacation and remote work (need stable internet)? Looking to do glacier, steep snow, alpine rock up to 5.9 (5c). Will probably just deal with crowds for the popular stuff. I've joined the fb group and the airbnbs are quite expensive. Now looking into hostel options.

Elaine Mau wrote:

Any beta or advice on accommodation or routes for 1-1.5 month trip in June-July that's mostly vacation and remote work (need stable internet)? Looking to do glacier, steep snow, alpine rock up to 5.9 (5c). Will probably just deal with crowds for the popular stuff. I've joined the fb group and the airbnbs are quite expensive. Now looking into hostel options.

As far as backpackers goes I like Alpenrose.
If you want to go even cheaper I spent days at the Camping du Glacier d'Argentière.
Young crowd of mountaineering hobos in both places. 

Anyway, if you are really active you will only spend the "rest nights" in those places and spend much more time in the mountain huts.

For routes it's too vast of a topic, I recommand you buy a topo.
The best one for summer mountaineering is Mont Blanc Granite (4 volumes, available in english, you can pick it up in Cham) or just one with selective climbs (rockfax or similar)
As a strategy I suggest you go to a specific mountain hut a like week and you climb as much as you can each day to optimized approach time.
repeat the week after with another mountain hut. 

Elaine Mau wrote:

Any beta or advice on accommodation or routes for 1-1.5 month trip in June-July that's mostly vacation and remote work (need stable internet)? Looking to do glacier, steep snow, alpine rock up to 5.9 (5c). Will probably just deal with crowds for the popular stuff. I've joined the fb group and the airbnbs are quite expensive. Now looking into hostel options.

I'm a UK based climber also looking at spending a couple of months working remotely and climbing around Chamonix this summer (I did it last year too but people I did it with are unavailable this year). Might be worth us having a chat about potentially teaming up on accom/objectives? My objectives are pretty similar to what you've listed 

a Ball wrote:

I'm planning a trip to France for this summer (my honeymoon) and I'm looking for some insight on route and accommodation suggestions. We are planning to spend about a week in Chamonix while the Tour de France is in the area. I have a few specific questions but will also take all the beta I can get. So hit me!

Our main aspiration is to climb Mont Blanc from the Italian side (so Monte Bianco, I guess), hopefully via the Tournette Spur. Consolation prize would be the Pope Route. I'm not all that interested in the more-approachable routes from the French side, but we will consider them if necessary. Does anyone have any recent insight/experience on the Tournette Spur? Or Pope Route?

I'd also love to tackle a smaller route on the French side, maybe something comparable to the West Ridge of Pigeon Spire in the Bugaboos. Is there anything like that that is doable in a day (up to like 5.8-5.9)? I've looked into the Aiguille Rouge side of things, so that's an option. But I think I'd prefer something on the south side of the valley (but still in France). That said, I'm not terribly interested in the classics on the Aiguille du Midi since it seems like they are always slammed!

Finally, I'm debating whether it makes sense to rent a camper van for our time in France or whether we ought to just rent a small, cheap passenger car. If I went the camper van route, is it possible to sleep in the van in/around Chamonix in the summer time? Or will we get hassled (particularly during Tour de France time)?

Cheers,

Andy

Hey Andy

As others have said, conditions are the crux in Cham during summer. For quite a few years now it's been so warm many routes heavily reliant on colder temps have been a no-go from early June... I was out there last summer and we pivoted our goals away from snowy routes almost straight away.

There is an ridiculous amount of high quality alpine rock at the grades you're asking for; French side the access is incredible meaning you can do fairly large routes in a single day in the high mountains, the Italian side is all big walk ins so takes a couple of days. I'd recommend this guidebook for the French side https://www.amazon.co.uk/Chamonix-Rockfax-Climbs-Mountain-Mont-Blanc/dp/1873341571 and this for the italian https://climb-europe.com/rockclimbingshop/mont-blanc-italian-side-rock-climbing-guidebook.html

Feel free to hit me up for more specific beta if you want :)