Sat 30th Jun - Sun 15th Jul, 2018
Alps Meet - Argentiere
***STOP PRESS***
As of 31st May 2018 there are 8 people now booked to attend (ie having bought flights/booked ferries) over the two week period for a mix of walking, scrambling, climbing and mountaineering.
Please contact Andy or Stuart directly if you would like to know more. If you know enough about the area already and are sold on it, please just click the ''intend to attend'' button when logged in.
As you would expect, there is something for everyone: low-level valley single pitch and multi-pitch rock climbing 15 -30 minutes walk from the campsite, multi-pitch Alpine rock routes on the Aiguille Rouge, easy Alpine routes accessible from this end of the valley, hut to hut or single day walks, lots of uplift to save your knees, and of course the magnificence of the Mont Blanc range.
Getting there:
By car
There is the option to drive out on a lift share – please contact me asap if you are thinking about driving or if you need a lift so we can start to figure out the logistics.
Calais to Argentiere is about 9 hours via Toll roads.
Flights:
For those with less holiday time, there is the option of flying to Geneva and getting a train or bus or sharing a minibus together to Chamonix / Argentiere. There are direct buses to the campsite and a train stop just a few hundred yards away.
The Campsite
We have chosen Camping Du Glacier D’Argentiere. www.campingchamonix.com
Hot showers and free fast Wifi included. On site bar, snack bar, pizza and breakfast pastries, campsite shop for basics. Good supermarket and great deli’s and restaurants less than 5 minutes walk.
All the usual facilities you would expect at a French campsite and reasonably priced.
Price electricity/day: 2.60 €
Price adult / day: 5.90 €
Price child / day: 3.60 €
Price car / day: 2.50 €
Price tent/day: 3.10 small or 4.10 big €
Price campervan/day: 5.60 €.
Valley Cragging
Detail to be added
Alpine Climbing direct from Argentiere
Detail to be added
Alpine Climbing in the rest of the Mont Blanc Range
There is so much choice of all styles (rock, mixed, mountaineering, easy alpinism and north face classics) and at all grades that even making an attempt at listing a few would be futile. Buy a guidebook!
The Aiguille Rouge
This is the area on the western side of Chamonix valley. There are no glaciers and routes are easy up and down to the valley in a day, although there are good bivi sites. All routes here are rock routes, most are climbed in rock shoes, most have a minimum of bolted belays, and many have bolts on other sections. As with all Chamonix rock climbing a good rack of middle-sized cams is very helpful.
Via Ferrata
Detail to be added
Walking
There is lots of walking in the area; lower in the valley, linking huts or using the uplift. Many guidebooks are available.
Guidebooks and Maps
The best new guidebook is probably the Rockfax Guide http://www.rockfax.com/climbing-guides/books/chamonix/
Another one often recommended for easy alpinism and alpine walking: Mont Blanc - easy ascents and glacier hikes
For high-level rock routes only Mont Blanc and The Aiguilles Rouges - Rock Routes
The Alpine Club guidebooks give more detailed (but dated) coverage.
There are many more books as well.
A good guide for walkers is reputed to be Mont Blanc - A walkers Guide also the Ciccerone guide Mont Blanc Walks
The French 1:25,000 are a good bet, and the excellent Swiss maps cover quite a bit of the area as well.
HD Panoramics with Peak names and ultra high res zoom.
If you havn't come across this before then you are in for a treat. Watch it on the largest computer screen you have available - it's not so impressive on a mobile. Fast Broadband essential.
Further details will be published in as time progresses.
Andy Stratford
Andy S
This year we will be going out a little earlier to try to take advantage of potentially better snow conditions for mountaineering.
We are back in the Chamonix valley for a second year, but at a different campsite. As you would expect, there is something for everyone: low level valley single pitch and multi-pitch rock climbing 15 minutes walk from the campsite, multi-pitch Alpine rock routes on the Aiguille Rouge, easy Alpine routes, hut to hut or single day walks, lots of uplift to save your knees, and of course the magnificence of the Mont Blanc range.
Further details to be confirmed.
Contact Andy or Stuart to register interest.
