In reply to Happy Haggis:
> Orny and Trient huts both good options - Aig du Tour, Tete Blanche, Pt Fourche all good objectives for starting out. Also good rock routes out the back of the Orny hut and easy proximity to glacier for glacier skills practice. Lovely hut walk in too from Champex - just check the chair lift is running.
I'd agree with this. I've only been to the Alps once so far and that's where I went to start off with and it worked out well. Got to do a bit of rock climbing to start, then glacier stuff after that.