UKC

Hey, looking at doing first Chamonix trip with a friend. I'm British, fairly reliably lead VS 4c trad, 6b sport, and have done a few weeks in the Saas valley doing F and PD 4000ers unguided, as well as a few courses and winter days in scotland. I'm not a world expert but happy with things like glacier travel and alpine style rope systems, plus have done basic ice climbing.

We're aiming to go in June or July for about 10 days, and trying to work out what the best plan is. The goal is to get in some alpine style rock climbing, probably do the Cosmiques arete with a guide, and maybe have a crack at some easy 4000ers around there (likely not MB for hut reasons).

So far it seems to make sense to fly to Geneva (cheap) and then hire a van for the trip. It's cheaper than accommodation, better than camping, and includes transport. I did Saas valley camping and on foot and it was half great and half very annoying in terms of kit wrangling, cooking, and mobility really, even with the great transport. Am I missing something that's unique to Chamonix that'd make this a bad idea?

Secondly, kit wise we're trying to keep an open brief and just be able to do more or less whatever the weather allows but some of the alpine rock routes mention bivvying. If we're hiring a van as planned I wasn't looking to take camping and cooking gear, but if Bivvying is the only way to do some of these then I'll have to reconsider... 

I really want to do some of the easier classics(4s and 5s) in the higher mountains, but have no idea if these are a 2 hour approach and done in a day vs needing to approach the day before. Equally are there huts in the right places for some of this?? Things like Perron Traverse etc.

Basically, trying to do easy and varied classics, without packing the kitchen sink. Should I just pack it? Any advice and recommendations welcome!

Can't answer any of your other questions but the Perron Traverse doesn't need a hut just an early start as its pretty popular.

Papillons arete is great, you can do it in a day easily if you're happy to pay for the lift. My favourite spot for cragging is la cheserys above argentiere, lots of great routes there.

If you're happy with glacier travel and you've done a bit of winter climbing just get on cosmic arete without a guide, you'll be fine. Just make sure you don't do what 20 year old me did and have a late start, move slowly, and end up benighted in the toilets waiting for the lift of shame in the morning.

Bear in mind that if you stay in a campsite or gite in Chamonix you'll get free buses up and down the valley. I've done both, camping and vanning, and I'd say for a shorter trip having a base at a campsite is a really good option.

With the experience you've outlined, you won't need a guide for the Cosmiques Arete. It's short and has good gear for the harder bits and abseils. By all means hire a guide if you want to but with that experience you should be ok without.

I don't know what the situation with parking and living out of the van around Chamonix is. The public transport up and down the valley is good and if you stay on a campsite or in accommodation you can get the valley trains for free and buses at a discount iirc.

https://www.needlesports.com/Catalogue/Books-Media/Guidebooks/France/Mont-B...

This book is pretty good if you want more accessibly graded rock routes in the area. It makes clear which are day routes and which might need a hut or bivouac the night before.

It does miss out some classics such asSouth-southeast Arête (Chapelle de la Gliere) (D+ 6a)

As my buddy puts it, the crux in Chamonix is often getting on the route first. In some cases, bivi’s make this a lot easier.

You should be fine for Cosmiques and other classics of that level in the area. Just make sure you get early starts! 

The Aiguille de l'M (probably very incorrect spelling here) is worthwhile. The two regular routes are about VS and short. The descent is easy.

https://www.mountainproject.com/area/115891325/aiguille-de-lm
 

Your experience is fine for Cosmiques without a guide.  I don't agree with folk saying you have to rush off to get the first bin up.  Go a bit later, embrace chatting to others and enjoy the outing.  The route-finding is trivial and you don't need an alpine start to enjoy it in good time.

Papillon is a much longer day but still fine if you're acclimatised.  You do need an early start to get the last bin

There's plenty on the Aiguilles rouges side to go at too (Index, Chapel de la Gliere, etc.). 

Have fun.  It's a magical place and you only get one "first trip"!

Oh, and if the weather is shit don't be tempted, just because you only have a few days left, to go out in conditions that are foolhardy. 

I'm intrigued! How else would you spell something that has only one letter? Lowercase would be a bit mean.

If the weather is shit, check out Le Miroir d’ Argentine. Lots of long bolted multi pitch routes at grades you and yr partner can climb. Drier than the Chamonix valley but check the forecast. With a van you can get a very early start

Thanks all! Some great ideas and pointers. I'm still leaning towards a van for now as it opens up some crags further away, but otherwise this is all super useful. 

Please be aware that the local police are getting a lot more aggressive in moving people on in a van around Chamonix these days,  we've seen it first hand! The best spots will be well policed so be ready for this.

One good spot used to be the Grand Montets station car park in Argentiere - you could stay there no issue after the Grand Montets life station burned down. I believe it may be back running this summer so that location may be a no-no too.

Tread carefully.

The replacement téléphérique isn't scheduled to re-open until the end of 2026, and the Plan Joran télécabine is closed during the summer due to the ongoing work. (There will be limited opening of the Plan Joran lift but only for alpinistes with confirmed bookings at the Argentière or Lognan huts).

Are you able to point us at more information regarding this limited opening of Plan Joran please?

Yes, it did open last year for a few minutes early morning, midday, and at around 1700 for people heading to or from the glacier/refuge only.

But this year it says it is entirely closed.

https://en.chamonix.com/activities/practical-information-about-the-lifts/te...

Yes, hence my question to tomredfern - does Tom know something we don't about this summer...?

https://domaineschamonix.montblancnaturalresort.com/fr/domaine/grands-monte...

Access authorised only for mountaineers with hut reservations (Argentière and Logan) from June 21 to August 31 2025.

Boarding times for mountaineers (excluding cabin travel time): Everyday except Sunday, 7.30 to 8.20; 1.30 to 2.20; 5 to 5.50

I might be missing something obvious here, but where are you getting that info from?

That website seems to suggest closed for the whole of summer 2025, same story on other websites reading around 

Have you actually looked at / read the link I provided above? 

Thanks.  That's good to know.

I have indeed, clicked directly on it and had a thorough read 🙂 turns out only the desktop site shows the right info

Thanks

I did wonder if that was the case. Glad you found the info (I've just looked at it on my phone and see what you mean... unfortunately typical of a lot of French sites 🙄)