17 June 2025, Climb Mont Blanc & Gran Paradiso

After a snowy spring season there are some excellent snow conditions in the high mountains and glaciers of the northern Alps and we had 100% of our guests climb Mont Blanc yesterday and Gran Paradiso a few days before as part of the training and acclimatisation build up.

Josh & Sam scrambling up the Gouter Ridge on Mont Blanc

The recent hot weather had seen some significant degradation of conditions in the Grand Couloir between the Tete Rousse and Gouter Huts on this classic route on Mont Blanc. Luckily our summit day coincided with a clear night, decent re-freeze and good snow conditions and a quiet traverse of the Grand Couloir and enjoyable ascent of the mountaineering ridge up to the Refuge du Gouter.

Dawn crossing of the Grand Couloir with the track currently quite close to the in-situ cable.

Conditions above the Gouter Hut were excellent with a well filled in glacier leading over the shoulder on the Dome du Gouter and up to the Vallot Hut with few observable crevasses and no exposed ice.

Josh and Sam enjoying the panoramic views from the snow ridge above the Gouter Hut.

Good snow volume and quality over the Col du Dome and the Bosses Ridge leading all the way to the summit of Mont Blanc

Likewise, the steep snow slopes above the Vallot Hut were well tracked and relatively friendly. On a couple of the steeper sections it looked like a track had even been cut out with the help of a shovel or 2!

Josh & Sam on the fine track leading up the Bosses Ridge from the Vallot Hut to the summit of Mont Blanc

The weather was good and the winds came and went but the ambiance was calm and friendly with lots of other teams really enjoying the experience of climbing the roof of the Alps in lovely conditions.

The last few steps…to the summit of Mont Blanc.

The afternoon sun was warm and we enjoyed plenty of time on the summit including some on our own as the other teams dissipated back down the ridge.

Sam and Josh on the summit of Mont Blanc

The physical effort of climbing plus the satisfaction – and relief – of reaching the summit means emotions are usually running high on the summit of Mont Blanc. For guests and guides alike. Today was no exception.

Back at the Gouter Hut after climbing Mont Blanc

Other teams & tracks could be seen ascending the mountain from the 3 Monts Route, over the Aiguille du Bionassay, from Mont Blanc de Courmayeur and, apparently, up from the Grands Mulets route too.

Gearing up for action at the Tete Rousse Hut at the start of the summit day.

Check our our UK based Mont Blanc training courses here.

As part of our build up for climbing Mont Blanc – and our brilliant alpine training course in its own right – we also made an ascent of the Gran Paradiso 4061m which also had excellent snow conditions.

Josh & the Gran Paradiso training team heading up the fine mountaineering ridge scramble on the Entreves

Rapid access from Skyway Monte Bianco to the sparkling early summer glaciers of the upper Vallee Blanche gave a great training day for the team with a glacier trek around to the Col Entreves and a scramble up the fine easier first section of this famous ridge traverse.

Tom, Josh, Tom & Same – Mountaineering training from Rifugio Torino with the Giant’s Tooth beyond.

There was lots of other good early season activity from the Torino Hut, with teams also climbing the Dent du Geant, Arete Rochefort, Tour Ronde & Diable Ridge on Mont Blanc du Tacul.

Ascent of the glacier below the North Face of Gran Paradiso from Rifugio Chabod.

Likewise on Gran Paradiso, many teams were enjoying the great early season conditions with high snow volume on the glacier and very little in the way of obvious crevassing opening up.

Dry conditions on the rock ridge, snowy everwhere else. Fine early summer conditions on Gran Paradiso.

We thought we were in for a bit of queuing on the approach to the summit ridge, but all the teams ahead both followed the one way system in place and made impressively swift progress along the snowy track on the Valsavarenche side, up the ladder, over the summit and down the fine narrow rock ridge.

Gran Paradiso team on the summit of Gran Paradiso

The fine early summer weather continues and we have teams heading to the Gran Paradiso & Weissmies in the coming days plus lots of teams heading out enjoying the Chamonix rock climbing. Please get in touch if we can help with private guiding and check out some of our group courses with places still available below.