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Chamonix · Freeriding · Ski touring
The Vallée Blanche is a glacier ski descent from the Aiguille du Midi at 3,842 m down towards Chamonix, around 20 km long with up to 2,700 m of vertical. It is not steep, but it crosses crevassed glacier throughout, which is why it is skied with a guide.
The Vallée Blanche is the most famous off-piste ski descent in the Alps, and it deserves the amazing reputation. Twenty kilometres of glacier, up to 2,700 vertical metres, and a start that puts you at 3,842 metres surrounded by the biggest mountains in western Europe. It is often the highlight of one's skiing career.
The Vallée Blanche ski run begins with the Aiguille du Midi cable car — twenty minutes from the middle of Chamonix to a summit station that feels like it shouldn't exist. Then the ridge, or the "arête" in French: a narrow snow ridge descended on foot, roped, with skis on your pack. Guides ensure your safety on this ridge.
From the Col du Midi (just under the ridge), your guide chooses the descent line. The classic route is the gentlest and works in almost any conditions. The Vrai Vallée Blanche runs closer to the crevasses and seracs. The Grand Envers is steeper and perfect for powder hunters and skilled off-piste skiers.
Then you are skiing through the Géant glacier and the Mer de Glace with seracs above you and the Grandes Jorasses on the horizon. Often, guides stop for lunch on the glacier, or at the Refuge du Requin, if the timing works. Given sufficient snowcover, the run may finish all the way in Chamonix town. However, most of the time, you finish at Montenvers and take the train down.
The Vallée Blanche is not a steep descent — the difficulty is length, access, altitude and glacier travel. However, a guide is absolutely essential, because the entire route is on a glacier, which results in crevasse risk. Skiing alone or without the necessary ropes and glacier rescue knowledge is strongly discouraged.
The descent starts at the Aiguille du Midi at 3,842 m and drops onto the Vallée Blanche, which feeds into the Mer de Glace.
Below the Refuge du Requin the glacier steepens before flattening into the long run-out of the Mer de Glace. In a good winter the descent continues to the valley floor at Les Planards. In most winters now it finishes at Montenvers, where a few staircases lead up from the ice to the train.
The season generally runs January to April, with February and March the most reliable. December is often unreliable, unless it is an excellent snowy start to the season, and the start of May can be possible but often with a longer walk out at the bottom.
Relevant dates proposed by guides. Each option may vary slightly, so it's worth checking the details and talking to the guide first.
2 Feb 2027
120 EUR
Francesco Perrone
1 day
The Vallée Blanche from the Italian side, starting at Punta Helbronner at 3466m off the Skyway and skiing the length of the Géant, the Tacul and the M…
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Tell us when you want to go and we'll send your trip to qualified guides in Chamonix. Quotes come straight back to you, with no obligation to book.
Santeri
Steep Skiing Techniques with Dave Searle
Really great course. I got a lot out of the course that helped me progress my skiing the rest of the season. 5/5 would recommend.
Enea
Basic Mountaineering Course – Punta Helbronner 2 days
Really good, Francesco was great, I learned a lot and had a great time
yanxiang
3 days Alpine Training & Summit Pigne d’Arolla (3,796 m)
It was great! I had a lot of fun and learned a lot about alpinism techniques.
Alexandra
Crevasse Rescue course
The guide was super competent and the course was very useful for me. Thank you!
Satyen
Basic Mountaineering Course – Punta Helbronner 2 days
Really great 2-day BMC course in Italy! Learned a lot about mountaineering, safety, and glacier travel. The instructors were knowledgeable, patient, and made the whole experience super fun. Highly recommended!
Finlay
Monte Rosa tour: Climb, learn and discovery the High Mountains
Absolutely incredible tbh. The guides were always willing to give more info than the course outlined if you had a question.
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The Vallée Blanche needs comfortable off-piste skiing in variable snow, and able to ski a full day without exhaustion. Generally, the Vallée Blanche could be similar to a red piste in terms of difficulty, in good conditions. The Vallée Blanche can be family friendly in good conditions. Enquire with a guide if you are unsure.
Skiing the Vallée Blanche without a guide is legally possible, practically no: unless you are experienced on glaciers, and are carrying 2 ropes per party as well as gear to perform a crevasse rescue and knowledge on how to do so. The route crosses glaciated and crevassed terrain throughout.
Crevasse rescue training is not needed to ski the Vallée Blanche with a guide, who carries and manages the rope and gear. If you plan to ski it independently later, take a crevasse rescue course first - it's essential.
The Vallée Blanche takes a full day. Meet early, first lift shortly after, back in Chamonix mid to late afternoon. The skiing is four to five hours including stops; the rest is lifts, the arête and the exit. If you are an advanced skier, you can complete the route faster as a half day activity.
To ski the Vallée Blanche you need off-piste or all-mountain skis, a harness, crampons, and a transceiver, shovel and probe. Guides carry the rope and rescue kit. You can hire the full set in Chamonix: in most cases, the guide provides the additional gear.
The Vallée Blanche is best skied January to April, dependent on the snow and glacier conditions.
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