Tour of the Aiguilles Rouges - Adventure in the French Alps

HIKing IN A CRYSTALLINE MASSIF OPPOSITE THE MONT BLANC RANGE

The Tour of the Aiguilles Rouges is as good as hiking and trekking gets in the French Alps. It offers spectacular views with relatively little effort. Chamonix, situated at the foot of the impressive Mont Blanc massif, is the starting point of this trek. On this route we will always be inside a natural reserve, and the ten sharp peaks of Aiguilles Rouges will look after our well-being.

ITINERARY

DAY 1

Chamonix Valley. Rendezvous at the group chalet in Chamonix. In front of us we have an innumerable number of glaciers that descend to the valley below the highest mountain in Europe. It is here where alpinism was born, on the 8th of August 1786, when Jacques Balmat and Michel-Gabriel Paccard conquered the top of Mont Blanc for the first time.

DAYS 2 to 4

Hiking through Aiguilles Rouges Natural Reserve

We take a chairlift up to 2000 meters high (6,561 feet). Without realizing it, we are right in the middle of the most spectacular of the French Alps. The view from here justifies the trip by itself: before us are innumerable glaciers forming a sea of ice, and a good part of the most mythical mountain tops of the French Alps. Behind us the impressive Aiguilles Rouges. After moments of speechlessness we start our trek, moving away from the most frequented paths, we go into the bowels of the Aiguilles. We spend the night in a refuge at 2350 m, on the banks of a lake that once was a glacier. Sunset over the massif of Mont Blanc is absolutely beautiful.

During the next few days, we continue to circle the massif of Aiguilles Rouges, on varied mountain terrain from grasslands to mountain passes that are covered with snow ten months a year. We will probably encounter chamois, the mountain goat's cousin, and marmots.

On the fourth day we pass the highest point of the tour, the mountain pass of Salenton, at 2526 m. Here we leave behind the Berard natural reserve to enter into Passy, another natural reserve.

DAY 5

Hiking through Aiguilles Rouges

Our last day of adventure. We leave the refuge at the first light of dawn to enjoy the cool and peaceful valley of Diosaz. We leave Passy, the natural reserve, to enter once again into the Aiguilles Rouges natural reserve. The orange light of sunrise shines upon the colossal rocks of Fiz. To reach the top of the last pass is a gift for the effort we have made: before us, the view is so beautiful it is difficult to describe with words; moments to reflect upon, surprise and astonishment.

Our adventure ends on arrival to Chamonix. From there you can take a transfer to Geneva airport or stay in Chamonix for a few relaxing days.