Dates

Available Dates

Prices

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Itinerary

Day 1 Meet in Chamonix

 

Day 2 Ski Valley Blanche or similar warm up objective (weather and conditions based)

 

Day 3 Chamonix Ski Mountaineering Objective

 

Day 4 Chamonix Ski Mountaineering Objective

 

Day 5 Chamonix Ski Mountaineering Objective

 

Day 6 Chamonix Ski Mountaineering Objective

 

Day 7 Conclusion of the program

 

 

Equipment

Alps Ski Mountaineering Gear Guide

Gear Guide / Packing List

 

Backcountry Touring Gear

☐ Alpine Touring Skis or Splitboard - Light to Midweight Setup with “Tech Bindings”

☐ Alpine Touring Boots or Splitboard Compatible Boots; Scarpa F1

☐ Ski Poles - Lightweight, Adjustable Poles with Baskets; BD Expedition 3 Poles

☐ Climbing Skins - Mohair Mix is Best; Black Diamond GlideLite Mohair Mix,

☐ Ski Crampons - Specific to your Skis/Board; 

☐ Ski Strap - Voile Ski Strap or Similar
 

Avalanche Gear

☐ Avalanche Beacon - Digital Avalanche Transceiver; Black Diamond Guide Recon BT

☐ Avalanche Shovel - Collapsible, Aluminum Shovel; Backcountry Access BT2 Shovel

☐ Avalanche Probe - Quickdraw Style Probe; Backcountry Access Stealth 300
 

Technical Gear

☐ Climbing/Ski Helmet - Dual Rated Helmet; Petzl Sirocco or Black Diamond Vision

☐ Headlamp - LED headlamp with fresh batteries; Petzl Actik Core

☐ Climbing Harness -  Light Alpine Harness; Petzl Altitude, Mammut Zephyr Altitude

☐ Two Locking Carabiners - Petzl Attache, etc

☐ Triple Action Locking Carabiner - Edelrid HMS Strike Triple FG Locking Carabiner

☐ Double Length Sling - Sewn Runner; Black Diamond 10mm Dynex Runner

☐ Belay Device - Tube Style Belay Device; BD ATC Guide, Petzl Reverso

☐ Crampons, Steel - Steel Crampons Compatible with Your Boots; Petzl Vasak

OR Crampons, Aluminum - Aluminum Crampons, Compatible with Your Boots

Please ask your guide which is appropriate for your objective

☐ Lightweight Ice Axe - An ultralight Axe for Steep Terrain; Petzl Ride, BD Raven Ultra

☐ Ice Screw - One mid length ice screw (16cm) for crevasse falls, etc

☐ Backpack - Lightweight, Simple 30-40 Liter Pack; Patagonia Alpinist 50, BD Speed 50 - MUST FIT ALL OF YOUR GEAR AND FOOD
 

Head and Neck Layers

☐ Sun Hat - A Baseball Hat; Blackbird Mountain Guides Logo Hat

☐Sunglasses - Dark Lens Glasses with Side Coverage; Julbo Shield

☐ Goggles - Ski Goggles with a Storm Lens; Julbo Aerospace Reactive

☐ Warm Hat - Lightweight Warm Hat that Fits Under Your Helmet; 

☐ Neck Gaiter - Light to Midweight Neck Gaiters; Buff or your favorite Face Masks 

***These Are Required as Covid-19 Face Coverings

 

Upper Body and Hand Layers

☐ Long Sleeve Base Layer - Lightweight, Synthetic/Wool; Patagonia SunHoody

☐ 2 Insulating Top Layers - Light to Midweight Insulation Layers; Patagonia R1 & NanoAir

☐ Puffy - Midweight Down or Synthetic with Hood; Patagonia Fitzroy or similar

☐ Hardshell Jacket, Hooded - Waterproof, Light, Gore-Tex, NOT insulated; Arc’Teryx Alpha FL

☐ Light Gloves - Light to Mid Weight for Warm Temps; Flylow John Henry Gloves, BD Tour

☐ Midweight Gloves - Mid to Heavy Weight for Cold Conditions; BD Legend

☐ Sports Bra - Wool/Synthetic

Lower Body and Foot Layers

☐ Socks - Midweight Wool/Synthetic; Darn Tough Via Ferrata

☐ Underwear - Wool/Synthetic

☐ Long Underwear - Wool/Synthetic “Long Johns”;  Patagonia Capilene Air

☐ Softshell Ski Pants - Breathable, Weather Resistant Pants; OR Trailbreaker II

☐ Vented Hardshell Ski Pants - (Conditions dependent) Waterproof Pants for Extreme Weather

 

Food and Water

☐ Dinner - Your Favorite Freeze Dried or “Just-Add-Hot-Water” Meal for Each Night in the Field.

☐ Breakfast - Your Favorite Freeze Dried or “Just-Add-Hot-Water” Meal for Each Morning in the Field

☐ Hot Drinks - For After Dinner and During Breakfast; Instant Coffee, Decaffeinated Tea, Hot Cocoa, Tang, Whatever You Prefer

☐ Half Liter Nalgene Bottle - A Hard Sided Water Bottled that Can Act as your Mug For Hot Drinks and WAter Bottle Dutring the Climb; Nalgene 16oz Wide Mouth Bottle

☐ Soft Water Bottle 1.5L - Flexible Water Bladder; Hydrapak Flux 1.5L

***Please bring at least one hard sided water bottle.

☐ Water Treatment or Filtration - Katadyn BeFree Filter Connects to Hydrapak Flux Bottles 

☐ Bowl - Reuse your Freeze Dried Dinner Bag as Your Bowl, or Bring Another;

☐ Spoon - 9” Long Handled Spoon (For Eating Food in a Bag); GSI Essential Spoon Long

☐ Snacks - Snacks and Lunch food  for each day of the trip
 

Other Essentials

☐ Sun Screen (SPF 30 minimum)

☐ Lip Balm (with SPF)

☐ Hand Sanitizer

☐ Toilet Paper

 

Optional

☐ First Aid/blister Kit

☐ Chemical Hand Warmers

☐ Hydration System - Flexible Water Bladder with Hose; Hydrapak, Camelback, Platypus

 

Group Gear

Blackbird Mountain Guides will supply all of the group gear for the trip, including:

✔ Ropes

✔ Ice Screws

✔ Snow Pickets (if required)

✔ Rock Protection (if required)

✔ Guide’s First Aid Kits

✔ Wag Bags (Solid Human Waste Disposal Bags)