Climbing the French Alps

#1

Posted as guest by Kevin:

Hi there!

I’m a complete beginner at Alpine climbing and would really appreciate it if you guys could give me a couple of points on what i should do.

I’m thinking of climbing the french alps during the coming winter but am rather unsure as to which route to take.

  1. are there any sites which provide a really good deal / package on climbing? I preferably would like to climb in a bigger group but its not too much of a big fuss for me.,

  2. Which mountain face would provide a relatively good challenge for a beginner to climb?

  3. Anything else i should know?

Hope you guys can help me out!

Cheers!!
kevin

#2

Posted as guest by giovanni:

Hi Kevin,

Welcome to the French Alps, be careful, it can quickly become addictive!

If you have no experience in alpine climbing, the best thing for you is to find some good training. This will allow you to meet people with similar interest and skills (sometimes it is hard to find climbing partners when you don’t have much experience).

I would take a look at the Compagnie des Guides in Chamonix (http://www.chamonix-guides.com/) as they are the oldest and largest institution there. They offer classes for all levels and all practices.

The only other piece of advice I can give you is that winter is probably not the best time to get started at alpine climbing (though it is very good for ski touring and ice climbing). Alpine climbing is not more difficult than pure rock or ice climbing, but it hides a number of dangers that are difficult to disguise at the beginning (evaluating snow conditions, weather, your physical limits, and so on) and this only gets worse in the winter when you have to carry twice the equipment and have to worry about the cold, avalanches and the snow!

Good luck and take it slowly

[%sig%]

#3

Posted as guest by Katiochka:

Hi Kevin,
in addition to Giovanni’s note who dared to answer in a very good English which is rare! (and this is probably the reason why you have not received that many answers) why don’t you also check with the Club Alpin Français (each section or major town located in the Alps or Pyrenees etc has its own website eg. http://www.clubalpin-chamonix.com/ ). Your subscription would not only allow you to go on alpine tours by joining small groups headed by a trip leader and stay overnight in the alpine huts at lower rates but would also cover you in case of injuries.
Personally I belong to the Annecy section and the fees are around 70 Euros/y depending on age (but I won’t tell you my age! ;-))))
Now expect to go mainly on ski touring during the winter season with the Alpine Club. I would highly recommend you to go on easy ski tours at the beginning in the Prealpes (Aravis, Bornes, Chablais Massif) before looking at the Chamonix area. You don’t need to be a ski pro by the way!
Good luck!