Mountaineering is a sport that involves many risks. You will never be able to eliminate all the risks that exist in the mountains. Nevertheless, good risk management and a humble attitude to your level and abilities are the key to limiting the possibility of an accident. We can't stress this enough: if you're a beginner or have any doubts about the mountaineering route you want to take, contact a guide or go through an organisation that organises mountaineering initiation courses.
The advantage of a real introduction to mountaineering is that your guide will take the time to teach you the correct practices and handling of the sport. You don't pay for a two-day race to reach a summit and then basta. No, depending on your level, the initiation will either give you a real grounding in the basics so that you can continue mountaineering more serenely, or a step towards autonomy in the mountains.
DiscoveRent offers 2 different levels of mountaineering training in the wildest valley in the northern Alps. In just one week, you can learn, progress or perfect your mountaineering skills.
In other words, you can :
- [Initiation] Learn the basics of the sport in a friendly atmosphere, combined with other mountain activities such as canyoning or via ferata.
- [Advanced] Improve your skills in several styles of mountaineering, from ridge running to more challenging high-mountain routes.
Interested? You'll find all the information you need here.
So you've decided it's time to take the plunge - you want to be able to see the world from Europe's highest peaks? Wondering which mountain is best suited to your first steps in the Alps?
You've come to the right place, here are the top 4 easy summits to start mountaineering:
4 easy summits to start mountaineering - La traversée Des dômes de Miage |3673m| - Mountaineering in the Mont Blanc Massif
The traverse of the Dômes de Miage starts from Chamonix. On the first day you will hike to the Conscrits hut. A good but short night awaits you after a good Savoyard meal. Mountaineering is all about getting up early; 4am or 5am, sometimes even midnight for the longer routes. The snow bridges above the crevasses must still be icy when you descend, so you're really racing against the sun! Now do you understand why we say "race" in mountaineering?
From the refuge, follow the Tré la Tête glacier to the Col des Dômes. Follow the very attractive and easy ridge of the Dômes du Miage to the summit of the Bérangère. You then descend via the normal route of the Aiguille de la Bérangère. In short, a magnificent introductory route that will give you unique views and an exceptional experience.
Bishorn |4153m| - Mountaineering in the Valais Alps
The Bishorn from the Tracuit hut, one of our favourite introductory routes. The hike to the Tracuit hut is not to be sniffed at, as the climb is sometimes described as interminable. The breathtaking views of Zinal, the Bishorn and the Weisshorn soon make us forget the effort. From the Tracuit hut, the route is fairly straightforward, taking you up the glacier to the summit ridge. During the season, the route is always marked out, so follow the footprints without straying far from them.
The last few metres before reaching the summit are trickier for beginners, as the slope becomes a little steeper over 5-6 metres with a little exposure to the void. Nothing too serious, but make sure you know the basics or are accompanied by a mountain guide.
Le Grand Paradis |4061m| - the Massif du grand paradis
The Grand Paradis from the Chabod refuge is a great classic. What we love about it is the totally wild world of the Gran Paradiso National Park. You'll see plenty of ibex and marmots. Gran Paradiso is in the Val d'Aosta, the neighbouring valley to Chamonix on the Italian side. The only difficulty lies in the relatively easy climb (passage in 3) on the last few metres before reaching the summit.
4 easy summits to start mountaineering - L'Aiguille du Tour |3542m| - Mont Blanc Massif
From the village of Le Tour, you reach the Albert Ier refuge. Yes, Albert I, King of the Belgians and one of the first mountaineers, posthumously left his name to this refuge.
The cool thing about the Aiguille du Tour is that it's a varied route. Most of the route is glacier walking (crampons on glacier) and you finish with a bit of easy climbing to reach the summit. If you're still in good shape, you can go on to Tête Blanche, a small, shy summit next to the Aiguille du Tour.
So that's our top 4 easy summits for beginners, a great programme for learning mountaineering in the best possible conditions. Don't forget that if you don't have any mountaineering experience, having a guide is the best way to start. If you want to go your own way and do your first summits on your own, or if you just want to get to know the mountains better, sign up for our Summer Alpine Week this summer.
So, are we off to the top of the Alps together this summer?
Here you'll find the Topo's for the 4 summits mentioned above:
