Chamonix Experience — Local services in Bonneville

I took part in the steep skiing offpiste course.. or tried to take part. I asked if tech level 4 / 3-4 was ok (as per questionnaire they send me, see in the end of review) as well as described fairly accurately how i ski. I was told it was fine, but turned out not to be as the guide told me the second day my tech level is not enough. I stayed for three days after which i was offered to do absolute beginner skitour for the last two days (the guide told me the people of this course were absolute beginners) or beginner off piste course in two weeks, which i do not think would be useful for my level (I don't think beginner would be able to follow this course for the first three days). I refused, so no refund was offered. In the three days i got exactly two technical tips from the guide which are to lean more forward and move shoulders. The guide Eric is a great skier but it probably makes it difficult to explain other people how to correct their mistakes in skiing technique. The rest of the time I was told i am not good enough and at the end of the third day he told another group member and me that i should go learn how to ski. During the first three days we were skiing some ~40 dg couloirs for the which I dealt with without major issues. After spending 2 hours in the office and trying to get the money back for the unused days i reread course description in detail and in my opinion our program was more intense and technical than what is described. The images of gpx tracks are attached with couloirs we skied marked. My understanding is that the subsequent two days should be much more difficult (otherwise i am not sure why i got asked to leave). The ladies replying to questions at Chamonix Experience have very approximate idea of the difficulty of the course (one of them kept telling me all skiing will be below 40 dg, although i was showing her gpx track of the latter, plus she told me i could have signed up even if said I am tech level 3 - always good to have more people paying i guess). The other participant dropped out voluntarily after day 3 as well, he was better skier than me but in 60+ age bucket so i assume the course was too intense for him.

So, if you're really fit and a really good skier (meaning you know how to do jump turns on steeps but maybe they're not ideal, and you're ok skiing up to 45 dg but lack confidence/knowledge to do couloirs) your experience might be different, but otherwise prepare to pay a lot of money, hear some mockery of your skiing skills and have 2 or 3 days instead of 5. We were 3 people and only one person stayed in the course after 3 days (and apparently only had one more day instead of two). The course was adapted to the best skier in the group (the guide told him before i left that they will go to some new locations where the guide also has not been himself to try it out). I found this unfair since i paid the same money for the course (and this is very expensive course!).

Tech Level 1 Intro Off Piste Skier (Advanced Piste Skier). You cruise reds, black runs are challenging but fun and you have ventured off piste between the runs with varying degrees of success (ie deep snow is still something of a mystery…) Tech Level 2 Improving Off Piste Skier. You enjoy skiing black runs and the kind of tracked out off piste terrain found around many big resorts, but you haven’t skied too much in properly deep snow without a base to it yet. Tech Level 3 Confirmed Off Piste Skier. You can put down a reasonable set of tracks in powder, but difficult snow types – eg heavy wet snow, crusts, poor visibility or 40dg slopes – can all cause problems (though you can cope with them safely, if not elegantly!) Tech Level 4 Advanced Off Piste Skier. You can put turns in through heavier snow and on icy 40dg slopes, but difficult breakable crusts and skiing a fresh track off piste in zero visibility are still somewhat challenging! Tech Level 5 Expert Off Piste Skier. You can ski all snow types including crusts in control and are happy on slopes of 45dg or when putting in a fresh track in...

I sought the support of the Chamonix Experience team on a trip to the Alps that included the legendary Haute Route ski traverse from Chamonix to Zermatt, followed by a summit climb and ski descent of Mont Blanc. The 2023 spring season was marked by unstable weather conditions, which led to many misfortunes in the mountains, reminding us of the serious nature of our recreations.

On the first leg of my trip, Octavio led our group on the Haute Route. His prudent decision-making and well-honed navigation skills led us to alter our planned route and to avoid avalanche hazards that sadly proved deadly for several others over the course of our movements. Although we did not culminate in Zermatt as planned due to snow storms, we instead reveled in some incredible powder in Italy.

Immediately thereafter, on my two-day assault on Mont Blanc, my guide was Maud (1:1 ratio), an accomplished guide with a PhD in risk management and mountaineering. On our first day we reached the hut without issue. We debriefed and discussed two potential routes to the summit the next morning. One was well trodden via a gulley, but featured several large seracs, one of which had toppled over a couple of weeks earlier, fortunately with no casualties, but nonetheless indicative of the hazard at hand. The second route had not yet been opened that season, and was both technically and physically more demanding than the first, requiring an ice climb along the upper ridge on hard blue ice, however the objective hazard of the seracs would be avoided. It was decided to take the second route, however instead of resting for the assault the next morning, we would have to leave the comfort of the hut that afternoon to break trail and open the new route so that we may have a path to follow by headlamp the next morning. We followed this plan of action and made excellent progress the following day up the mountain. Several hundred feet from the summit we were unfortunately caught in a snow storm and forced to turn around. It was cold and impossible to see further than a couple of meters ahead, but once we eventually emerged below the storm cloud hours later, laboring through several trials and tribulations meandering around and across glacier crevices, we enjoyed some of the best high altitude skiing around. Only just the following day Maud and I received sad news from the hut guardian that two climbers had perished in a serac fall along the first and more established route we contemplated on our summit push. This message continues to resonate within me to this day and will do so for the foreseeable future.

Chamex has assembled an elite team of mountain professionals who are equipped with the skills and experience to guide you through some of the least forgiving environments on our beautiful yet savage planet. While I was unsuccessful in my summit bid on Mont Blanc, and the legendary Haute Route was re-routed, I was not among the many people who lost their lives in the mountains in my immediate vicinity on that trip. I credit and thank the Chamex team for successfully navigating the challenging and constantly changing risk assessment scenarios we encountered, fortifying my mountaineering education, and keeping me safe. I look forward to what I hope will be many more...

Probably one of the worst experiences I've encountered with this company! Found the guides very arrogant and completely unhelpful. Their negative attitude really had a profound impact on the trip. They were of no help and in fact we're the complete opposite when as hikers in difficult situations we needed their support! On at least 3 occasions on Gran Paradiso they tried to turn us back as they said it was "too dangerous to summit". Strange as we did summit! In my opinion form day 1 they had no interest in Gran Paradiso or Mont Blanc.. they never intended on taking us any where near Mont Blanc.. was this because of huts not being booked? Or maybe they hadn't enough guides which is what they had indicated in their 'debrief'. The debrief where we were marched into an office and abruptly told we weren't summiting Mont Blanc as it was too dangerous! Yet others summited Mont Blanc on same day! When we politely asked for reasons, as paying customers we were entitled to do so, we were very aggressively and loudly shot down! This to me was a big concern as no matter how much money was paid we were told it wasn't about money. If it wasn't about money then surely it would be of no problem of Chamonix Eperience to refund us at least some of the money? But again we were shouted out of the office like bold school children! In short a complete farce of a company that when they didn't like what was being said, then it was time to get aggressive and nasty! Horrible and disgusting experience. No real reason was ever given as to why we were told no and the lies that were told between guides and other groups it's of no surprise that the company behaved the way it did! A company with no morals and no integrity. I personally will be back to Chamonix as it's a beautiful place but under no circumstances will it be with this company!

I'll edit this as I can't seem to reply to the constant lies that are being told in my reply! It's strange how we didn't summit Paradiso as I've a strava route to prove otherwise! And the 'slow pace' was actually faster than your guides had told us it would be done in.. not honestly sure how any of the guides observed any of us on Paradiso as they walked in front of us at all times with their umbrellas! Trekked along without a care in the world! There for our safety? Pictures of these actions too if you'd like I can share them! I have serious questions about your guides and their behaviour that may never be answered! One thing I know your company and those guides lacked serious customer care.. again I'll relate back to how we were spoke to in your debrief when the so called director got very loud and very aggressive to us! You question why we didn't go back for another debrief? I think at one point I was actually shocked and feared for my own personal safety in that office! And please elaborate more on the Monte Rosa trip?? Did that happen? Of course it didn't as when the 3 climbers turned up for that you arranged a different excursion! I'll leave it with this.. once you're a caught out telling one lie, everything you say is called into question! Your integrity is gone at that...