CCO Campus Ministry

DAY 1

You will be transported from Geneva airport to Chamonix, home of the 1924 Winter Olympics. Following an afternoon briefing, you will have a chance to acquaint yourself with this beautiful town before we gather for dinner.

DAY 2

Today we will take a day hike to get ourselves acclimatized to the alpine air and our legs to the alpine terrain. We will stay in Chamonix again tonight.

DAY 3

With a short transport, we will start our pilgrimage in Les Houches, the traditional starting point of the Tour du Mont Blanc. We will take the gondolas up part of the mountains and then hit the trail. Passing the Glacier du Bionnassay glacier, we will crest the Col de Tricot before descending towards Les Contamines, our destination for the night.

Day 4

With a short transport, we will start our day at Notre Dame De La Gorge, a pilgrimage chapel. Leaving the old Roman road, we climb towards the first col of the day, Col du Bonhomme. The weather and the state of our legs will determine our next course of action: descending towards the hamlet of Les Champieux or climbing higher to one of the highest points on the Tour before finishing at a mountain refuge.

Day 5

After a short transport, we climb to the Col de la Seigne for beautiful scenery and cross into Italy. A gentle descend and a short transport will bring us to Courmayeur, the Italian and less commercial counterpart to Chamonix.

DAY 6

We leave Courmayeur on our way to Champex. In the shadows of the Grandes Jorasses, we cross into Switzerland hiking through Alpine pastures and chalets.

DAY 7

Today’s hike is very weather dependent. A more strenuous and exposed route takes us by way of the Fenetre D’Arpette. The rewarding view of the Trient glacier and the valley make the climb worth it. The less exposed route takes us along the Bovine route.

DAY 8

From Trient the trail will take us over the Col de Balme back to France. Overlooking the Chamonix valley we descend into Argentiere with the opportunity to continue onto the beautiful mountain lake, Lac Blanc. We also have the opportunity to save this this worthwhile hike for tomorrow.

DAY 9

A morning hike along the Grand Balcon or a short transport will take us back to Chamonix to complete our tour. We will have several options for the rest of the afternoon including riding the cable car to l’Aiguille du Midi at 11,000 ft (or continue on with a round trip across the Massif du Mont Blanc to Courmayeur), riding the tram to the Mer de Glace to explore a glacier or simply recovering while browsing the shops and cafes in Chamonix.

DAY 10

An early morning departure from Chamonix will get everyone to the Geneva airport in time to catch their flight back to the U.S.

Note: This schedule is tentative. Weather, group ability, and unforeseen changes will dictate our final schedule.

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