France
Climbing Mont Blanc is a great website where you can post your own experiences of climbing Mont Blanc.
Mountaingirl is a great company that offers women's climbing courses and holidays. It's run by inspiring and fun female mountain guides who teach and encourage you instead of just drag ging you up a hill.
They have courses for absolute beginners to high level climbers and are happy to make a "bespoke course" for you and your friends if you ask. They offer a very high-quality experience where you can learn a new sport, laugh a lot, and also get out somewhere incredible!
London office
128 Shoreditch High St,
London E1 6JE
www.mountaingirl.eu
Great new hotel in Chamonix with shop for kit rental, beer garden with it's own climbing wall and a cool bar and restaurant downstairs. Open year round with regular events/parties in the bar.
964 Routes Des Gaillands, on the South side of Chamonix by the lake and climbing wall. www.verthotel.com
Tel +33 0450 531 358
The Goûter Refuge is a mountain hut for climbers attempting an ascent on Mt Blanc. At 3,817m, it's not easy to get to - you would need climbing gear, a good level of fitness and a head for heights! However, once there, you can pop on a pair of slippers provided and dine above the clouds!
It's a 6 hour trek from Nid d'Aigle (catch the cable car to Les Houches, then the Mt Blanc train).
This is a traditional-style gite with a great view of the Bossons Glacier and Mont Blanc massif. The owners are very friendly and the food served is typical of the area. Ask to see their collection of shot glasses!
La Crèmerie du Glacier 333, route des Rives
Nearest station: Les Bossons
Tel.: +33(0)4.50.55.90.10
Chamonix has an excellent sports centre, with a range of activities including an indoor climbing wall. There's also a very good swimming pool, which - somewhat eccentrically - doesn't open until 3pm. If outdoor climbing is more your thing, try the climbing wall down at Les Gaillands, one minute's drive south of Chamonix on the back road.
214 Avenue de la Plage, Chamonix. Tel: +33(0)450530907
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