What if your first steps in mountaineering took you to the heart of the Écrins? Over three days, discover the high mountains at your own pace, accompanied by an attentive high-mountain guide. On the iconic Glacier Blanc, you’ll learn how to walk with crampons, use an ice axe, and move while roped up, and you’ll discover the beauty of the glacial world.
The internship allows you to gradually gain altitude, with breaks to get your bearings and fully enjoy the mountains. Over the course of the three days, you’ll climb your first peaks, with the Roche Faurio (3,750 m) Our main goal: a sunrise hike and a view of the most beautiful vistas of the Écrins peaks!
A word from your guide
The perfect short course to discover mountaineering! Short enough to give it a go, long enough to feel you belong up there… and want to come back! It’s all there: spectacular surroundings, glacier travel, your first summits and early starts!
Day 1 — Exploring the Glacier Blanc
In the morning, you’ll hike on your own from Pré de Madame Carle along the trail that leads to the Glacier Blanc refuge. We’ll meet on the terrace of the Glacier Blanc refuge in the early afternoon (2:00 p.m.). Together, we’ll prepare the necessary gear for our first glacier exploration. You can leave any items you won’t need at the refuge, since we’ll be spending the night there.
We head to the Glacier Blanc, about 200 meters higher up. From there, we set out on our first foray onto the glacier, surrounded by breathtaking scenery. This will be an opportunity to learn how to move while roped together, put on crampons, and master the basics of navigating a glacier.
Late in the afternoon, we make our way back to the mountain hut at a leisurely pace for dinner and the night.
Elevation gain: approx. 850 m | Max. elevation: approx. 2,700 m | Accommodations: dinner and overnight stay at the Glacier Blanc mountain hut
Day 2 — Ascent of Pic du Glacier d’Arsine (3,365 m)
An early morning departure from the Glacier Blanc refuge toward the Pic du Glacier d’Arsine. This relatively easy climb is ideal for continuing your training: depending on conditions, you’ll be able to take your first steps on rock or use crampons on the snowy slopes leading to the summit.
Located in the mountain range that runs along the left bank of the Glacier Blanc, the Pic du Glacier d’Arsine offers an exceptional view of the Écrins, Cerces, Vanoise, and Mont Blanc massifs—to name just the best-known ones!
On the descent, we reach the Glacier Blanc plateau, which we follow along its left bank to reach the Écrins refuge (3,170 m). Lunch and an afternoon of rest at the refuge before dinner and overnight stay.
Elevation gain: between 800 and 1,000 m | Elevation loss: approximately 300 m | Maximum elevation: 3,365 m | Accommodations: dinner and overnight stay at the Écrins mountain hut
Day 3 — Ascent of Roche Faurio (3,750 m)
Today, we’ll climb even higher toward one of the most beautiful viewpoints in the Écrins Massif. We’ll set out at night to ascend the Glacier Blanc, before the first light of day appears on the slopes of the Roche Faurio. Following an accessible and scenic route, we then reach the secondary summit, at nearly 3,750 m, where an exceptional 360° panorama of the great peaks of the Écrins awaits us.
The climb usually ends here. For those who are up for it—and if conditions allow—it’s possible to continue along the final 50 meters of a much more exposed rocky ridge to reach the summit.
After taking in the view, we begin the long descent to the Glacier Blanc shelter, where we part ways.
Elevation gain: approximately 650 m | Elevation loss: approximately 1,950 m | Maximum elevation: 3,750 m
Technical Details
Booking & advice by phone available
Photo Gallery
Related Trip Reports
Introductory Mountaineering Course
Two or three days discovering mountaineering in the Écrins: Glacier Blanc, Pic d’Arsine and Roche Faurio, with sunny naps and a start under the stars.
Introductory Course in Rock Climbing at Faurio
Three days of beginner mountaineering with Jérôme, Thibaut, Fabien and Charly, from Pic d’Arsine to Roche Faurio, with a sunrise worth the early start.
Mountaineering Introductory
Three days learning mountaineering in the Écrins with Laurence and Christophe: Glacier Blanc, Pic d'Arsine and sunrise, with the mountains to ourselves.
Mountaineering introduction trip
Three days of introductory mountaineering in the Écrins: Glacier Blanc, Pic d’Arsine and a retreat on Roche Faurio in surprisingly wintry June snow.
Introductory Mountaineering Course
Three days of beginner mountaineering in the Écrins with Franck, Adrien and Marion, from the Pic d’Arsine traverse to a snowy summit on Roche Faurio.
Introductory workshop, last but not least
The last introductory mountaineering course of the year. It’s starting to feel like the end of the season: the mountain huts aren’t really open anymore, and the guides are talking about nothing but vacation....
Mountaineering Introduction
In a heatwave, we get a taste of mountaineering in the Écrins, with ice skills, summits and naps in the sun. Suffering seems to be in short supply.
Mountainerring introduction
We spend three days learning the ropes in the Écrins, from Glacier Blanc to Pic d’Arsine and Roche Faurio, with summit naps and hut carbonara thrown in.
Mountaineering Introduction course
With Alice, Florian, Lise, Yauric and Denis, we spend four days getting to grips with mountaineering in the Écrins, finishing with sunrise on Roche Faurio.
Snow on the Cordier & Arsine Traverse
The alpine adventures continue in a small group after Roche Faurio.
Introduction... improvisation!
Three days in the Écrins with Lionel, Christophe and Benoit: Pic du Glacier d’Arsine, quiet huts and an improvised couloir climb on Roche Émile Pic.