Glacier hike

Experience glacier hiking in the Belleville Valley!

A true first mountaineering experience, glacier hiking takes you onto high-altitude glaciers, around 3,000 meters, accompanied by a passionate mountain guide.
After an early start, you'll form a rope team with your guide and the other participants. Equipped with crampons, a harness, and an ice axe, you'll learn the basic techniques of glacier walking: roped progression, terrain reading, effort management, and safety on glacial surfaces.
The snow, hardened by the overnight freeze, offers ideal conditions for a gentle introduction to glacier travel, in a magnificent setting of peaks, crevasses, and seracs.
This outing is perfect:
- for beginners wishing to discover the high mountains safely,
- for a "refresher" for mountaineers who already have some experience but haven't been to the high mountains for a long time.
An experience that is technical, sensory, and contemplative, bringing you as close as possible to the high mountains!

Want to approach glaciers without crampons?

We also offer the "Just a Stone's Throw from the Glaciers" hike to discover the atmosphere of the high mountains… without ropes or crampons!

Why leave so early?

An early start isn't just a mountaineering habit: it's the key to a successful outing. Before sunrise, the cold of the night refroze the surface snow, providing ideal grip for walking and limiting the risks associated with the softening of the snowpack later in the day. It's also an opportunity to enjoy magnificent, low-angled light on the surrounding peaks, and often complete tranquility, far from any other human presence.

A complete introduction to mountaineering techniques

Your high-mountain guide will teach you, step by step, the fundamentals of progression on glacial terrain:

• Walking with crampons, on snow and ice
• Ropeding up, with the guide and other participants, for optimal safety against the risk of crevasses
• Reading glacial terrain: identifying crevasses, understanding how the glacier changes throughout the day
• Using an ice axe, a basic skill for every mountaineer

These skills provide a real gateway to new challenges.

An introduction to mountaineering, which you can explore further on future, more challenging outings.


Supervision and Safety

This outing is exclusively led by state-certified high-mountain guides, the only professionals authorized to navigate glacial terrain and lead groups there. They assess glacier conditions beforehand (weather, snowpack, crevasse openings) and adapt the route accordingly, combining maximum safety with the richest possible experience.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need prior mountaineering experience for this outing?

No, this is specifically an introductory hike: no prior technical experience is necessary. Good physical condition and a desire to discover mountaineering are all that's needed.


Why is the departure so early?

The overnight freeze hardens the snow, providing better traction for walking and optimal safety conditions.

This is a classic mountaineering practice.


Is equipment provided?

Yes, crampons, harnesses, and ice axes can be rented on site — see details in the trip's practical information.

Can we see crevasses up close?

Yes, one of the attractions of this trip is precisely the immersion in an authentic glacial landscape, with crevasses and seracs, in complete safety thanks to the rope team.

What is the difference with "A Step Away from the Glaciers"

Glacier hiking includes real technical progression on the glacier (crampons, rope team), while "A Step Away from the Glaciers" allows you to discover the atmosphere without technical equipment, for a more relaxed approach.

accessible.