Head to Chamonix for the Ultimate Off-Piste Challenge

They say life is all about the journey and not about the destination, but a trip up – and then down – Mont Blanc shows both can be pretty incredible.

With all its luxury trappings and winter glam, historic Chamonix also offers the chance to take on a remarkably tough challenge: a three-day climb up the iconic Mont Blanc. It's well worth the effort for the unreal snowboarding at the other end – although there's also a quick 30-minute helicopter ride to a drop zone at 4000 meters available if you're not feeling the hike.

At the summit, the incredible views stretch out over France, Italy, and Switzerland. They don't stop there either – you can continue to marvel at your surroundings on the breathtaking 3000m descent that winds through glacial terrain and forests all the way down to the valley floor.

Both on the ascent, and on the way down, a guide to help you navigate between dangerous crevasses and other perils, is indispensable. Also worth noting – although on a technical level it isn’t the most difficult route, to really enjoy it you should have a reasonable level of fitness.

Back in Chamonix, Chalet Couttet is the perfect place to spend the rest of your stay. It sleeps 10 and was decorated by the same people who did Sir Richard Branson’s lodge in Verbier, so you can expect every luxury imaginable. Overlooking the dramatic Bossons Glacier, it comes with a sauna, hammam, cinema room, and an open bar – plus a chauffeur to take you back to the slopes for your next challenge: a 14-mile descent covering a 2800m vertical drop down Vallée Blanche.

Let us know and we'll start planning an unreal Chamonix adventure.

Top image: courtesy of Max-Coquard/Tourism Chamonix, image Aiguille du Midi: courtesy of Tourism Chamonix