Ski mountaineering and winter mountaineering

Ski mountaineering is a practice that combines skiing and mountaineering. With advancements in equipment, it is now possible to combine the two activities on many high-mountain routes that were traditionally undertaken in the summer. Approaching and returning on skis often saves precious time, and it is sometimes possible to complete in a single day routes that previously required an overnight stay in a mountain hut.

Winter mountaineering encompasses glacier and mixed climbing: long couloirs and snow slopes, glacial faces, and gullies with approaches on skis or on foot. Chamonix and the Mont Blanc massif are brimming with glacial and mixed routes of varying difficulty and beauty.