Honored Mountain Guides :

Compagnie des Guides de Chamonix

Reaching summits since 1821

The Compagnie des Guides de Chamonix was established in 1821 and today counts some 200 professional mountain guides and trekking guides who take their clients not only into the Mont-Blanc massif but to every corner of the globe. The guide company is proud to have many world famous mountaineering names among its members and continues to add to these ranks each year by taking in talented young guides who are officially recognised during the traditional Fête des Guides service held on the 15th August every year.
The Fête des Guides (Guide Festival) was created with the aim of providing financial assistance to injured or deceased guides and their dependant families via the Caisse de Secours (Emergency Fund). Every year, hundreds of volunteers, guides and non-guides, give their time and their energy to help organise the event with the Compagnie des Guides de Chamonix, in order to maximise proceeds for this emergency fund.

Climbing mountains in the name of friendship.
The mountain guides festival is an opportunity to intensify the special life-long partnership connecting guides and clients.
The local population of “Chamoniards “ is also proud of celebrating the feeling of brotherhood existing in a climbing party. Business owners, “chamoniards” and visitors will live some intense moments during these 4 days of convivial festivities.		  

Climbing mountains in the name of tradition.
The mountain guides festival is above all a celebration of tradition and respect
for strong religious believes.


Blessing and fixing a statue
of Virgin Mary on the
summit of Grepon in 1927.

St Bernard was originally the spiritual guardian of mountaineers. However, from the top of the numerous peaks above Chamonix where she stands, Virgin Mary always keeps a watchful eye on climbing parties. Carried and fastened by volunteer mountain guides during the early 1900’s, her statue is situated at the very top of the Drus, Dent du Géant, and Mount Dolent to name only a few.

The same statue in
2000 !


1ére fête de Guides : 1924

More than eighty years ago, clients of mountain guides celebrated their special relationship with their leader by granting them a day of rest during climbing season.
De nos jours...

Each year, on Saint Mary’s Day, on August 15th, and following into the steps of their elders, mountain guides pay their respect to their worthiest clients by handing them a medal, called a “choucas”. A medal is also offered to life-long guide-and-client climbing parties as a sign of loyalty and recognition for their achievements.
Solidarity from the very beginning :

1820 : During the Sardinian administration, an avalanche occurred at Grand Plateau below the summit of Mont-Blanc, killing local mountain guides, Pierre Carrier, Pierre Balmat and Auguste Tairraz. Fund raising operations were held in the valley to support their families. Since then, King of Sardinia agreed on distributing pensions to eligible parties.

1821 : Establishment of the Chamonix Guides Company. Originally, the Company’s legal terms obligate members to the payment of an inclusive fixed sum. The purpose of this annuity was to provide financial support to mountain guides and their families after mountaineering accidents, permanent injuries or simply retirement.

In 1863, The Savoy region joined France. A communal health society was formed in order to a/ provide health care to members of the Chamonix Guides Company; b/to support them during sickness and accident recovery; c/to cover funeral expenses. The texts include extensive guidelines to insure efficient health cover, a system inspired from the British social cover at the time.

The foundation of the Emergency Fund

1924.Appended to the statutes of the Chamonix Guides Company, the Emergency Fund guiding principles have almost been kept unchanged.

As a result, membership fixed contributions generate an indemnity reserve, to cover all costs and financial needs mountain guides encounter after an injury or during a long-term illness. This fund is also used as a guarantee for retirement pensions and widowhood life insurance.

The Emergency Fund of the Chamonix Guides Company

As self-employed workers, mountain guides and leaders must suscribe to expensive private health cover and indemnity insurance. Nowadays the Emergency Fund compensates for this failure in the French social system.

The founding principles specify several sources of revenue for the Fund. Working capital may come from “donations and charitable organizations, contributions from benefactors, founding or honorary members, return on interests or investments, or from all other sources of income approved by the board of Directors of the “Chamonix Guides Company”