Mountaineering
Where? Chamonix
When? May- October
Who? 1-2 climbers. No previous experience needed
Why? Heaps of classic routes to climb ranging from snow to rock ridges. Popular classics include Cosmiques arete, Marbree traverse, Midi-plan traverse, Papillions arete. Chamonix offers crazily quick access to alpine environment meaning you can get a lot of climbing done within a week. The high altitude routes available off the Aiguille du midi are contrasted by the more friendly Aiguilles Rouges which offer glacier free rock climbs and scrambles.
Mont Blanc
Where? Chamonix
When? June- July
Who? 1-2 climbers with good level of fitness
Why? Of course it’s the highest mountain in Europe! And it is a beautiful mountain. It can be climbed by literally 100s of different routes the classics being either by the 3 monts or the Gouter route. If you have no previous alpine experience you will need to do a week of preparation and acclimatization to set you up for a successful ascent. At 4810m it’s not small undertaking but I have always succeeded to get my clients to the top once we have begun!
Matterhorn, Eiger and swizz 4000m peaks
Where? Switzerland / France
When? June – August
Who? 1-2 climbers
Why? There are 82 4000m peaks in the alps. All of them are climbable. Some of them are much easier than others. Some are much more popular and famous but they are all amazing adventures. Many can be linked together so you can climb a few in one day. They all require early alpine starts from mountain huts. If you want to do some of the 4000s it can be better to book a few days or a week so we can acclimatize and make the most of the weather and conditions around the alps.
Adventure alpinism
Where? The alps
When? Year round
Who? 1 climber
Why? Because there are so many awesome routes to climb in the alps. Ice gullies, rock ridges, pinnacles, peaks, faces. There are some great books out the which list routes in various mountain ranges like Ben Tibbet’s book Alpineglow and Philippe Batoux’s 100 Finest Routes in the Mont Blanc Massif. These Books offer inspiration and ideas for climbs around the alps. Alternatively if you want a certain type of trip get in touch and after a chat I’m sure I can suggest a route that I’d guess you would enjoy.
Alpine skills training
Where? Chamonix
When? May- October
Who? 1-4 climbers
Why? If you already have some experience of Trad climbing in the UK then I can help you to operate independently and safely in the alps. The focuses on awareness of objective hazards, choice of techniques for moving across various alpine terrain, equipment, route planning and selection, crevasse rescue and emergency procedures. If you are looking for training for a bigger group get in touch and we can arrange skills training to help your whole club or group stay safer in the alps.
Glacier tours
Where? Chamonix
When? May- October
Who? 1-6
Why? Go and see an environment which wont exist in 80 years from now. Dramatic and beautiful; a landscape which can feel very alien. You don’t need any skills for this just an interest. There is some awesome infrastructure which we can ride to get into the environment and some fun cafes we can visit on the way or even on the glacier sometimes.
