Available trips
| Sat 21st Aug 10
- Sat 28th Aug 10 |
8 Days |
| Guide TBC | £ 1495 |
| Book Now | |
Skill: ***
The Monte Rosa is a long but moderately straightforward ascent with some exposed sections, a short grade 3 rock climb and
ice-slopes up to 40 degrees. You will need to climb with ice-axe and crampons but previous experience of alpine climbing and
mountaineering is not required and you will be taught the technical skills for walking and travelling on snow and ice during
the week. The route crosses glaciated terrain and you will be roped up for added security.
The summit day from the Monte Rosa hut is a demanding 7 hour day with an elevation gain of almost 1900 metres.
Stamina: ***
All mountain adventures - whether skiing, climbing or trekking - are physical recreational activities where it is really
true that "the fitter you are, the more you'll enjoy them".
For climbing, aerobic fitness and leg strength are the key. Upper body strength and core stability are also important for
more technical climbing, nothing beats activities that increase your heart rate and build your aerobic levels and regular hill
walking in the UK or abroad - is strongly recommended in the build-up to the trip.
Movement skills - agility, balance, flexibility - which allow you to walk easily over rough ground, to scramble using hands and feet on exposed terrain or to make your way safely up a steep snow slope - are also very relevant and can be enhanced through specific aerobic activity and training drills.
The Monterosa is the highest mountain in Switzerland and second only to Mont Blanc in the Alps. Our week-long itinerary
provides sufficient acclimatization and preparation time to make the Monte Rosa a realistic and achievable objective for fit,
adventurous UK hill-walkers looking for a new challenge.
The highest peak on the mountain is the Dufourspitze, which is named in honor of Henri Dufour an army general and co-founder
of the Red Cross. It is a long and challenging climb over 3 days that is normally approached via the Monte Rosa hut and the rocky
West Ridge. The summit day is a 7 hour climb across snow and ice slopes of up to 40 degrees and with an elevation gain of almost
1900m.
Itinerary
Day 1
Meet up with your guides in Zermatt in the evening for an initial briefing and equipment check. Stay overning in hotel.
Day 2
Set off on a 3-day acclimatization and climbing preparation trip with two nights in huts.
You will start by taking the aerial tramway to the Klein Matterhorn and traverse the Verra glacier to climb Pollux (4092
m) via its Southwest Ridge before continuing on to the Guide d'Ayas Hut for the night (3420m). Pollux is a fun climb, first on
rock, then finishing with a fine snow arête. Total walking time is about 4-6 hours.
Day 3
Climb Castor (4223m) via its glaciated west side and return for a second night in the Guide d'Ayas Hut. Total walking
time about 5-6 hours.
Day 4
Return to Zermatt via the Kleine Matterhorn lift bagging a traverse of the Breithorn (4164m) en-route. Overnight in
Hotel. Total walking time about 5 hours.
Day 5
From Zermatt take the Gornergrat train to Riffelberg and 3-hour walk to the Monte Rosa hut crossing the Grenz glacier.
Day 6
Summit Day: an early alpine start (about 2am) from the Monte Rosa hut for the 5-7 hour ascent to the summit of the
Dufourspitz. The reward is a spectacular panoramic view of the Italian Alps and Mont Blanc Massif. Return to the Monte Rosa hut
for a 2nd night.
Day 7
Return to Zermatt and stay overnight in Hotel.
Please note that we will endeavour to complete this itinerary but weather and conditions may alter our programme.
Trip extension
On request it is possible to extend the trip for the 2-day ascent of the Matterhorn. Contact us for further details.
Additional Information
Scheduled Dates & Prices
Other dates are available on request from mid-June until late September.
Prices
£1495 per person for party of 2 or more
£2900 for party of 1
The price includes all guiding fees & expenses, b&b hotel accommodation (twin room); half-board accommodation in
mountain huts
The price does not include: flights, airport transfers, personal insurance, equipment hire, lunches, drinks, local
transfers and uplift costs.
Single room occupancy (in hotel) may incur an additional charge.
Local Transfers and Uplift Costs
On our Monte Rosa weeks we estimate that the cost for local transfers and uplifts will be in the region of £125 per
person which is not included in the price and needs to be paid for locally in Swiss Francs.
Group Size
The Monte Rosa is guided on a maximum 1:4 ratio for the first 3 days and 1:2 ratio for the final 3 days.
Accommodation and meals
Zermatt has accommodation to suit all budgets and preferences. Our recommended hotel is the Hotel Burgener in the centre
of the village.
We also schedule for 3 nights to be spent on a half-board basis in traditional alpine mountain huts. In the huts evening
meals are included and are generally nourishing and plentiful. Vegetarians can be catered for in most huts although there is
usually only 1 menu option.
Equipment
Please see our recommended
climbing kit list. Some technical equipment can be hired from Mountain Tracks.
Please contact us for details.
Your guides
All our climbing trips are led by fully qualified IFGMA mountain guides with extensive knowledge of the regions. The
groups are kept small so you benefit from their knowledge and expertise and get inspired by their enthusiasm.
The IFMGA qualification is the highest award for professional mountaineers and is the only qualification for working in
the Alps as a guide.
Climate
The Alps generally has a very pleasant climate throughout the spring, summer and autumn with warm days and cool nights,
with daytime temperatures in the valley around 24 - 28°C. At high altitude the temperature often goes down below -10 and can
feel even colder with wind chill.
Getting There
The easiest way to get to Zermatt from the UK is to fly. The nearest airports are Zurich and Geneva. Transfer to Zermatt
from the airports is by the wonderfully reliable Swiss rail network and takes about 3 hours from Zurich and 4 hours from
Geneva. Mountain Tracks can help with your travel arrangements. Contact us for further details
Insurance
It is a condition of booking that you are insured for alpine mountaineering covering personal accident, rescue and third
party risks. You are strongly advised also to take out cover against cancellation and curtailment.
If you are looking to purchase insurance for your trip we recommend
SNOWCARD. They specialise in travel insurance for adventure sports particularly skiing
and snowboarding. Their rates for both single trip and annual policies are very competitive.
For details on their policies and to get a quote CLICK HERE or contact our office for further details.