Available trips
| Sat 4th Sep 10
- Fri 10th Sep 10 |
7 Days |
| Guide TBC | £ 925 |
| Book Now | |
Skill: **
Some climbing experience is preferred but not essential. Crampons, ice-axes and ropes will be used for glacier travel and/or
easy angled snow slopes up to 30°.
Extreme altitude, weather and other hazards can make high-altitude climbing risky. If you are uncertain about your ability to cope with these extremes, seek our advice before booking
Stamina: **
You need a good level of fitness for this course that comes from taking regular exercise. For alpine walking & climbing,
aerobic fitness and leg strength are the key. So when preparing for this trip nothing beats activities that increase your heart
rate and build your aerobic levels e.g. running, cycling and swimming.
Movement skills - agility, balance, flexibility - which allow you to walk easily over rough ground to make your way safely up a snow slope - are also very relevant. If time permits try to include some yoga or pilates into your training schedule.
The course focuses on teaching the skills necessary for safe ascents of lower grade peaks. The format used is very much
‘learn as you climb’. Every day will provide a new mountain experience and with it, a large array of new, interesting
techniques.
The course emphasis is on building a firm foundation of skills, enabling participants to operate independently or progress to
other courses or expeditions. For most, the highlight of the week’s climbing is the ascent of ‘Gran Paradiso’ 4061m.
The course offers 5 full climbing days with a client/guide ratio of 1:4 or less. We base ourselves in the Chamonix valley,
with 2/3 nights spent in high mountain refuges. The itinerary includes an evening presentation and practical session on the first
day.
Itinerary
The course is based in the famous Chamonix valley which lies directly below the slopes of Mont Blanc. After an initial day
of instruction, covering the basics of ice axe and crampon technique, we ascend to a high mountain refuge and learn the
techniques of safe glacier travel, before an ascent to an Alpine summit. During the middle of the week, we return back to the
valley to rest for a night. For the final two days we begin with rock climbing skills before returning to the high mountains
for a second summit.
We keep the programme flexible so we can adapt to weather and ground conditions. Mountain Tracks guides are local to the
Chamonix area and the mountains and routes we select are carefully picked, to provide exciting days out and the best
environment for practicing new skills.
Skills taught on this course:
Belaying on rock, ice and snow.
Knots
Abseiling
Use of crampons and ice axe
Short rope techniques
Glacier travel techniques
Crevasse rescue
Navigation, maps and guidebook
TYPICAL PROGRAMME
Day 1
The course begins on Sunday evening with a welcome meeting and course briefing. The briefing covers all essential
information for the following days. There is an equipment check and a slideshow.
Day 2
We head up by mountain railway to the Mer de Glace glacier (1900m), an excellent venue to learn about moving on ice and
glacial terrain. Our principal tools are the crampons and ice axe. We also look at belays, rope skills and ice climbing. The
night is spent back in Chamonix.
Day 3
In the morning we walk to the Orny high mountain refuge (2826). The varied and spectacular trail begins amongst alpine
meadows and forests and finishes in a high glacial landscape. The afternoon is spent looking at crevasse rescue techniques.
Day 4
After a 5am start we ascend the Aiguille du Tour (3544m). The climb begins by ascending the vast Glacier du Trient, and
then climbs the south face of the peak on beautiful red granite. After the climb and descent, we return to Chamonix.
Day 5
The morning is spent learning rock climbing techniques at Les Gaillands. After lunch we travel through the Mont Blanc
Tunnel to Italy and the Gran Paradiso National Park. A 2-3 hour walk through forests and over moorland takes us to the Chabod
(2750) Refuge.
Day 6
From an early alpine start (around 3am) at the hut, we climb to the summit of Gran Paradiso 4061m. The route is varied;
beginning as straightforward trail, leading onto large crevassed glaciers and finally to an exposed rock ridge. The climb takes
4-5 hours and around 3 hours to descend. After the ascent we return to Chamonix to celebrate.
Day 7
Depart after breakfast
ALTERNATIVE ROUTES
Mont Blanc du Tacul, NW Face (4248m)
A snow and glacier climb ending with a short section on rock. Mostly low angled with some steeper sections. The ascent
begins from the Aiguille du Midi or from the Refuge des Cosmiques. The round trip takes about 6-7 hours. Impressive views of
the Mont Blanc massif
Aiguille d'Entrèves Traverse (3604m)
Located on the French / Italian border this is a classic ridge traverse. The climb begins on the Vallée Blanche glacier
and finishes on an impressively sharp rock ridge. The starting point is either the Aiguille du Midi or the Rifugio Torino.
Les Dômes de Miage Traverse
A2-day outing of moderate alpine mountaineering. The traverse crosses 3 summits all over 3500m and the route is on both
rock and ice, most of which is along an exposed but well-tracked path on a sharp snow arête. The route begins at Les Contamines
on the west side of Mont Blanc.
MONT BLANC EXTENSION
The highest peak in Western Europe, Mont Blanc 4807m is high on the list of both alpinists and aspiring walkers alike.
Mont Blanc is a magnificent mountain and a great challenge.
We offer Mont Blanc as a 2 day/3 night ‘bolt on’ extension to the Alpine Essentials course. Two nights are spent in
mountain refuges. Please contact us regarding this extension. You can read more about
Mont Blanc here.
Additional Information
Dates & Duration
We can run this course on request throughout the summer from mid-June until late September.
Prices
£925 per person for party of 4
£1,375 for party of 2
The Mont Blanc extension costs £625 per person.
The price includes all guiding fees & expenses, b&b hotel accommodation in the valley (twin-room), half board
accommodation in mountain huts, local transfers
The price does not include lunches, beverages, personal insurance, equipment hire, travel to and from the Alps, uplift
Single-room occupancy in valley hotels may incur an additional cost.
Uplift Costs
On our Alpine Essential courses we estimate that the cost for local transfers and uplifts will be in the region of £20
per person which is not included in the price and needs to be paid for locally in Euros.
Accommodation and meals
You will spend 4 nights in a hotel in Chamonix on a B&B basis. 2 nights are spent on a half-board basis at higher
altitude in one of the traditional alpine mountain huts.
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 trips are led by fully qualified IFMGA mountain guides with extensive knowledge of climbing in the Alps.
Climate
Chamonix generally has a very pleasant climate throughout the spring, summer and autumn with warm days and cool nights.
Daytime temperatures in the valley are usually around 20 - 28°C. At altitude the temperature can be as low as -10°C and feel
colder with windchill.
Safety awareness & training
Adventurous activities in the mountains have their dangers. These can never be removed altogether but they can be
minimised. At Mountain Tracks our aim is to provide you with a thrilling holiday directed with maximum attention to your safety
and that of others. We don't just blindly get you to follow our experienced leaders. We give you the opportunity to learn
mountaincraft skills and understand about the hazards, how to minimise the risk, and how to cope with incidents should they
happen.
Getting There
The easiest way to get to Chamonix from the UK is to fly. The nearest airport is Geneva and the transfer time from the
airport is about 75 minutes.
Easyjet tend to have the most affordable flights and a comprehensive service that serves many UK regional airports
including Bristol, Belfast, Bournemouth, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Luton, Gatwick, Liverpool, Nottingham/East Midlands and Sheffield.
Check
www.easyjet.com for more 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.