Climb programme
The aim of this programme is to enjoy a week of fantastic alpine mountaineering around Zermatt and Saas Fee and to make a successful and safe ascent (and descent!) of the Matterhorn. Our standard programme is 6 days with 4 days of acclimatization and preparation - at a maximum guide ratio of 1:3, and 2 days for the Matterhorn ascent and descent which is guided on a 1:1 ratio only.

The ascent via the Hornli Ridge usually takes as long to come down as go up (4-5 hrs). The route starts from the Hornli hut (which is reached easily from Zermatt the previous day) at 4am, so hopefully you get to see a lovely dawn.

The itinerary is very dependent on the weather and conditions on the ground and your guides may need to alter the programme accordingly.

Day 1
Arrive in Saas Grund and check into our valley base hotel. In the evening you will meet the guides to discuss the week's plan and to check equipment.

Day 2
The fist day out in the mountains concentrates on technical preparation. This means you will spend the day rock climbing locally - an ideal warm up for the bigger mountains.

Day 3
Warm up over we head into the higher hills for mountaineering skills training and altitude acclimatisation . We walk up to the Almageller hut about a 3.5hr walk and in the afternoon we climb on the Dri Hornli, a superb rock peak. Overnight is in the hut, one of our favourites!

Day 4 
An alpine start about 4am! and a full day traversing the Weismeiss, this is a fabulous alpine day scrambling up an airy rocky ridge followed by a glacial descent. As it takes you over 4000m too it is ideal preparation for the Matterhorn.

Day 5
A lighter day to re charge the batteries with rock climbing in the afternoon.

Day 6
Now its time to head round to Tasch by road and on up to Zermatt by rail. A leiurely lunch in Zermatt soaking up the delights of this quintessential Swiss village before heading up to the Hornli hut (2-3 hour walk) to stay overnight.

Day 7
The big day! From another 4.00am start you make your attempt on the summit. All being well this takes 3.5-5hrs. Surprisingly the descent can often take longer, but there is usually a comfortable amount of time to walk back to the lift station at Schwarzee and descend to Zermatt. We return to our hotel base in Saas Grund to celebrate a successful trip.

Day 8
Depart after breakfast.

Dates & Duration
Other dates are available on request for private groups from mid-June until late September.
We find that this programme works well but we have occasionally had groups who felt that a 7 or 8 day programme might have suited them better, allowing more time for preparation and also additional time in case of adverse weather. An extension to the trip will increase the cost. Contact our office for further details.

2010 Prices
£1895 per person for party of 2 or more
£3200 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: Evening meals when staying in Saas Grund, lunches, personal insurance, equipment hire, travel to and from Saas Grund, local transfers and uplift costs.
Single-room occupancy in valley hotels may incur an additional cost.

Local Transfers and Uplift Costs
On our Matterhorn weeks we estimate that the cost for local transfers and uplifts will be in the region of £100-£125 per person which is not included in the price and needs to be paid for locally in Swiss Francs.

Group Sizes
The maximum group size for these courses is 6. Guiding is provided on a maximum ratio of 1:3 for the first 4 days and 1:1 for the Matterhorn ascent.

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.

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.

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.

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.