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FEEDBACK:
"Your Guide team is unmatched anywhere
I have been before, as shown by the grade and
number of routes I ascended this week. You should be
proud to have such a skilled team of Guides.
Thanks also to the staff for their advice,
and for driving us around each day"
Mark G, Kendal, 2004
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| Course
Overview |
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Some
of the hardest and most famous routes in the massif
are only possible in the summer months, notably
some of the great rock routes such as the Grand
Capucin, the South Face of the Aiguille du Midi,
and the Gervasutti Pillar on Mont Blanc du Tacul.
As well as these rock routes, you still have access
to the mixed routes such as the Frendo Spur, Moine
Ridge of the Aiguille Verte, or the Frontier Ridge
of Mont Maudit.
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This
course is designed to enable you to achieve some
of your greatest ambitions. The course is therefore
aimed at competant / strong climbers, who would
benefit from climbing with a Guide in order to really
push the grade at which they climb, and to achieve
some notable routes. |
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More
than any of our other courses, this one gives you
the flexibility to attempt routes of a style that
you choose, and many opt for some of the most remote
corners of the Mont Blanc Massif. |
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The
key points about the course are:
1)
The 1:1 guiding ratio throughout ensures that
you achieve the maximum
2) This course is precisely tailored to your skills
and aims, as well as conditions
3) It is run flexibly to take advantage of your
progression, and your route choices
4) Recent courses ascended the Frendo, Contamine
(Midi), & Petit Jorasses
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This
is one of our highest level standard courses, though
please note that if you would like to attempt routes
harder than are suggested here, such as the Traverse
of the Grandes Jorasses, we are more than happy
to devise an itinerary and quote especially for
you. Due
to the nature of the ascents being attempted in
this course, we match a Guide to you which compliments
your experience, personality and aspirations. |
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Dates: this course is operated
on demand from June to September. For current availability
on this course click
here. |
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Course
Photo Gallery
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Brief
Course Itinerary |
| Sun |
Travel
to Chamonix to arrive for the 18:00 check-in followed
by and course safety and itinerary briefings. There
is time for kit checks or rental of equipment. Briefings
are over by 20:00 and the Chamonix hosts accompany
the group to
pre-dinner drinks to answer any queries.
Night in Chamonix. |
| Mon |
TEST
DAY: Breakfast is generally at 07:30 in the Icicle
base, and then you meet up with your Guide for the
day. The aim of the day is for the Guide to push
you to test your limits, so that you can decide
on a suitable itinerary for the rest of the week.
Guiding
ratio 1:1 (max). Night spent in Chamonix.
Some common test days are listed:
1) Aiguille du Midi, ascent of Rebuffat or Contamine
route on the South Face Pillar
2) Eperon Cosmiques, ascent of rock route, then
follow the Cosmiques Arete to Midi
3) NNE Ridge of Aiguille de l'M, then traverse of
the Petit Charmoz and Italia Finger
All of the routes listed above have some mountaineering
elements and some rock climbing elements, so there
is a good all round test of your skills. At the
end of the day you travel back to Chamonix for the
evening.
EVENING INSTRUCTION: In the evening you will meet
with one of the Reps and your Guide in order to
finalise plans for the rest of the week. This is
essential so that you maximise your climbing time.
After you have agreed on a plan, you are free to
prepare your equipment for the rest of the week,
though if you wish, you can then join in with the
evening instruction session. After the instruction
session, you are free to go out to eat with the
others, or to cook in and get an early night. |
Tue
to
Fri |
KEY
ASCENT DAYS: This section of the course is tailored
to your main objective for the week, in terms of
the conditions and your development. Many opt to
spend a few days above the Couvercle, Envers, or
Charpoua Refuge, so you can attempt some of the
classic routes such as the Marchand de Sable, traverse
of the Dru, an ascent of Pic de Roc, or the traverse
of the Moine to the Eveque. From the Leschaux hut
you can climb on the Periades or climb the Petite
Jorasses. As you can see from the ideas above, each
course is tailored to you. To help you make some
plans before you come out on a course, we have listed
three very different Summer Extreme courses which
have been operated recently. This shows the range
of ideas you could realise:
COURSE 1; Tue: day route on the Aiguilles du Chamonix,
such as the NNE ridge of the Aiguille de l'M, Wed:
ascend the base of Frontier (Kuffner) Ridge, and
stay in bivvy hut for a night, Thu: ascent of the
Kuffner Ridge to summit of Mt Maudit, & traverse
over Mont Blanc, Fri: ascent to the Aiguilles Rouges
for climb of the Pouce by one of the main routes.
COURSE 2; Tue: a day route to ascend one of the
classic technical routes in the Aiguilles du Chamonix,
Wed: ascend to the Lechaux hut and ascend a rock
route on the cliffs behind the hut, Thu: Alpine
start for ascent of the Petit Jorasses, then decent
to Chamonix for the night, Fri: ascent to the Aiguilles
Rouges for an ascent of the classic route called
Asia.
COURSE 3; Tue: from Courmayeur cable car to Helbronner,
and ascent of Dent du Geant in one day, Wed: from
Aiguille du Midi for ascent of Cherie couloir and
descent to Chamonix for night, Thu: day route on
the Aiguilles du Chamonix, followed by a night in
the Plan d'Aiguille hut, Fri: ascend the Frendo
Spur in one day to the Aiguille du Midi. Descend
to Chamonix for night.
Guiding ratio 1:1 (max). Nights spent in Chamonix
or in mountain huts. |
| Sat |
Breakfast,
then course debrief, with feedback and questions
and answers session. Depart for home. |
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| ITINERARY
NOTES: Where possible we follow itineraries. Mountain
adventures are weather and conditions dependant, so occasionaly
we are forced to alter the plans. If this is the case,
suitable alternatives are offered. Please use this outline
itinerary as a guide to the types of route / activity
that you will attempt. |
Course
Notes |
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date we haven't run two identical Summer 1:1 Advanced
courses, so the exact plans are very much down to your
preferences, the conditions, weather, and your performance.
We are more than happy to be as flexible as possible to
accommodate your plans, so for example if you would like
extra nights in huts, this is fine as long as you budget
for paying for the extra nights (above the one included)
for both you and your Guide. If you approach us either
before or during the course with ideas of routes that
are objectively more serious, or physically much harder,
than the style of routes listed here, you will need to
be quoted for each specific route as appropriate. |
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Course
Photo Gallery
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PHOTOS:
The Frendo Spur, on top of the South Face of Aiguille
du Midi, and Mini Couloir
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| Course
Prices |
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Standard
course
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5
days guiding, 7 days holiday in total |
£1699 |
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Premium
course
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7
days guiding, 8 days holiday in total
(Standard course plus Acclimatisation
weekend)
LINK |
£1798 |
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Secure
online booking system |
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| Standard
Course Inclusions: 1) IFMGA Mountain
Guide for five days, 2) Chamonix course hosts for
logistics & briefings, 3) B&B accommodation
in Chamonix (inc. beddings & towels), 4) Pre
course information booklet, 5) Equipment discount
voucher for UK shops, 6) Free 36 page technical
Course Instruction Booklet, 7) Road transport in
Chamonix valley, 8) Evening technical instruction
on nights in Chamonix. |
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| Exclusions:
1) Travel to and from Chamonix, 2) Equipment hire,
3) Personal laundry, telephone calls, lunches, evening
meals in valley, & any purchases in mountain
huts / hotels / restaurants, 4) Cable cars and uplift
for you and your guide (cable cars for guide included
in Chamonix), 5) Half board stays in mountain huts
as required for you and your guide, 6) Transport
/ tunnel ticket outside the Chamonix valley, 7)
Activities insurance, & excess baggage charges. |
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| Upgrade
options |
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Acclimatisation
Weekend
£99
(throughout the season) |
To
get the most out your course, acclimatisation
is essential so that you minimise the chances
of AMS (altitude sickness) later on during
your course,
details. |
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Half
Board Upgrade
£99
(throughout the season) |
For
every night that you are in town, you eat
in a different restaurant in the centre of
Chamonix. Always three courses, to power you
for the next day. |
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Private
Room Upgrade
£120
(7-27 June & 6-26 Sept)
£150 (28 June - 5 Sept) |
The
course accommodation is usually in rooms of
two sharing. Two people booking / sending
forms together are guaranteed a room of two
sharing. This upgrade guarantees you a private
room on
your own for your course. |
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