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Matterhorn
4478m course 2012
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FEEDBACK:
"There’s no point beating about the proverbial
bush when it comes to the Matterhorn,
I’m afraid. It’s a serious chunk of rock and you’ve
got to be 100% up for it. Not one of the easiest
things I have ever done. But the Icicle team are brill and
if anyone can
get you up there they will" Christian M, Edinburgh,
2005
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Course
overview
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Course
dates & availability
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The
Matterhorn is probably the most recognised mountain
in the world, due to its unique triangular shape.
Towering above the Swiss town of Zermatt, the
mountain is fairly difficult to ascend by any
route, and was one of the last Alpine 4000ers
to be climbed. The classic route up the mountain
is the Hörnli Aréte.
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To
book this course, you should be very fit, have good
footwork on steep ground, be good with exposure
and have good ropework skills (previous skills:
Alpine PD / Grade II Ice / UK Severe / US 5.9).
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To
keep the price as low as possible, the first three
training days are at 1:2 Guiding ratio, but to maximise
your safety and summitting success, and so you can
move at your speed, you climb the Matterhorn at
a 1:1 ratio. |
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If
you have significant previous rock climbing experience,
but not much crampon or alpine experience, this
can be developed over the week of the course as
only the summit block usually needs to be climbed
in crampons. |
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For
clients who have climbed in Chamonix before,
there are over 4000 routes so you
are guaranteed not to repeat anything during the
training days.
You are guaranteed new, challenging obejectives. |
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Many
Alpine 4000ers can be climbed with a low amount
of skill or talent. Not so for the Matterhorn, and,
due to the exposure, inexperienced peak baggers
should beware that their chances of success will
be low. |
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We
will not accept clients on this course unless we
believe they have the necessary experience for success. |
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You
will see from the itinerary, that you will climb
many routes to prepare you before the Matterhorn,
to fully prepare you in terms of ropework and acclimatisation.
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Dates:
these
are listed in the column on the right, and they
show the live availability from our secure online
booking system. When you book online, you receive
immediate confirmation, your Alpine Information
Booklet, course specific kit list and invoice. |
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Course Dates
Matterhorn Week
- [ 4 ] 8 - 14 Jul 2012
- [ 4 ] 15 - 21 Jul 2012
- [ 2 ] 22 - 28 Jul 2012
- [ 2 ] 29 Jul - 4 Aug 2012
- [ 0 ] 5 - 11 Aug 2012
- [ 3 ] 12 - 18 Aug 2012
- [ 3 ] 19 - 25 Aug 2012
- [ 4 ] 26 Aug - 1 Sep 2012
- [ 2 ] 2 - 8 Sep 2012
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| Client
feedback |
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It
was a great preparation week leading up
to the climb, so we were totally prepared
and
well acclimatised. Even so, it was far harder
than I expected, but great
Adele
Stevens , Matterhorn
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Thanks
so much to all you guys for making this
dream come true. Brilliant guides
Phil
Jones , Matterhorn
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I
had failed before on this peak (with another
company), but your approach was
far more about getting it done, and as you
know, it clearly worked!
Mark
Watkins , Matterhorn
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So
why choose Icicle? |
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We
are true specialists in the Matterhorn. See our
blog, by clicking on the RSS logo (right). |
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Itinerary
flexibility to allow you to take full advantage
of the weather and conditions each day, so that
you maximise the amount of time spent climbing each
day. |
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Our
prices are fixed in £ pounds sterling, to
protect you from euro currency fluctuations, so
that you can budget accurately. |
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We
have a team of over 30 IFMGA guides, and a resort
support team, who all want you to have the best
summit chances possible! For more details on the
guiding team and qualifications, please click
here. |
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FREE
Podcast: Climbing the Matterhorn...
view
website course page
If you've ever wondered what it is like to attempt
the Matterhorn, the skills required, and the suggested
training for this peak, then this podcast answers
it all...
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Is
the summit guaranteed?
No it can never be, as we can't
guarantee the weather! We do guarantee to do our best to maximise
your summit chances through tailoring the course to you, the
individual. If for whatever reason you cannot summit (through
your skill or technical level or the weather or objective dangers
such as rockfall), we will give you a credit voucher that is
the value of the 'unused' elements of your course, to put towards
a future attempt (even for a future 2 day Matterhorn ascent)
or towards another Icicle trip. |
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| Preparation
& Acclimatisation |
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ascent of the Matterhorn should not be underestimated, and you
should arrive for this course in good physical condition as
the climb will probably be the greatest physical exertion of
your life. Please don't ignore this issue... We highly recommend
that you read our training page (click
here) for details on
how to prepare. If
you are worried about acclimatisation, which is a real concern
for anyone attempting the Matterhorn, we highly recommend that
you book on an Acclimatisation
Weekend before your
course. This weekend is only £99 and extends your course
with guiding for the weekend before your week long course. During
the acclimatisation weekend you ascend to a mountain hut on
the Saturday, spend the night there, and summit a 3000m peak
the next morning. |
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| Brief
Course Itinerary |
| Sun |
Travel
to Chamonix to arrive for the 17:00 check-in followed
by and course safety and itinerary briefings. There is
time for kit checks or rental of equipment. Briefings
are over by 19:00 and the Chamonix hosts accompany the
group to pre-dinner
drinks to answer any queries.
Night in Chamonix. |
| Mon |
Climbing
on the sunny side of the valley: the Aiguilles Rouges.
Popular routes include the Chapelle de la Gliere with
its knife edge traverse or the L'Index. Guiding ratio
1:2 (max). Night in Chamonix. |
| Tue |
A
technical day route, e.g. Aiguillette d'Argentiere or
a shorter route followed by a night in a mountain hut,
e.g. Traverse D'Entreves. Guiding
ratio 1:2 (max). Night in mountain hut or in Chamonix. |
| Wed |
A
day on the fantastic granite with great exposure that
Chamonix is famous for, such as South Ridge of Aiguille
du Moine, or the Dent du Geant. Guiding
ratio 1:2 (max). Night in Chamonix. |
| Thu |
Drive
to Tasch (c. 2hrs) then train to Zermatt and cable car
to Schwartzee. Ascend to the Hornli Hut for the night.
Guiding ratio 1:1 (max). Night spent in
mountain hut for acclimatisation. |
| Fri |
Alpine
start to ascend the Matterhorn, starting around 4am from
the hut. After the climb you descend to the hut and return
to Chamonix for celebrations! Guiding ratio (1:1 max).
Night in Chamonix. |
| Sat |
Breakfast
then the accommodation check out is by 10:00. Most arrange
their airport transfers to leave around this time, to
catch a flight from Geneva about midday.
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. |
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Course
Photo Gallery
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| Course
Prices |
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Standard
course
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5
days guiding, 7 days holiday in total |
£1599 |
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Premium
course
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7
days guiding, 8 days holiday in total
(Standard course plus Acclimatisation
weekend)
LINK |
£1698 |
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Secure
online booking system |
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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 and to / from Tasch,
8) Up to two nights half board in mountain huts (inc.
costs for guides), 9) 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) in both
Zermatt and Chamonix, 5) Sunday pre-dinner drinks &
Friday celebratory meal & drinks, 6) Activities insurance,
& excess baggage charges. |
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Icicle
expedition kit bag for FREE
All those booking on
this course are entitled to a free Icicle expedition
kit bag. This tough c. 75 litre capacity kit bag
is designed for full expedition usage and is made
out of durable and waterproof rip-proof material.
It normally retails at £50. Postage within
the UK is included in the prices. If you live overseas,
it's not a problem at all. We'll let you know the
price for postage. Want a second bag? Order another,
click
here. |
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| Upgrade
options |
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Matterhorn
1:1 Course
£1999
(1:1 guiding) |
This
is the course as detailed above, but with 1:1 guiding
throughout for the five days, rather than it being
1:2 for the first three days of the course. |
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Mont
Blanc Extension
£499pp
(1:2 guiding) |
This
is a two day Mont Blanc extension directly after
the main course, with the days for guiding being
Saturday and Sunday,
click
here for 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
£150
(throughout summer) |
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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