www.icicleUK.com
climb@icicleUK.com
UK +44 845 058 98 78
FRA +33 67 55 621 55
inspirational mountain adventures
 
 
 
 
Icicle Guides Office 2010
We provide Mountain Guides or International Mountain Leaders by the day, as well as running our wide range of scheduled courses in summer and winter. We were established in 2000, and are the only British company to have a full time logistics office in Chamonix Mont Blanc. Our office is close to the Aiguille du Midi cable car (click to visit office page). The winter runs from 5th December 2009 to 2nd May 2010, and the summer season runs from 12th June 2010 to 26th September 2010. Sorry, no guiding is organised outside the seasons. We are a fully bonded and licenced tour operator.

Bespoke guiding by the day
The prices below are for the guiding only (including guide's lift pass if in Chamonix valley), and don't include your cable cars, uplift, hire equipment, refuges or evening instruction / socials. If you stay in a refuge, you are expected to pay for yourself and the guide on a half board basis. For all guiding outside the Chamonix valley, you are also expected to pay for all transport and the guides lift pass. We only accept one or two day bespoke guiding bookings.
Trekking (Max: 1:8)
Remote treks in the Chamonix area.
Price: Day for up to 4 people from £180
Extra people in group £10 pp
 Snowshoeing (Max: 1:8)
Explore snowy forests and hamlets.
Price: Day for up to 4 people from £180
Extra people in group £10 pp
Avalanche Course (Max: 1:8)
Snow packs & avalanche tranceivers.
Price: Day for up to 8 people £49 pp
Group rate: up to 4 £40pp, 6 + is £30pp
 Glacier Travel (Max: 1:6)
Crevasse rescue, and route finding.
Price: Day for up to 4 people from £300
Extra people in group £10 pp
Ice Climbing* (Max: 1:4)
Climb frozen icefalls using axes etc.
Price: Day for up to 4 people from £300
Extra people in group £10 pp		 Off Piste (Max: 1:6)
Discover the best off piste in the area.
Price: Day for up to 4 people from £300
Extra people in group £10 pp
Vallee Blanche (Max: 1:8)
Ski the classic Chamonix off piste route.
Price: Day for up to 4 people from £300
Extra people in group £10 pp		 Ski Touring (Max: 1:6)
Day touring to get away from crowds.
Price: Day for up to 4 people from £300
Extra people in group £10 pp
Rock Climbing (Max: 1:6)
Rock climb famous Chamonix granite.
Price: Day for up to 4 people from £300
Extra people in group £10 pp		 Mountaineering* (Max: 1:6)
Skills days or see table below for routes.
Price: Day for up to 4 people from £300
Extra people in group £10 pp
* Notes: for Ice Climbing and Mountaineering, a sliding scale of charges applies, depending on the grade of route. For Ice Climbing the tariffs for routes are £300 per day for Grades 1 and 2 ice, then £310 per day for Grade 3 and single pitch Grade 4, and £320 per day for multi-pitch Grade 4 and all routes of Grade 5 and above. For the Mountaineering routes named below, different charges apply. For any of these route in Winter (December to May), add £70 per day to the prices. Please note that payment for any day guiding must be made in advance, and that payments by card incur a £3 charge for debit cards and 3% charge for credit cards.
Prices for guiding specific routes
1 day routes
Guide Ratio
Price / day
Traverse of Crochues
1:3
£300
Cosmiques Arete
1:2
£300
Petite Aiguille Verte
1:2
£300
Aiguille de l'M (NR)
1:2
£300
Arete de Papillons
1:2
£300
Cherie Couloir on Tacul
1:2
£350
Peigne (NR)
1:2
£350
Midi - Plan Traverse
1:2
£350
Dalle de l'Amone
1:1
£350
Rebuffat on S Face of Midi
1:1
£350
2 day routes
Guide Ratio
Price / day
The Rochefort Arete
1:1
£300
Dent du Geant (NRl)
1:2
£300
Aiguille du Tour (NR)
1:3
£300
Tour Ronde (NR)
1:2
£300
Tour Ronde (North Face)
1:2
£360
Aig' du Moine (S. Ridge)
1:2
£360
Chardonnet (Forbes)
1:2
£360
Domes du Miages
1:2
£360
Gran Paradiso (Italy)
1:3
£360
Charmoz - Grepon
1:1
£440
2+ day routes
Guide Ratio
Price / day
Frendo Spur, Aig du Midi
1:1
£440
Maudit (Kuffner Arete)
1:1
£440
Grand Capucin (S Face)
1:1
£440
Monte Rosa (Switzerland)
1:2
£440
Aig' du Crocodile (E Arete)
1:1
£440
Grandes Jorasses (NR)
1:1
£440
Aiguille Verte (Whymper)
1:1
£440
NR = Normal Route
If you would like to attempt a route that is not listed here for 1, 2, or 2+ day routes, please contact us for a quote.
If ARVA avalanche beacons are required, these will be loaned free of charge during the guiding. The maximum guide ratio listed below is the total number of people that we allow a Guide to take for each activity. This is based on the safety advice of the IFMGA and UIMLA, and our imposed limits are to ensure that each member of the group has sufficient access to the guide.

Mont Blanc, Eiger & Matterhorn
For mountains of this stature, we consider that our week long courses are the best itineraries to allow for weather windows, acclimatisation, and summit success. We do NOT offer any tailor made alternatives for any of these peaks, as we are so sure our itineraries are correct.

Who is qualified to lead me?
In the Alps there are only two qualifications that are legally required for taking groups into the moutains. These are the International Mountain Guide and International Mountain Leader. We only employ these. To meet our IFMGA Guides and IML leaders, click here (use if the IFMGA and UIMLA logos are authorised by the named course directors on this linked page).
International Mountain Guide
IFMGA (International Federation of Mountain Guide Associations) guides can take you climbing, off piste skiing, on glaciers, ski touring, all over the world. This qualification is the highest possible in the mountaineering world, and the guides take full responsibility for all decisions made on the mountain. The majority of the countries with IFMGA (International Federation of Mountain Guide Associations) bodies are in the Alps and Europe, and there are seventeen member associations globally. The rate of pay is c.£300 per day.
International Mountain Leader
An UIMLA (Union of International Mountain Leader Associations) leader can take you snowshoeing, trekking, through mid altitude mountains. No glacier travel or climbing is included. To lead trekking, winter walking, or snowshoeing groups in the Alps, it is a legal requirement to be qualified as an International Mountain Leader (IML). In the French speaking parts of the Alps IML's are often refered to as Accompagnateurs or Mid Mountain Guides. The pay is c.£180 per day.