Climb
the highest summit that is completely in Switzerland, the 7th highest mountain in the Alps; Dom 4545m tall, towering above the Zermatt valley, and looking down on Matterhorn. We offer a week long programme
for this peak, as your acclimatisation
and flexibility for selecting a weather window
are crucial.
To
keep the itinerary flexibilty, the guiding
ratio is 1:2 for all five days, so you can take advantage
of the best days for the summit weather window.
The climb itself takes three days, so there
are two spare days for training and acclimatisation
routes before the ascent.
This
week would appeal to those who have previously
done Mont Blanc, or who seek a quieter alternative
to it. Whilst the Swiss route is 'only' graded
as a PD+ (Peu Difficile) on the Alpine grading
system, it is a tough physical effort and
the summit ridge is fairly exposed and more
technical than the grade suggests. The key technical section i the Festijoch 3720m, which has fixed ropes and anchors over a rocky band.
If
you seek an alternative course in this region, that climbs the highest peak in Switzerland, Dufourspitze 4634m is accessed from Zermatt and the Monte Rosa hut. It is also a three day summit climb, after two training and acclimatisation days beforehand in the Chamonix region. For this itinerary, click
here.
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.
Brief
Course Itinerary
Day 1 | Sunday
Travel to Chamonix. Accommodation check in at 17:00. Mont Blanc specific course safety and itinerary briefing at 17:30.
There is time for kit checks or fitting rental equipment after.
Briefings are over by 18:30 and then you are free to go out for dinner / drinks. Many clients opt
to travel out a day or two early to start their acclimatisation at Aiguille du Midi or with a night in a mountain hut (e.g. Cosmiques or Albert 1er). Night in Chamonix. Gallery: Chamonix town
Day 2 | Monday
Altitude
Route: Either climb Aiguille d'Entreves or
the Marbrée Arete. Possibility of staying
in a hut for the night, such as the Torino,
for an Alpine start the next day. The traverse of Entreves is a great route, super exposed, but on good rock. You can pose on the infamous granite needle in mid traverse. It's great training for the Eiger, technically, for the exposure, and to help you acclimatise well. Guiding ratio 1:2 (max). Gallery: Aiguilles d'Entreves
Day 3 | Tuesday
Your final training day before setting off for
Dom 4545m. Set off for a training
route, designed to help you acclimatise
and develop technical skills. There are many options
to choose from, depending on your previous climbing
experience, but popular objectives include; Mont
Blanc du Tacul, Aiguille du Toule, Cosmiques Arete, or Pointe Lachenal. Guiding
ratio 1:2 (max). Night in Chamonix. Guiding ratio 1:2 (max). Gallery: Cosmiques Arete
Day 4 | Wednesday
Drive
to the Zermatt region, via Martigny, Sion, and Visp, before turning up the Mattertal valley to reach the village of Randa. Park there, and start the long hike gaiming 1500m up to the Dom hut, passing the spectacular Walkers Haute Route suspension bridge and Europahut, where you may pause for a rest, before the final push on upwards to reach the Dom hut. There are amazing views across the valley to other Alpine giant summits above Zermatt and the Val d'Anniviers. Guiding ratio 1:2 (max). Night in mountain
hut.
Day 5 | Thursday
Early Alpine start to head up onto the Festigletscher and Hohberggletscher, climbing upwayds on the start of your summit day that involves 1600m of ascent. At just over 3700m altitude you reach the Festijoch which is a rocky section which has been equipped with fixed ropes and anchors. Once you are above this, the steep ground continues, leading to the summit ridge, and eventually the cross on the top. It's a small airy summit, with awesome 360 views. Descend same route. Guiding
ratio 1:2 (max). Night in hut.
Day 6 | Friday
Descend from the hut to Randa,
and return to Chamonix.
On the way down, if the feet are not too tired, you may wish to divert to cross the impressive Charles Kuonen bridge, which is 494m long, suspended 85m above a ravine, and it is just 65cm wide. For very fit groups, this day can allow another
contingency weather window, to both summit Dom, and to descend all on the same day, but note this involves a massive 3100m of descent from the summit all the way down to the valley. Guiding ratio 1:2
(max). Night in Chamonix.
Day 7 | Saturday
Breakfast then the accommodation check out by
10:00. Most arrange transfers for around this
time for a flight from Geneva about midday. Some
opt to book a tandem paraglider flight in
the morning, or to go rafting, mountain biking, or trail running, if you still have the energy! Our resort team can advise you on where to arrange any of this, or routes. For those departing late, bags can be stored during the day. Depart for home. Gallery: Icicle Windermere office
ITINERARY
NOTES: Where possible we follow itineraries. Mountain
adventures are weather and conditions dependant, so occasionally
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
Prices
Standard
course
5 days guiding, 7 days holiday in total
IFMGA mountain guides for 5 days
£2295
Live
availability
Click
on the planner logo to the right to
see the real time live course availability
How to book
Secure
payments, bonded tour operator
Details of how to book, click
here
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 (approx £100) in Chamonix, 5) Activities
insurance, & excess baggage charges.
Course
upgrade options
Many clients on this
trip consider upgrading with one or more of
the following course additions...
Private
room
Big
5 Alpine
extensions
Technical
kit rental
Acclimatise
weekend
Upgrade
to single from
£300-£500 in addition to
standard course price,
depending on week.
Extend by 2 days after
to ascend one of the
Big 5 Alpine peaks as
an extra summit.
Rent all technical kit
for a week. Full Alpine
Bundle costs you just
£100 for the week.
Saturday
night spent in
Chamonix, with choice
of self-guided or guided
on Sunday. From £70.
Standard
course accommodation - normally clients are based
in self-catered flats (details),
so take a look, and decide if it's for you. For
more luxury, contact us for quotes in higher standard
apartments, or hotels of any standard required.
If you have / source your own course accommodation,
or we cannot provide an upgrade, the standard course
price has a £200pp reduction applied on your
invoice.
Current
course availability
Course Dates Dom
[ 2 ] 20 - 26 Jun 2027
[ 2 ] 27 Jun - 3 Jul 2027
[ 2 ] 4 - 10 Jul 2027
[ 2 ] 11 - 17 Jul 2027
[ 2 ] 18 - 24 Jul 2027
[ 2 ] 25 - 31 Jul 2027
[ 2 ] 1 - 7 Aug 2027
[ 2 ] 15 - 21 Aug 2027
[ 2 ] 29 Aug - 4 Sep 2027
NOTE:
This trip has scheduled dates for two people booking together, but it can be operated on any date you wish from late June to early September
This summit always appealed as it is completely human powered from the valley right to the summit, with no cable cars at all, just human effort. It made reaching the summit all the more special Roald S , Dom
Thanks to you for setting up this trip for us, and for making the summit happen in the weather window we had earlier in the week, changing hut bookings etc for us. Really appreciated, and a briliant climb Paul M , Dom
An absolute lifelong memory to watch the colours of the mountains change at dawn, especially over the Matterhorn behind (and below) us. Heather A , Dom
Testimonials
Press
& media
Films
& videos
Photo
gallery
Location
data for this trip
The
trips meet in the Chamonix valley in the French Alps,
at the foot of Mont Blanc. It is easily accessed via a
90 minute transfer from Geneva airport.
Time
Difference
GMT +1hr
Local
Currency
€ & CHF
Travel
from UK
1hr flight
Preparing
for the course
If
you are worried about acclimatisation, we recommend that
you book on an Acclimatisation
Weekend before
your course. to help you get acclimatised earlier, leaving
you with more summiting weather windows for the peaks. Better still, we recommend you arrive a day or two early, and go and stay at altitude in the Torino hut 3375m for the days and night(s) at altitude. Extra acclimatisation might make all the difference!
View
full course equipment list,
with examples of kit, click
here
Why
choose our trips?
See
our Alpine blog, by clicking on the Word-press logo
to the right.
Itinerary
flexibility to allow you to take full advantage
of the weather windows on any day, to maximise your
summit chances.
Our
prices are fixed in £ Sterling, to protect
you from euro fluctuations, so you can budget accurately.
There
is a choice of routes to opt for, depending on the
weather, conditions, and your experience.
Any
further questions?
A
key part of choosing a company is being able to come and
talk about your plans with an experienced course advisor
face to face. In an increasingly virtual world, we know
our clients value speaking to real people, getting open
and honest advice. The vast majority of our clients are
British, and our office and outdoor store is based in
Windermere in the English Lake District.
Get
in contact to arrange a meeting, and come in for a coffee
to discuss your course in person with a trip
advisor.
Gallery: 
