Alpine
major peaks extensions
2025
Mont Blanc /
Matterhorn / Eiger / Dufour / Paradiso / + |
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FEEDBACK: "The extension
was a great way to round off the already excellent
week, and to
summit Mont Blanc was a magical experience" Amanda McA, Dover, 2002 |
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Extensions
overview
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These
are the guiding rates for two day ascents
of the Mont Blanc / Eiger / Matterhorn / Gran Paradiso, or a three day ascent of Dufourspitze.
These extensions are ONLY available
to those who have just completed a week long
Icicle climbing course (not trekking), to
ensure that you are sufficiently trained,
safe and acclimatised before your summit attempt. |
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Please
note we do not offer stand alone two (or three) day ascents
or bespoke courses of these peaks, as we are
so sure that our itineraries are correct to
maximise your summit chances. We do not match
clients together where 1:2 ascents are possible.
If you have no pre-existing climbing partner,
you need to book a 1:1 ascent. |
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All the prices are for guiding,
and driving & parking costs (Mont Blanc;
Chamonix - Les Houches, Eiger; Chamonix -
Grindelwald, Matterhorn; Chamonix - Tasch, Dufourspitze; Chamonix - Tasch, Gran Paradiso; Chamonix - Pont)
only, with driving and parking up to a cost of £200 per guide. You must pay for you and your guide
for the following: cable cars & mountain
railways, bottled water, and half board in
mountain huts. |
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These
extensions can only be pre-booked with your
main Icicle course, and cannot be booked upon
arrival or whilst in resort. Guides and hut
spaces need to be booked many months in advance,
and we cannot take any bookings for these
two day ascents within a month of travel for
these reasons. Please plan ahead. |
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The
extensions generally take the normal route on
the mountain, so Mont Blanc via Gouter route, Eiger
by the Mittellegi, and Matterhorn on the Hornli.
Other routes are only ascended if required
by force majeur, and may be subject to an
upgrade fee. Note that on Mont Blanc the Trois
Monts traverse is only available on a 1:1
guiding ratio, and the Gonella and Grand Mulets
are rarely in condition after mid July. |
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If
deposits are needed to secure a mountain
hut booking, you authorise us to add the
hut deposit to your invoice. For the Gouter
and Hornli mountain huts, this is currently c.£50pp).
Currently there's no deposit for Eiger hut. On the Mont Blanc you will be booked into one of the following; Refuge Gouter, Refuge Cosmiques, Refuge Tete Rousse, Base Camp Tete Rousse, or Rifugio Gonella. |
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We
can also arrange bespoke ascents of any Alpine
peak, or days of private guiding, prices from
c.£450 a day. For full details and prices of tailor made bespoke guiding, click here. |
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Mont
Blanc (Scheduled week long
course itinerary, click
here)
Course
Duration: 2 days (normally clients opt
for the Saturday and Sunday)
Instructor / Guide Ratio: 2 days IFMGA
Guiding with ratio of 1:1 or 1:2 (see
prices)
Previous Skills: Scottish Grade II/III
Ice / UK Rock S or VSevere / Alpine
PD+
Level of Fitness: High, especially stamina
(capable of running a half marathon).
Prices: £1595 for 1:1 or 1:2 (2 per booking at same
time) guiding ratio.
Dates: Extension run on demand, with
dates between mid June and mid September. |
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Winter:
For those who prefer a winter ski touring
extension for Mont Blanc, the price
is £1595 for a 1:1 or 1:2 (2 people
booking at the same time) guiding ratio. The pre-requisite
experience for a ski Mont Blanc extension,
is the same as that for the week long
Ski Mont Blanc course (link). This price is for two days guiding only. You stay one night half board in the Grands Mulets hut, and pay for you and your guide. |
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Matterhorn (Scheduled week long
course itinerary, click
here)
Course
Duration: 2
days (normally clients opt for the Saturday
and Sunday)
Instructor
/ Guide Ratio: 2 days IFMGA Guiding
with ratio of 1:1 only
Previous Skills: Scottish
Grade II/III Ice / UK Rock S/ VSevere
/ Alpine AD-
Level of Fitness: High,
especially stamina (capable of running
a half marathon).
Prices: £1895 for a 1:1 Guide ratio, which
is the only Guiding ratio allowed on
this peak.
Dates: This course is run on demand,
with dates between early July and mid
September. |
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Eiger (Scheduled week long
course itinerary, click
here)
Course
Duration: 2
days (normally clients opt for the Saturday
and Sunday)
Instructor
/ Guide Ratio: 2 days IFMGA Guiding
with ratio of 1:1 only
Previous Skills: Scottish Grade III
Ice / UK Rock HVS / Alpine AD
Level of Fitness: High,
especially stamina (capable of running
a half marathon).
Prices: £1895 for a 1:1 Guide ratio, which
is the only Guiding ratio allowed on
this route.
Dates: This course is run on demand,
with dates between early
July and mid September. |
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Gran Paradiso (Scheduled week long course itinerary, click
here)
Course
Duration: 2
days (normally clients opt for the Saturday
and Sunday)
Instructor
/ Guide Ratio: 2 days IFMGA Guiding
with ratio of up to 1:3 only
Previous Skills: Scottish Grade I
Ice / UK Rock Mod / Alpine F (beginner level)
Level of Fitness: Medium,
though good stamina (capable of running
a 10km).
Prices: £1395 for 1:1/2/3 Guide ratio. This price is in total for booking together / alone.
Dates: This course is run on demand,
with dates between mid June and mid September. |
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Dufourspitze (Scheduled week long
course, click
here)
Course
Duration: 3 days (normally clients opt for the Saturday
to Monday)
Instructor
/ Guide Ratio: 3 days IFMGA Guiding
with ratio of up to 1:2 only
Previous Skills: Scottish Grade II/III
Ice / UK Rock S or VSevere / Alpine
PD+
Level of Fitness: High, especially stamina
(capable of running a half marathon).
Prices: £1995 for 1:1 or 1:2 Guide ratio. This price is in total for booking together / alone.
Dates: This course is run on demand,
with dates between late June and mid September. |
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Other major Alpine peaks for course extensions
You're only limited by your imagination which peaks you can extend your trip with, but the five above are the most popular, followed by these peaks. If you would like further information, please get in touch...
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Dent Blanche |
Zinalrothorn |
Wiesshorn |
Dent d'Herens |
Piz Badile |
Normal Route
2
days | £1895 |
Rothorngrat
2
days | £1895 |
Normal Route
2
days | £1895 |
Normal Route
2
days | £1895 |
Cassin Route
2
days | £2795 |
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Current
course availability
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These
extensions are run on demand all the
summer after a suitable week long course.
The best seaon for each peak is noted
after the details for each of the mountains,
so that you can select a suitable date
for your main course. |
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Testimonials |
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Press
& media |
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Films
& videos |
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Photo
gallery |
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Location
data for this trip |
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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. |
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Time
Difference
GMT +1hr |
Local
Currency
€ Euros |
Travel
from UK
1hr flight |
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Your
questions answered |
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What about an extra day?
We only offer the extensions as two days guiding.
If you would like any extra days, then we
recommend a standard week long course. 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. |
What if there is bad weather?
If the weather / conditions / safety is too
bad for you to attempt the mountain (i.e.
you don't even attempt to reach the hut),
then our team will propose alternatives within the same budget paid, in venues with better weather and / or conditions to maximise what you can achieve in the days. If alternative mountain hut bookigs are required, we can organise this for you, subject to availability. This policy must be
in force, as the Guides are booked up front,
and need to be paid for two days work anyway, at the agreed rate.
If you attempt the peak you originally booked
for, and are turned back by bad weather /
conditions (including but not limited to stonefall
or avalanche risk), you are entitled to no
refund. No summit is guaranteed, and this
is the luck of the draw. The Guides safety
decision is final as to whether they even
attempt the mountain, or if they propose alternatives,
or turn around on the summit attempt. |
What ratios are allowed?
For Mont Blanc, a Guide can take one or two
clients (depending on your choice and the
Guides / Icicles assessment of your abilities).
No Guide can take any more than two clients.
We have been asked in the past if it is permissible
for a "separate" roped team to "shadow"
the Guided group. This is NOT possible, as
essentially the other team is Guided. If anyone
is thought to be trying this behind our backs,
we give the Guides our full backing to turn
around. On the Eiger or Matterhorn, we enforce
a 1:1 Guiding ratio as the highest that Guides
can operate with, even though on some easier
routes on the Eiger a 1:2 ratio is legally
permissable. We stick to our 1:1 ratio to
improve safety and speed, and therefore summit
chances. |
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Suggested
reading and kit |
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View
full course equipment list,
with examples of kit, click
here |
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Budget
for extra costs |
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As
an estimate you should allow for the following expenses.
Prices were corrected at the start of the season,
but are from external providers, so are subject
to change.
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Mont
Blanc 1:2 - Cable car Les
Houches to Bellvue (c.18.50€pp
return), Tramway Bellvue to Nid d'Aigle
(c.24.50€pp return), Gouter hut
(c.65€pp client, c.45€pp guide,
diner & breakfast c.33.25€pp
+ c.16€pp). As a realistic maximum,
budget on uplift total c.129€ (ignore
if you already have a week long lift
pass and guide has annual pass), half
board hut c.322.75€ hut (of which
c.120€ is normally a pre-paid deposit)
which divided by 2 clients = c.161.38€
each. This excludes buying bottled water
for you and guide. |
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Mont
Blanc 1:1 - Costs as above,
but 1:1. Budget on c.86€ uplift
total (ignore if you already have a
week long lift pass and guide has annual
pass), half board hut c.208.50€
(of which c.80€ is normally pre-paid
deposit) so a balance payment for the
hut of c.128.50€. Excludes buying
bottled water for you & guide. |
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Eiger
1:1 - Grindelwald / Eismeer
/ Jungraujoch railway (c.150CHFpp return),
Hut (c.75CHFpp). Note you pay for both
you and the guide. This budget excludes
buying bottled water for you and guide. |
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Matterhorn
1:1 - Taxi / train Tasch
to Zermatt (c.20CHFpp return), Cable
car Zermatt to Schwartzee (c.43.50CHFpp),
Hornli hut half board (c.150CHF client,
c.140CHF guide), though on a week long Matterhorn course Icicle pays the 100CHF hut deposit (50CHF each). Note you pay for both
you and the guide. This budget excludes
buying bottled water for you and guide. |
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Dufourspitze - Taxi / train Tasch
to Zermatt (c.20CHFpp return),Mountain railway Zermatt to Rotenboden (c.74CHFpp return),
Monte Rosa hut half board (c.95CHFpp/night). Note you pay for both
you and the guide for two nights. This budget excludes
buying bottled water for you and guide. |
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Gran Paradiso - Chabod / Victor Emmanuel hut half board (c.50.50€ per client,
c.40€ guide). Note you pay for both
you and the guide. This budget excludes
buying bottled water for you and guide, but there is normally free drinkable running water at the huts. |
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Valley
accommodation - You check
out of our Chamonix valley accommodation
on the last day of your week long course
(i.e. on the morning of your extension,
so usually Saturday morning), and we
can store your baggage until you return.
If you elect to stay extra nights, you
can book this yourself, or we can generally
book you into a chalet for a night after
(c.£50-60pp / night based on a
twin room for two). If you opt out of a hut on the middle night (e.g. due to poor weather), if staying outside Chamonix, please note that you will need to book and pay for hotel accommodation half board for the guide. |
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Any
further questions? |
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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. |
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