By
the end of the weekend you will have ice climbed,
practiced crevasse rescue, and travelled over
crevasses on both snow covered and dry glaciers.
Saturday night is spent in shared accommodation in the Chamonix valley. You arrive on the Saturday morning, and fly home after guiding on the Sunday.
The
weekend is designed to teach a total novice
the key safety considerations for travelling
over glaciers, focusing on the skills that
you will require on ice and snow; including
Alpine ropework, crevasse and self rescue,
glacier travel, crampon and ice axe techniques.
The Saturday is typically operated on a dry (not snow covered) glacier, such as the Mer de Glace / Argentiere / Le Tour, and the Sunday is on a wet (snow covered) glacier, such as Col du Midi or Punta Helbronner. This is to develop your skills, from evident to hidden crevasses.
If you'd prefer this course on a bespoke 1:2 guide ratio, on any date that suits during the summer Alpine season (mid June to mid September), the price is £599 per person.
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
Sat
Meet your mountain guide in the morning, typically at 08:30, for a briefing and kit check, then set off for the day. Days
are spent on a high glacier such as the Argentiere / Le Tour
/ Mer de Glace, with the day spent ice climbing,
creating anchors, and learning glacier travel skills.
These dry glaciers are accessed via cable car / mountain railway. Guiding ratio 1:6 (max). Night in Chamonix.
Sun
On
the second day, you meet the guide, then
set off on a day focusing on wet (snow covered)
glacier travel, probing crevasses, Alpine coils,
crevasse rescue, etc. You may well tackle a glaciated
peak such as Pointe Lachenal / Arete Laurence / Aiguille du Toule.
Guiding ratio 1:6 (max). Guiding finishes by 16:00,
so do not book flight departing before 20:00, to allow time for airport transfers.
ITINERARY
NOTES: Where possible we follow itineraries. Mountaineering
is often 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
course itinerary as a guide to the types of route that
you will attempt, not necessarily the exact routes that
you climb.
Course
Prices
Standard
course
2 full days IFMGA guiding, 1:6 max ratio
Saturday night Chamonix accommodation
£499
Live
availability
Click
on the planner logo to the right to
see the real time live course availability
Inclusions:
1) IFMGA Mountain Guide for two days, 2) Chamonix course
hosts for logistics & briefings, 3) Pre course information
booklet, 4) Equipment discount voucher for UK shops, 5)
Free 36 page technical Course Instruction Booklet, 6)
Road transport in Chamonix valley, 7) Saturday night shared accommodation in Chamonix valley, on a room only basis.
Exclusions:
1) Travel to and from Chamonix, 2) Cable Cars (approx
c.£60), 3) Personal laundry, telephone calls, lunches,
evening meals in valley, & any purchases in mountain
huts / hotels / restaurants, 4) Activities insurance, &
excess baggage charges.
Group
sizes: 3 - 6 people per IFMGA
mountain guide. For groups of 4 or more booking together, a private course can be operated just for you, with a discounted rate applied for groups of 5 or 6 in total. We also offer a 1:2 bespoke weekend for £599 per person. All private courses can be run on demand on dates of your choice.
Current
course availability
Course Dates Glacier Weekend
[ 4 ] 24 - 25 Jun 2023
[ 4 ] 1 - 2 Jul 2023
[ 4 ] 29 - 30 Jul 2023
[ 4 ] 5 - 6 Aug 2023
[ 4 ] 26 - 27 Aug 2023
[ 4 ] 2 - 3 Sep 2023
NOTE:
This trip has scheduled
dates, but if there are four who
are booking together, it can be
operated on any date you wish
Joe
Simpson, you would never have made a
film if you knew what I do ! Bob
S , Glacier Skills Weekend
It
was really useful to learn to place
ice screws, and anchor systems on both
bare ice and snow covered glaciers,
and I'm really confident about crevasse
extraction now, but hope never to have
to do it in anger Anne
T , Glacier Skills Weekend
Thank
you so much for organising a great weekend
course. We learnt lots Rachel
C , Glacier Skills Weekend
Testimonials
Press
& media
Films
& videos
Photo
gallery
Location
data for this trip
The
trips are based 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.
View
full course equipment list,
with examples of kit, click
here
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.
