Icicle: Big 5 Extensions: Mont Blanc, Eiger, Matterhorn, Gran Paradiso, Dufourspitze

Celebrating 25 years!

Alpine major peaks extensions 2025
Mont Blanc / Matterhorn / Eiger / Dufour / Paradiso / +

Climbing Skill

Fitness & Stamina

Icicle clients on the summit of Mont Blanc 4810m

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

Extensions overview

	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.
	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.
	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.
	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.
	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.
	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.
	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.

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 £1795 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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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...

Dent Blanche	Zinalrothorn	Wiesshorn	Dent d'Herens	Piz Badile
Normal Route 2 days \| £1995	Rothorngrat 2 days \| £1995	Normal Route 2 days \| £1995	Normal Route 2 days \| £1995	Cassin Route 2 days \| £2795

Current course availability

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.

Testimonials

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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
€ Euros

Travel from UK
1hr flight

Your questions answered

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.

Suggested reading and kit


Ortovox Piz Bianco	Alpine 400m Peaks

Mont Blanc 1:50,000	BD Sabretooth

View full course equipment list, with examples of kit, click here

Budget for extra costs

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.

	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.
	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.
	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.
	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.
	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.
	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.
	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.

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.