1:1
Advanced Alpine course 2025
Week of IFMGA guiding tailored to you | Chamonix based week |
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Course
overview
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Some
of the hardest and most famous routes
in the massif are only possible in
the summer months, notably some of
the great rock routes such as the
Grand Capucin, the South Face of the
Aiguille du Midi, and the Gervasutti
Pillar on Mont Blanc du Tacul. As
well as these rock routes, you still
have access to the mixed routes such
as the Frendo Spur on Aiguille du
Midi, Integral South Ridge of Aiguille
du Moine, or even the Frontier Ridge
of Mont Maudit. |
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This
course is designed to enable you to
achieve some of your greatest ambitions.
The course is therefore aimed at competent
/ strong climbers, who would benefit
from climbing with a Guide in order
to really push the grade at which they
climb, and to achieve some notable routes. |
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More
than any of our other courses, this
one gives you the flexibility to attempt
routes of a style that you choose, and
many opt for some of the most remote
corners of the Mont Blanc Massif. |
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The
key points about the course are:
1)
The 1:1 guiding ratio ensures that
you achieve the maximum
2) This course is tailored to your
skills, aims, and the conditions
3) Flexible to take advantage of your
progression,& route choices
4) Recent courses ascended the Contamines,
& Petit Jorasses |
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This
is one of our highest level standard
courses, though please note that if
you would like to attempt routes harder
or longer than are suggested here, such
as the Grandes Jorasses, Aiguille Verte,
or Mont Blanc via the Frontier ridge,
we will devise an itinerary and quote
especially for you. If you wish to upgrade
to one or more of these tougher routes,
the guides need to be sure of your experience
and that the conditions are safe and
good. There are fixed prices for 1:1 Mont Blanc / Eiger / Matterhorn climb weeks (from £3695), so if you wish to attempt routes such as these, a supplement is owed. |
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In
all cases where you ascend routes similar
to those mentioned in the itinerary,
there is absolutely no change to the
price. Due
to the nature of the ascents being attempted
in this course, we always endeavour
to match a guide(s) to you which compliments
your experience and aspirations. |
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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. |
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Brief
Course Itinerary |
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Travel to Chamonix to arrive for your accommodation check in from 16:00 on the Sunday afternoon, for those staying in with Icicle. In the early evening there is a course safety and itinerary briefing. There is time for equipment rental, including the hire of any boots or personal climbing equipment. Briefings are over by 19:00, to give you time to sort any hire kit, and for you to go out for dinner / drinks. Night in Chamonix. |
| Mon |
TEST
DAY: At 08:30 you meet up with your Guide
for the day. The aim of the day is for the
Guide to push you to test your limits, so
that you can decide on a suitable itinerary
for the rest of the week. Guiding
ratio 1:1 (max). Night spent in Chamonix. Some common test days are listed:
1) Aiguille du Midi, ascent
of Rebuffat or Contamine route on the South
Face Pillar
2) Eperon Cosmiques, ascent of rock route,
then follow the Cosmiques Arete to Midi
3) NNE Ridge of Aiguille de l'M, then traverse
of the Petit Charmoz and Italia Finger
All of the routes listed above
have some mountaineering elements and some
rock climbing elements, so there is a good
all round test of skills. At the end of the
day you return to Chamonix for the evening.
EVENING INSTRUCTION: In the
evening you will meet with your Guide, and
possibly one of our resort team to assist
with hut bookings etc, in order to finalise
plans for the rest of the week. This is essential
so that you maximise your climbing time. After
you have agreed a plan, you are free to prepare
your equipment for the rest of the week, though
if you wish, you can then join in with the
evening instruction session. After the instruction
session, you are free to go out to eat with
the others, or to cook in and get an early
night. |
Tue
to
Fri |
KEY
ASCENT DAYS: This section of the course is
tailored to your main objective for the week,
in terms of the conditions and your development.
Many opt to spend a few days above the Couvercle,
Envers, or Charpoua Refuge, so you can attempt
some of the classic routes such as the Marchand
de Sable, traverse of the Dru, an ascent of
Pic de Roc, or the traverse of the Moine to
the Eveque. From the Leschaux hut you can
climb on the Periades or climb the Petite
Jorasses. As you can see from the ideas above,
each course is tailored to you. To help you
make some plans before you come out on a course,
we have listed three very different 1:1 Advanced
courses which have been operated recently,
to show the range of possibilities:
COURSE 1: Tue: day route on the Aiguilles
du Chamonix, such as the NNE ridge of the
Aiguille de l'M, Wed: traverse of the Aiguilles
d'Entreves and stay in Torino hut for a night,
Thu: ascent of the Kuffner Ridge and descend
to Aiguille du Midi then Chamonix for the
night, Fri: ascent to the Aiguilles Rouges
for climb of the Pouce by one of the main
routes.
COURSE 2: Tue: a day route
to ascend one of the classic technical routes
in the Aiguilles du Chamonix, Wed: ascend
to the Lechaux hut and ascend a rock route
on the cliffs behind the hut, Thu: Alpine
start for ascent of the Petit Jorasses, then
decent to Chamonix for the night, Fri: ascent
to the Aiguilles Rouges for an ascent of the
classic route called Asia.
COURSE 3: Tue: from Courmayeur
cable car to Helbronner, and ascent of Dent
du Geant in one day, Wed: from Aiguille du
Midi for ascent of Cherie couloir and descent
to Chamonix for night, Thu: day route on the
Aiguilles du Chamonix, followed by a night
in the Plan d'Aiguille hut, Fri: ascend the
Frendo Spur in one day to the Aiguille du
Midi. Descend to Chamonix for night.
Guiding ratio 1:1 (max). Nights spent in Chamonix
or in mountain huts. |
| Sat |
Breakfast
then the accommodation check out is by 10:00.
Most arrange their airport transfers to leave
around this time, to catch a flight from Geneva
about midday. Depart for home. |
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ITINERARY
NOTES: Where possible we follow itineraries. Mountain
adventures are 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 itinerary as a guide to
the types of route / activity that you will attempt. |
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| Course
Prices |
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| Standard
course |
5 full days IFMGA guiding, 1:1 max ratio
7 days holiday, from Sunday-Saturday |
£2995 |
| Live
availability |
Click
on the planner logo to the right to
see the real time live course availability
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| How to book |
Secure
payments, bonded tour operator
Details of how to book, click
here |
Book
online |
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| Standard Course
Inclusions |
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1) Hand picked IFMGA Mountain Guide
for five days (1:1 ratio max) |
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2) Chamonix concierge service for logistics, advice and support |
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3) Road transport
in Chamonix valley to and from the climbing venues each day |
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4) Pre course information dossier, with training plans and kit lists |
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5) Briefing the first evening, with latest updates and weather reports |
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6) Equipment discount voucher for our Windermere shop / online |
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7) Preferential
rates on technical equipment hire in Chamonix |
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8) Free 36 page
technical Course Instruction Booklet |
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9) Optional evening instruction sessions as per detailed
itinerary |
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10) Six nights
room only shared accommodation (inc. bedding & towels) |
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| 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 (cable cars for guide included in Chamonix),
5) Transport / tunnel ticket outside the Chamonix
valley, 6) Any night(s) half board in mountain
hut (inc. costs for guides), 7) Sunday pre-dinner
drinks & Friday celebratory meal &
drinks, 8) Activities insurance, & excess
baggage charges. |
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Current
course availability
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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 start 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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| Course
notes |
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| To
date we haven't run two identical Summer 1:1 Advanced
courses, so the exact plans are very much down to
your preferences, the conditions, weather, and your
performance. We are more than happy to be as flexible
as possible to accommodate your plans, so for example
if you would like any nights in huts, this is fine
as long as you budget for paying for the nights
for both you and your Guide. If you approach us
either before or during the course with ideas of
routes that are objectively more serious, or physically
much harder, than the style of routes listed here,
you will need to be quoted for each specific route
as appropriate. |
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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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| Why
choose our trips? |
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See
our Alpine blog, by clicking on the Word-press
logo to the right. |
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Itinerary
flexibility to allow you to take full advantage
of the weather windows on any day, to maximise
your summit chances. |
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Our
prices are fixed in £ Sterling, to protect
you from euro fluctuations, so you can budget
accurately. |
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There
is a choice of routes to opt for, depending
on the weather, conditions, and your experience. |
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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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