If you want to climb as many 4000m peaks as
possible during a week, whilst staying in
mountain huts with amazing scenery, this course
is perfect for you. You could also consider the Monte
Rosa 4000ers course.
The
Oberland massif boats some of the most famous
4000m peaks in the Alps. The course lets you
ascend as many of these peaks as you can during
the week, staying in remote mountain huts
with your Guides.
In order to maximise your guiding time, the course starts and ends in Grindelwald, to provide 5 full climbing days, with Sunday and Friday nights in Grindelwald, which is easily accessed from Geneva airport.
You also have the option to start and end the trips in Chamonix, to spend the first and last nights there, and to travel to and from Grindelwald with the guide. This option is available for two people opting for this.
To
experience the best routes you should be capable
of seconding a UK Severe or US Grade 5.9 on
rock, or have previous ice / snow experience
such as having completed an Alpine or Scottish
Introduction course.
The
itinerary for this course is deliberately
flexible to allow for changing conditions,
your experience and how quickly you acclimatise.
We make every effort to match people of similar
experience on this course.
This
course can be used as an opportunity to spend
a week in the mountains and is the same level
in a different region offering progression
from Technical
Ice & Classics or the Chamonix
Alpine Rock course.
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
Sun
Travel
to Grindelwald to arrive for the 16:00 accommodation check-in followed
by course safety and itinerary briefings. There
is time for kit packing or rental of equipment. Note that normally the guide will meet you the next morning in Grindelwald or at the cable car station. Night spent in Grindelwald.
Mon
Meet your guide in Grindelwald, then ascend the Jungfraujoch
mountain railway through the Eiger, then cross to
a hut, such as the Monchsjochhutte for the night. If the conditions and
weather allow, you might well make the ascent of
Monch after reaching the hut. Guiding ratio 1:2
(max). Night in mountain hut.
Tue
Alpine
start for the ascent of a peaks such as the Monch,
possibly making the full traverse of the peak, descending
towards Jungfraujoch. An alternative objective for
the day is to climb the Jungfrau. Guiding ratio
1:2 (max). Night spent in mountain hut.
Wed
Another
Alpine start for route, such as the classic route
on the Jungfrau, one of the most famous peaks in
the Oberland region. Alternatively
you might takle one of the satellite peaks of the
Jungfrau, or traverse to another hut, such as Finsteraarhorn
hut. Guiding ratio 1:2 (max). Night spent in mountain
hut.
Thu
A
very early Alpine start to ascend a peak such as
the mighty Finsteraarhorn. Even the classic route
is a serious undertaking, and the slopes are steep. If you've already ascended this,
you could ascend the Gross Grunhorn from Konkordia
hut. Guiding ratio 1:2 (max). Night spent in mountain
hut.
Fri
Your
final Alpine start, to take in another summit, then
you traverse the upper glacier basin to reach the
train at Jungfraujoch, to descend the mountain railway to return to Grindelwald
for evening celebrations, or a good sleep after a week in mountain huts! Guiding ratio 1:2 (max). Night in
Grindelwald.
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.
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.
Route
focus All of these peaks are
included in part of the scheduled course itinerary, and
some extra detail on each of the classic routes on each
peak is provided below.
Jungfrau
4158m
Mönch
4107m
Finsteraarhorn
Gross
Grünhorn
SE
Ridge (PD)
This peak is accessed from the Mönchsjoch hut,
and is the third highest in the Oberland. Ascend
via the SE Ridge. First you cross the Jungfraufirn,
and then up some steeper mixed to reach the easy
but very exposed summit ridge. The descent is by
the same route to Mönchsjoch.
SE
Ridge (PD+)
The peak name means the "monk", and it
has several classic ridges that are accessed via
the Mönchsjoch hut. The most popular is the
SE ridge, which is a snow ridge with a few simple
rock steps.
SW
face ascent &
NW arete (PD)
From the hut ascend the steep snow face to the NW
ridge on rock and mixed to reach the summit. The
descent is made via the same route all the way back
to the hut.
SW
Ridge (PD+)
Start from Koncordia hut, the SW ridge is a good
route with mixed ground, and is tough for a PD+
grade. From the summit, you descend via the SE face,
all the way down to reach the hut.
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
Standard
Course Inclusions: 1) IFMGA Mountain Guide
for five days, 2) Alpine based course hosts for briefings and logistics
support during your week, 3) Two nights room only accommodation in Grindlewald area
(inc. bedding & towels), 4) Up to four nights half
board in mountain hut (inc. costs for guides), 5) Pre
course information booklet, 6) Equipment discount voucher
for UK shop, 7) Free 36 page technical Course Instruction
Booklet.
Exclusions:
1) Travel to and from Grindelwald, 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 £200), 5) Meals in Grindelwald, 6) Activities
insurance, & excess baggage charges.
Notes:
This course assumes 1:2 guiding throughout. Note that
if there is just one person on a course, less 1:1 guiding
days and half board nights in mountain huts can be offered, and
guiding options and locations will be discussed with you
within the budget paid.
Current
course availability
Course Dates Oberland 4000ers
[ 2 ] 6 - 12 Jul 2025
[ 2 ] 27 Jul - 2 Aug 2025
[ 2 ] 3 - 9 Aug 2025
[ 2 ] 24 - 30 Aug 2025
[ 2 ] 31 Aug - 6 Sep 2025
NOTE:
This trip has scheduled
dates, but if there are two who
are booking together, it can be
operated on any date you wish
The
choice of routes and peaks during the
week was amazing. We summited the Jungfrau,
Monch, Finsteraarhorn, and others. Cheers
for organising this trip for us guys Andy
P , Oberland
The
guides explained all the options each
day, so we could flex the itinerary
and choose some of the routes we wanted
to climb Belinda
F , Oberland
This
trip was a real step up for me in terms
of back to back days, where we summited
mountains on every day. The huts were
charming Pete
C , Oberland
Testimonials
Press
& media
Films
& videos
Photo
gallery
Location
data for this trip
The
trips meet in Grindelwald, though there is also the option of meeting in Chamonix, to travel over with the guide.
Time
Difference
GMT +1hr
Local
Currency
€ Euros
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.
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.
