5-day introduction to Alpine Climbing in Chamonix
Join IFMGA-certified mountain guide Mark on this 5-day Introduction to Alpine Climbing program in Chamonix. A perfect opportunity to develop and practice your climbing skills in the beautiful French Alps.
Not specified
Alps
5 Days
Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep
Fit
First Time
Description
Join in Chamonix, France. Get ready to learn – and practice – the mission critical skills to get you started on alpine mountaineering.
During this 5-day program, I will give you the tools and confidence you need to ascend a variety of peaks safely. Outlined below is an example of a 5-day program. It is open to people who have often dreamt of alpine climbing but did not know how or where to start.
During this program we will to cover all the main introductory climbing skills. On day 1, I will teach you the fundamental use of ice axe and crampons in the context of the alpine setting. We will be spending the day on the famous Mer de Glace glacier. On day 2, we will climb the Aiguille du Crochue (2,487 m). This is a beautiful rocky alpine ridge high above Chamonix in the Aiguille Rouge. It is a very good place to learn how to use the climbing rope to progress quickly, efficently and safely.
Next, on day 3 we will take one of the highest cable cars in the world: the Aiguille du Midi (3,842 m). We will put the skills we learned over the past days into practice by climbing the Cosmiques Spur or route of similar status depending on the conditions on the day.
On day 4, we will focus on safe glacier travel. We will look at the fundamental skills to avoid falling into a crevasse and we will look at elements of crevasse rescue. We will walk up to a mountain hut where we will spend the night. This will allow us on our 5th and final day to experience a “Classic Alpine Start”. With the right weather and conditions, we will ascent to the Aiguille du Tour (3,540 m). The views from the top are breathtaking! If the day is clear enough, we will even be able to see the iconic Matterhorn (4,478 m).
This trip is perfect for people who seek to learn about mountaineering in a beautiful location. To join this program, I recommend being reasonably fit and active. However, you don’t need to have experience in the use of ropes or rock climbing.
If you are interested in this 5-day introduction to Alpine Climbing in Chamonix, book your trip now!
Have a look at another one of my climbing programs available in the area: From Climbing wall to Alpine Rock climbing.
Price includes
- Guiding fee
Price details
The price does not include the guide´s expenses (accommodation, meals, lift tickets, etc).
About the guide
I am a member of both the British Mountain Guides and the French Mountain Guides Associations.
I have guided out of Chamonix for over 25 years, during this time I have climbed and skied with people from all walks of life. The fascinating part of my job is that each client is unique in that they all have completely different mountaineering ambitions.
For example, on the one hand I was the first mountain guide to lead a blind man - with no mountaineering experience whatsoever - to the summit of Mt Blanc.While on the other hand I am one of the few mountain guides in the world to have guided a client up the North Face of the Eiger.
Therefore, I believe my guiding experience is unique. Added to which I have worked for the BBC TV on several occasions, most recently as the camera safety expert for part of their seminal series “The Forces of Nature”, which filmed the death defying Ibex climbing the Cingano Dam in Northern Italy.
I am also the author of the successful Mark the Mountain Guide children's books which have been published in the UK, USA and France.
Within the Chamonix Valley I love the day ski tours in the Aiguille Rouge and its fantastic rock climbing in the summer. Nevertheless ,although Chamonix is the mountaineering capital of the world I also believe that Chamonix is uniquely positioned hub from which many other interesting places can be reached quickly. Therefore I try to be as flexible as possible and go where the conditions are best on the day.
Furthermore some of my personal favourite areas are: for rock climbing in solitude, the Aravis range; for the best multi-day hut to hut tour, Western Oberland; for sensational off-piste skiing, Monte Rosa; and for exceptional heli skiing, Pigne d’Arolla.
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