The Grand Chamonix Ice Climbing Workshop



A five-day course at arguably one of the best ice climbing spots on the Planet.

Your instructors are thrilled to pass on their extensive experience of numerous ice-expeditions in the Karakoram and Himalayan ranges. Nothing makes them thirstier than the vision of you scaling a 70° multi- pitch ice route after a few days of instruction.

Having become accustomed to bivvies on long mixed routes above 6500 meters, they know their thing when it comes to safety, equipment and skill on winter mountains. When it comes to ice climbing, the Chamonix area - with its proximity and accessibility - is the perfect setting to pick the brains of your ubertalented instructors.

Unlike most Chamonix ice climbing companies, we will probably take you for a visit to the less frequented Italian side of Mont Blanc, where the possibilities for beginners are even more colorful!



START DATES END DATES
  • 9. December 2010, Thursday
  • 13. December 2010, Monday
  • 8. January 2011, Saturday
  • 12. January 2011, Wednesday
  • 13. January 2011, Thursday
  • 17. January 2011, Monday

BOOKING DEADLINE

About these prices...
Join Summit Club for free and enjoy a huge discount from your first trip on! All you have to do is sign up on a short form and you are immediately eligible for Members' price! Click here for details and to enroll. Yes, it is FREE and takes 2 minutes.
About these prices...
 
Join Summit Club for free and enjoy a huge discount from your first trip on! All you have to do is sign up on a short form and you are immediately eligible for Members' price! Click here for details and to enroll. Yes, it is FREE and takes 2 minutes.

Prices

CLIENT-GUIDE RATIO * PRICE
  • 1:1
  • Friendly Price:
    1370 GBP
  • For Our Members:
    1100 GBP
* You get to choose this after booking, don't worry about it just now.
  • 1:2
  • Friendly Price:
    1000 GBP
  • For Our Members:
    900 GBP
* You get to choose this after booking, don't worry about it just now.

PRICE INCLUDES PRICE DOESN'T INCLUDE
  • 5 days' instruction
  • all equipment hire
  • getting to chamonix
  • meals and lodging
  • insurance

Other info

You needn't have prior experience in ice climbing, but basic knowledge of ropework and a friendly relationship with crampons may be of great help. Otherwise, the course is tailored to your ambitions and abilities. It helps to arrive prepared with good endurance and arm strength. Regular rock climbing and indoor climbing for a few weeks prior to your course will have you in perfect shape.


About these grades...

Physical difficulty of trips

  1. Alpine trekking - up to 1200 m of vertical in a day on short trips
  2. Longer trips with high daily loads of 1000 m+ vertical
  3. Climbs involving 1000 m+ of vertical climbing above 4000 meters
  4. Same as Level 3 with the addition of speed as a must
  5. Climbs to summits over 6000 meters in altitude

Technical difficulty grades

  1. Trekking on rocks or snow to 25 degrees steepness, no hands required
  2. Alpine Grade PD - 30-45 degree snow/firnice axe required, may have to use with hands, as you may meet UIAA Grade III rock.
  3. Alpine grade AD: 40-55 degree slopes or UIAA grade-III rock
  4. "My feet are shaking!" Alpine grade D: 50-70 degree snow-walls or UIAA IV-V rock: serious stuff
  5. D graded climbs None of our package trips do this level, but you can request an expert to accompany you for your D or higher graded project.

Here's a table detailing the above used grades on MountainDays.

Culture shock grading

As far as the cultural environment of your country/area of destination, we have set up grades to indicate what degree of culture shock you may expect.

  1. Your usual cultural environment, no big surprises in relation to Anglo/Saxon way of life
  2. A little different than what you are used to at home, but no big suprises
  3. Your trip is a cultural experience in itself, with amusing differences form what you're used to at home.
  4. This is a different world; you have to significantly alter your expectations and behaviour.
  5. Possibility of extreme culture shock; forget any rules you may have brought from home, life runs completely differently than what you can even dream up.
About these grades...
 

Physical difficulty of trips

  1. Alpine trekking - up to 1200 m of vertical in a day on short trips
  2. Longer trips with high daily loads of 1000 m+ vertical
  3. Climbs involving 1000 m+ of vertical climbing above 4000 meters
  4. Same as Level 3 with the addition of speed as a must
  5. Climbs to summits over 6000 meters in altitude

Technical difficulty grades

  1. Trekking on rocks or snow to 25 degrees steepness, no hands required
  2. Alpine Grade PD - 30-45 degree snow/firnice axe required, may have to use with hands, as you may meet UIAA Grade III rock.
  3. Alpine grade AD: 40-55 degree slopes or UIAA grade-III rock
  4. "My feet are shaking!" Alpine grade D: 50-70 degree snow-walls or UIAA IV-V rock: serious stuff
  5. D graded climbs None of our package trips do this level, but you can request an expert to accompany you for your D or higher graded project.

Here's a table detailing the above used grades on MountainDays.

Culture shock grading

As far as the cultural environment of your country/area of destination, we have set up grades to indicate what degree of culture shock you may expect.

  1. Your usual cultural environment, no big surprises in relation to Anglo/Saxon way of life
  2. A little different than what you are used to at home, but no big suprises
  3. Your trip is a cultural experience in itself, with amusing differences form what you're used to at home.
  4. This is a different world; you have to significantly alter your expectations and behaviour.
  5. Possibility of extreme culture shock; forget any rules you may have brought from home, life runs completely differently than what you can even dream up.

Is this climb for you?

  • Physical difficulty:
  • Technical difficulty:
  • Culture shock:

Your guides


Zsolt Erőss


Born in: 1968
Occupation:mountain guide, ski instructor, expedition organizer and leader
Spoken languages: English
Favorite climb: Matterhorn Climb
His other climbs: Grossglockner, Mont Blanc



Huba Markos


Born in: 1967
Occupation:mountain guide, ski instructor, dental technician
Spoken languages: English, some German
Favorite climb: Matterhorn
His other climbs: Grossglockner, Grossglockner-Stüdlgrat, Mont-Blanc, Monte Rosa
Expeditions: Aconcagua Exp.

Laci Mecs


Born in: 1973
Occupation: mountain guide, climbing instructor
Spoken languages English, German
Favorite climb: Monte Rosa
Other climbs: Grossvenediger, Grossglockner, Grossglockner-Stüdlgrat, Matterhorn, Mont Blanc, Monte Rosa

The instructor to guide ratio on these courses is 1:1 or 1:2, depending on your choice. Naturally, the course is completely tailored to your abilities. A friendly relationship with crampons is not a must, but definitely helpful. Likewise, not having to learn basic ropework and belaying under the icefall also helps you get the most out of this thing.

There is little point in making up a detailed itinerary here, as the program for your five days strongly depends on conditions – weather and avalanche situation. The daily routine looks like this:

  1. wakey wakey at 7 AM. Have a grand breakfast and pack some sandwitches and energy rich snacks for lunch. We want to be on the ice by 8 AM, so the morning ritual is a rapid endeavour.
  2. Climbing all day long. That's what you come here for, isn't it? Days are short in winter so we usually finish by 5-6 pm.
  3. Retreat to the valley: Chamonix and Argentiere offer some fine afterclimb programs for mountaineers. Whatever you desire after the day's adrenaline flow, you'll find it in town.
  4. Before calling it a day, prepare your equipment for the day to come.

Here is what you can expect to gain from the five day course

if you're a newbie:

  • knowledge and proper use of all ice climbing equipment and safety
  • being able to secure a route on ice
  • building anchors with ice screws and "abalakovs"(that is, drilling 2 holes in the ice and tying a runner in them)
  • technique: moving confidently and securely in icy couloirs and waterfall ice
  • nicely warming muscle ache

if you're more intermediate-advanced:

  • securing routes on mixed terrain with ice screws and nuts/wedges
  • lots of ice climbing and drytooling techniques
  • pushing routes to your limits with a world class climber as a partner
  • secret techniques, like getting an ice screw out from above your head after a rapell
  • nicely warming muscle ache

You are based in a friendly guesthouse in Argentiére which will serve as the basecamp for your venues.


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Good stuff, eh? If this trip interests you, fill out the form below to enroll or just ask a question. Feel free to give us a ring, by the way... +36-20-584-1147

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