Alpinism 101:
Chamonix, France
August 7-14, 2022
8 days/7 Nights
SOLD OUT FOR 2022!!!!
If you want to learn to climb mountains, you won’t find a better place than Chamonix. In a week with our industry-leading IFMGA Mountain Guides you’ll learn the techniques you need to get into the mountains with confidence. We’ll cover everything from climbing on rock, snow and ice to glacier travel and crevasse rescue, and finish with an ascent of one of the classic climbs of the Alps.
This course is designed for beginners, and will set you up with the skills to climb anywhere in the world. We’ll cover the fundamentals of alpine climbing and leave you ready to explore the mountains, wherever they take you. With routes ranging from easy snow climbs to rock faces, soaring alpine ridges, snow, ice, mixed and anything you can imagine, the towering spires of the Mont Blanc Massif are where it all started. Come see why Chamonix is known as the birthplace of alpinism, and we promise you won’t be disappointed.
Skills you’ll learn include:
Gear selection and packing for alpine climbs
Climbing and belay techniques
Rope systems for rock and snow ascents and descents
Snow climbing with ice axes and crampons
Glacier travel and crevasse rescue
Mountaineering on rock, snow and ice
The Climbing
With routes for every climber from the most extreme to the most accessible, there can be no doubt that the Alps, the very namesake of the alpine world, are one of the great homes of mountain climbing. If you haven’t been, it’s hard to really appreciate the scale, diversity, and quality of the climbing and mountain culture the Alps have to offer, and nowhere is that truer than Chamonix. There just isn’t anywhere else where you can step out of the bakery and ride a lift ninety-three hundred vertical feet into some of the coolest mountains on Earth to start your climb.
At the heart of Chamonix’s climbing is a stunning lineup of towers and spires home to some of the most iconic and adored routes in the world. All of this makes it the absolute perfect place to learn the craft of mountaineering. This course is designed to take complete beginners and teach them the skills to be competent climbers in the mountains.
Each day we’ll make sure you’re paired with climbers and climbs that match your ability so you don’t have to worry about being held back or pushed too far. Our expert guides are the best in the business and are all internationally certified with the IFMGA badge, “the PhD of mountain climbing.” The best in the business, they’ll help you through the training and skills you need both on the ground and on route.
Our low ratios are also what make this program unique. We’ll pair up to three climbers per guide for instructional sessions, while days on technical routes will strictly be two climbers per guide to maximize your learning and fun, all while giving you the best experience of these incredible mountains.
Food & Accommodations
One of the best parts of climbing in the Alps - especially for American climbers used to long slogs, heavy packs and sleeping in tents - is that you get to combine a climbing trip with a European vacation. Sure the mountains are the best in the world, but you’re also in France, which means the food, hotels and mountain huts are superb as well.
In addition to being located in one of the great mountain ranges of the world, Chamonix is also one of the planet’s great mountain towns. With everything from nightlife to wine bars, fondue joints and fine dining, Chamonix has it all. It also hosts some of the most gorgeous chalets and hotels in the Alps, and we’ll be based out of the hip and centrally-located Hotel Pointe Isabelle. Just a few minutes walk from everything in town, it’s a perfect home base any adventure.
In addition to our lovely hotel, we’ll also spend a few nights in some of our favorite mountain huts. In Switzerland we’ll stay at the Cabane du Trient, and in France we’ll stay at the Refuge Albert Premier just outside Chamonix. Both are are gorgeous alpine refuges that come complete with comfy beds, delicious food, and incredible views.
We like to try hard, but we also like to relax and live well, so we’ve hand-picked our favorite hotels, restaurants, bakeries and snacks to give you a taste of it all.
Itinerary
Day 1: Welcome to the Alps!
You get yourself to the airport in Geneva and we’ll arrange your transport to Chamonix. The drive is beautiful and just a little over an hour as you leave the green hills of Switzerland behind for the craggy peaks of the Chamonix Valley. We don’t like to make anybody do too much after a long day of travel, so you’ll be on your own to explore and shake off the jetlag, and your only job will be to find something tasty for dinner and to try to get some sleep.
Day 2: School of Rock
We’ll officially start the trip with breakfast at the hotel before getting our gear together and heading out for the day. We’ll start our training with the basics of rock climbing on one of the many fantastic crags around Chamonix. We’ll focus on moving in boots over moderate terrain, as well as practicing with the rope systems we’ll be using in the mountains. We’ll work on techniques for climbing, belaying, and rappelling, and for folks with rock experience already, you’ll have the opportunity to test your skills at the crag as well as to learn a few new tricks and see how you do climbing in mountain boots instead of rock shoes. After a full day of climbing, we’ll head back to town.
Day 3: Into the Mountains
After another breakfast, we’ll make sure everyone has everything they need and go over the basics of equipment and packing before loading up for a scenic drive around to the Swiss side of the Mont Blanc range. From there we’ll ride the La Breya lift up into the hills and hike the roughly 4 hours to the Cabane du Trient. The hike follows a gorgeous trail for about 5 miles and gains 3000’ before reaching the hut at 10,400’. The hut comes equipped with beds in shared rooms, and serves simple but hearty dinners and breakfasts. They also have beer, wine, soft drinks, and snacks, and will provide sandwiches and other lunch foods on request. Once we get moved into our rooms, we’ll spend a few hours on the glacier covering the basics of ice axe and crampon techniques before coming back in for dinner.
Day 4: Snow School
We’ll start the day with breakfast in the hut before heading out onto the Trient Glacier, our classroom for the day. We’ll pick up where we left off covering a full range of snow climbing skills including snow anchors and belays before moving on to glacier travel and crevasse rescue. We’ll show you how to manage a rope for moving up and down glaciers, and we’ll spend the afternoon working on crevasse rescue, covering essential techniques for getting a fallen climber out of a bind. After that we’ll head back to the hut for a relaxing drink on the porch so that we can wake up early for our first climb, an ascent of the classic Aiguille du Tour. This day will tax your brain as you’ll be exposed to a variety of new skills, but should give your legs a chance to rest before the climb.
Day 5: Aiguille du Tour Climb
This will be the culmination of everything you’ve learned so far as we’ll wake up before the dawn, down some breakfast, and set out for the summit. We’ll likely be moving on the glacier with headlamps for a few hours before the sun comes up, but once at the summit block a few steep snow steps and an exhilarating rock scramble await us. From the 11,614’ summit we’ll take in the 360° views of incredible alpine scenery, then reverse our tracks back down. Instead of returning to the Trient Hut though, we’ll cross back into France for a night at the Refuge Albert Premier. If things go well we should arrive around mid-afternoon, which will give us just enough time for a nap before dinner. We’ll once again finish the day with a hot meal, and you’ll likely sleep like a stone, satisfied with the day’s efforts and your alpine climb.
Day 6: Back to Chamonix
After another round of breakfast, we’ll hike down towards Chamonix. The trail is a gorgeous one, and drops almost 3,000’ in about 3.5 miles as we descend past the Glacier du Tour to the Col de Baume. We’ll take the lifts down into the village of Le Tour, where we’ll hop on the bus for a short ride back to the hotel. You’ll have the afternoon free to shower, nap, rest and enjoy yourself. We’re also going to give you the rest of the day off from group activities just to make sure you don’t get sick of us.
Day 7: Putting It All Together
We’ll spend our last day using all of our new skills to have some fun. We’ll break into small teams once again to tackle some of the classic climbs that make Chamonix famous. What exactly we climb will depend on weather and conditions, but we’ll be aiming for some of the most iconic climbs of the range, like the Arête des Cosmiques, or a traverse of the Aiguilles d’Entrèves, Pointe Lachenal, or Aiguilles Marbrées. Most of these routes start off by grabbing something delicious at the bakery before boarding the lift for a mind-blowing 9,300’ ride up to the top of the Aiguille du Midi, where we’ll step directly into the heart of the mountains. After climbing all day, we’ll catch the lift back down so we can clean up for a farewell dinner party at a local favorite, the Bighorn Bistro.
Day 8: Heading Home
Unfortunately all good things must come to an end, and if you’re heading home we’ll have a transfer ready to get you back to Geneva and on your way.
August 7-14, 2022
8 days/7 Nights
$4695.00 in a shared room / $4995.00 in a private room
Private Guiding Add-On
If you’d like stay on to do some more climbing, just let us know and we’d be happy to book you in with one of our guides to continue your adventure. We’ll have barely scratched the surface of what the area has to offer, so if you’d like to join us for another day or skills, another peak ascent, or some sunny rock climbing in France or nearby Italy or Switzerland, we’ll be happy to tailor a few more days just for you. Prices start at $500 per day for one climber or $550 for two, and larger groups may be possible depending on the objective. If you’d like us to suggest some itineraries, we’d be happy to help!
What’s Included
Airport transfers to and from the Geneva Airport upon arrival and departure
Transportation to and from all climbing and cultural outings
Lift and bus tickets in and around Chamonix
Seven nights’ accommodation in luxury hotels and mountain huts
(A large part of the trip cost goes to keeping your hotel room for the full seven nights in the event we have to change plans due to weather.)
Breakfast and dinners at the huts (Vegetarian and gluten-free meals are available, but celiacs or those with dietary restrictions may find the huts challenging.)
Daily breakfasts at the Pointe Isabelle in Chamonix
Farewell dinner and drinks in Chamonix
Low-ratio, personalized guiding from certified IFMGA Mountain Guides with local expertise
Complimentary Now!Climbing and She Moves Mountains swag
What’s Not Included
Airfare
Lunches and dinners in Chamonix
Snacks and lunches for climbing
Bottled water, soft drinks, alcoholic beverages, snacks or extra food in the huts
Personal climbing equipment
Ability to control the weather (In a worst-case scenario we may have to change plans completely due to weather and conditions, but we’ll do our best!)
Gratuities for your guides
Participant Requirements
Please note that it is mandatory for all participants to be fully vaccinated prior to attending this trip.
No mountaineering or climbing experience is required. This is a beginner level course.
This course will not involve camping or heavy packs, but you should be ready to hike for multiple hours mulitple days in a row, on and off trail, and to climb on snow, rock and ice.
Climbers should feel capable of hiking with a 20lb backpack while ascending and descending up to 3,000’ of elevation in a day.
A climbing harness, helmet, mountaineering boots, crampons, ice axe and pack are required for this course. If you don’t want to buy them, all of these items are available for rent in Chamonix at relatively low cost. We’re happy to help you with gear (just ask), and a complete equipment list can be found here.
Guides
Chris Wright
IFMGA Mountain Guide / AMGA Certified Rock Guide
Now!Climbing’s founder and lead guide, Chris has climbed, skied and eaten his way across the globe. Winner of the “Gold Medal of Alpinism,” the Piolet d’Or for the first ascent of 7041m Link Sar in Pakistan, he is always hunting for the next big climb. In addition to being an instructor for the American Mountain Guides Association (AMGA), Chris has spent his summer seasons in Chamonix working, climbing, playing and eating in the Alps since 2014.
Giulia Monego
IFMGA Mountain Guide / Italian Superwoman
Our expert in all things alpine, Giulia was born in Venice and fell in love with the mountains sliding on snow in the Dolomites. She grew up as a ski racer, then switched to competing on the Freeride World tour, and is one of only a handful of women to complete the IFMGA certification in Italy. Giulia lives in Chamonix and works, skis and climbs full time. She loves rock and ice almost as much as cold snow, and can’t wait to bring her local knowledge to our programs in the mountains.
Dylan Taylor
IFMGA/AMGA Mountain Guide / AMGA Certified Rock Guide
An alpine expert, Dylan knows the mountains around Chamonix like a true local. Originally from Colorado, Dylan grew up with an obsession for climbing and skiing. His love for the mountains led not only to exploring, but also a Masters Degree in geology. Dylan lives in Chamonix, is an avid photographer and paraglider, and is an instructor for the American Mountain Guides Association (AMGA). Between guiding adventures finds time for his own expeditions and climbing as many Alps classics as he can.
Erica Engle
IFMGA/AMGA Mountain Guide / AMGA Certified Rock Guide
Erica was raised in the Pacific Northwest and lives in Twisp, Washington. She learned to climb and ski in the Cascades, and has since guided ski, rock and alpine objectives throughout the world. She is an instructor for the American Mountain Guides Association (AMGA), and enjoys sharing mountain experiences with her students and guests by engaging their sense of adventure and a love of exploration.
This trip is offered in collaboration with our friends at She Moves Mountains. We figured they’re great at getting women into the outdoors, so why not collaborate for trip where everyone’s invited? Read more about She Moves Mountains here.
