Monte Rosa 4563m

Day 0: 

Telephone appointment late afternoon with your guide for a program briefing, plus gear check (will bring the gear you have requested from us), and confirm meeting time on the morning of Day 1.

Accomodation in Chamonix Hôtel*** in shared twin room, bed and breakfast. Dinner at your charge.

Day 1:

Leaving from Chamonix to Italy, 2h-2h30 drive depending on the traffic at the Mont Blanc Tunnel.

From the Punta Indren 3275 m top of the cable car, we start walking towards  Mantova or Gnifetti hut, depending where we could managed to have places. On the way we will make snow exercice as "how to stop a side slip on a steep slope". We will learn how to make a belay station in the snow with an ice axe etc... Night at the hut.

Altitude covered:  300 m

Walking time: 1 to 2 hours

Day 2: Pyramid Vincent

From the hut we walk up to the Lys glacier, 4000 m. We then turn right to ascent the easy slope of the Pyramid Vincent and reach the summit at 4215 m. We walk down again to 4000 m and walk up again towards the Lisjoch at 4152 m. We pass the border and now we are on the upper Grenzgletcher; heading to the Margherita hut standing at the top of the Punta Gnifetti at 4554 m. This is the highest refuge in the Alps and the view all around is just amazing. Please note that Margherita hut is often fully booked, so we might need to remplace it with another hut, if necessary.

Altitude covered:  1100 m

Walking time: 6 to 7 hours

Day 3:

This is an easier day as we just walk down to the "Colle Gnifetti" to climb the easy ridge of the Zumstein Spitze at 4563 m. You will be able to admire the famous Matterhorn pyramid, and many of the 4000 peaks of the Swiss Valais. Time to walk down in the valley by using the same itinerary as the previous day. We will stop at Gnifetti hut and after a good break we will go down to the cable car at the Punta Indren. Drive back to Chamonix.

Altitude covered:  +100 m and - 1300 m

Walking time: 6 to 7 hours

Technical and physical difficulty

6 to 8 hours of walking covering 800m to 1400m per day, an excellent physical condition is required. You must be used to walk in mountain on rough terrain during 6 to 7 hours and also scrambling. This course is not made to teach you walking but to go beyond the path in high mountain and to discover high altitude. Walking with stiff boots change the way of walking and is physically more demanding.

Snow slopes up to 35°/50°

Easy rock climbing alpine grade II and III in some sections

Your guide

High mountain guide (alpinism state qualified). Groups can be mixed, upon people that have booked in, note that the guide speaks both French & English if necessary.

Group size

4 persons maxi per guide.

Accommodation

In mountain huts & hotel*** in Chamonix

Meals

Hotel*** - bed and breakfast, dinner at your charge

Huts -  Half board (have cash on your for the drinks)

Packed lunch included for every day (vegetarian option available)

Meeting point

At 9.00 am on Day 1 at the reception of your hotel in Chamonix

Transport

With the guides car to Italy and back or by taxi

Cost and availability for Monte Rosa Alpine introduction course

We need a minimum of 4 persons to run this group course. Groups are made up of different nationalities, our guides speak both English & French during the course, if necessary. 

Our planning is changing constantly due to places available  in the huts!!!    GET IN TOUCH directly by e-mail or phone/what's up +33 6 95 04 23 02 as we have other different dates / program / routes available too.

If you are a private group, please get in touch as we are able to offer tailor-made courses with choice of date and duration.

INCLUDED in the price:

• Organisation of the 3 day course trip
• High mountain guide (alpinism state qualified) (maximum ratio of 1:4)
• 1 night in Chamonix Day 0,  shared room in hotel ***, B&B
• 2 nights accommodation : Refuge Gnifetti and Margherita, Day 1 & 2, half board
• All meals, except dinners in Chamonix (Day 0)
• Safety equipment provided by your guide (ropes, carabiners, ice screw)
• Cable cars
• 3 x packed lunch ( vegetarian option available)

NOT INCLUDED in the price:

• Dinner in Chamonix on day 0
  Transfer to / back Italy (sometime possible with the guide's car)
• Personal expenses (drinks in the refuges for you and your guide, additional snacks, etc)
• Equipment can be hired from CMBG, please ask (harness, crampons, ice axe, helmet...)
• Single room supplement Day 0 in the hotel : 97 € per night
• Alpine climbing insurance
• Gratuities
• Any extra expenses due to unforseeable circumstances like ( bad weather, injury, lack of fitness)