6 days Advanced 2:1/1:1 Dates: 08 Jul - 24 Aug     [see all dates]   Price: £1795 Fitness: 3 Experience: Previous alpine AD climbing experience essential, good scrambling ability required, as well as ability to climb V Diff rock easily in big boots with a rucsac on. Included: Guiding Fees and Expenses. Other Costs: Accommodation, food, travel and uplift ~ £425 Book Online Here

This is a dedicated guiding week focused on climbing either the Hornli Ridge or Italian Ridge of the Matterhorn. Both routes are long and committing days and dry, snow free conditions are required on the route to safely reach the summit.

The acclimatisation and training program at the start of the week is guided at 2:1, with the Matterhorn guided at 1:1.

We meet in Chamonix at the start of the week as it is easier to reach and offers better acclimatisation opportunities, then move to Zermatt to make our ascent.

Subject to weather and conditions, we follow the general format below:

We run all of our courses on a guiding & instruction only basis. Food and accommodation must be paid for seperately. Our recommended accommodation in the Chamonix valley is Ice and Orange - Chalet Tissières, who we will happily put you in touch with if you'd like to reserve a room. You are however free to make other accommodation arrangements if you choose (for a full hotel service, Hotel Les Lanchers in Chamonix Les Praz is another good option - Chamonix has numerous other hotels and rental apartments available at a wide variety of prices - click on 'reservation' at the Chamonix website for more details).

Chamonix is easily reached by flights to Geneva and an airport transfer, both of which are bookable online.

You need previous AD alpine climbing experience and must be sure footed enough to move quickly and safely over exposed scrambling terrain as well as climb V Diff rock easily in big boots with a rucsac on. Your guide will undertake a series of training climbs at the start of the week to confirm your fitness and ability levels before embarking on the ascent. Climbing the Matterhorn requires good levels of fitness and stamina, as the summit day involves 8-12 hours technical climbing at high altitude (see fitness level 3) so we advise you to prepare well in advance with regular exercise and training.

Some pre acclimatisation for this week is strongly recommended, as objectives are above 4000m and involve technical climbing at altitude, where you will need to be climbing quickly and safely.

We will supply you with a full kit list. All communal safety equipment (ropes etc) is provided by us. You are expected to come equiped with personal clothing and climbing equipment. For the more technical items (ice axe, crampons, harness, helmet, boots etc) local equipment hire is also available.