Winter Mountaineering course Itinerary
The itinerary presented here is purely an example of what might happen in a perfect week and could be changed due to circumstances beyond the control of the guides, including adverse weather conditions.
Arrival Day.
The group will rendez-vous at the Chamonix Experience office for an informal chat about the upcoming week, meeting time will be approximatly 1800. There will also be a chance for the guide to check out your clothing and gear and to decide if you need to pick up any further items of equipment before setting out in the morning.
Day 1. Crevasse Rescue & Glacier travel
Today you will start with crampons tecniques on steep snow and ice. You will practice ice axe arrests and safe glacier travel. You will be taught to recognise avalanche hazards, and how terrain, aspect, wind and temperature, together with weather history, all play a part in assessing avalanche risk.
A lot of mountaineering, especially in the Alps, involves crossing glaciated terrain where there is the inherent danger of crevasses and seracs. You will be taught: how to read glacial terrain to minimise crevasse risk; how to travel roped up on glaciers and how to carry out a crevasse rescue.
Day 2. Mixed climbing Aiguille du Midi
Today you will operate in smaller groups and go straight up to the Aiguille du Midi. After a look around this impressive lift station, we will encounter the exposed arête leading down to the Col de l’Aiguille du Midi.The day will start with a short session on the use of avalanche transceivers. You will then have an introduction to mixed climbing. You will learn about placing protects, belays and anchors.
Day 3. Ice climbing the frozen waterfalls at the Crémerie or in the Swiss village of Trient
Today we are going to try some more technical ice climbing. Depending on where the conditions are best we will either stay in Argentière at a local spot or drive just across the border to Trient in Switzerland. Both places have some very nice and fairly easy ice climbing routes. You will be taught climbing techniques, gear placement, safety, rope handling at the same time as doing some exciting climbing.
Day 4. Cosmiques Arête
Today we are moving up to higher altitudes again. You will get to try out our newly learnt skills on the classic Cosmiques arete. This is a ridge climb leading back up to the lift station.
All going well you will have a chance to lead a section of the route.
Day 5. Petite Aiguille Verte and/or Ice Fall Climbing
We take today the Grands Montets cable car from Argentiere and we go up to the top (3450m). The ascent of the Petite Aiguille Verte is a mixe of different climbing techniques: cramponning, mixe climbing and ice axe techniqu. it is a real mixe winter route. The summit is at 3512m meters high.
The goal for today is to climb some more technical ice and in order to do so we will drive to where the conditions are the best. Ideally we will find a spot in the Chamonix valley but we also have the possibility to drive to Cognes in Italy for the day, should the conditions be better over there. The course will end with a coffee and debriefing at the Chamonix Experience office.
