DISCOVER ICE CLIMBING 3 DAYS COURSE

You will meet your group and your mountain guide in the Chamonix Experience office on the evening before your ice climbing course begins. You will receive all the details about your guide and the meeting in an email a week before start of the course. The meeting is a great opportunity to ask any questions about the course and to check with your guide that you have the right equipment. The detailed itinerary will depend on the weather, snow and ice conditions and these can vary very much from week to week. Therefore right now we can give you only a rough outline of what will happen on your course day to day.

We start bright and early, meeting in Chamonix at 6.30am and driving through the Mont Blanc tunnel to Italy, the drive is approximately an hour. We will go straight to Valsavarenche, an excellent ice climbing area where there are more than a dozen routes to suit all capabilities. Your guide will spend today teaching you the basic techniques of ice climbing and ensuring that you know how to use the equipment. At the end of the day we will check into our hotel and enjoy a well-earned dinner.

We will continue the instruction and training at another ice climbing crag in the valley. You should be able to use your ice axes effectively to follow longer climbs, to belay your leader and abseil safely by the end of the day.

Today we will climb a multipitch route – one of the amazing ice falls in the valley. The route will be selected according to your level and progress. We will encourage you to push your limits while keeping you happy and safe.

After climbing, at the end of the afternoon we will drive back to Chamonix, aiming to be back by around 6:30pm.

• Introduction to crampon and ice axe techniques (how to anchor your ice axes and crampons as accurately as possible)
• Safety procedures, use of ice screws and different systems of protection (placing and retrieving ice screws, other means of climbing protection, building belays on ice)
• Abseiling & belay techniques on ice 
• Heaps of fun climbing

There are no prerequisites to attend this course, but we highly advise to have some rock climbing experience.

You have to have good level of physical fitness. Ice climbing is a relatively athletic activity and spending full days outside in a cold environment is physically tiring.

Rock climbing or indoor climbing is great preparation for this course. You should also do some stamina training such as hiking, running or cycling.

Please see the list of recommended equipment on the other tab. Most technical equipment can be rented here in Chamonix, please contact us if you would like prices and advice on whatever you need. Chamonix has dozens of outdoor shops selling everything from basic head torches to expedition standard sleeping bags, so whatever you don't already have you can find it here.

We highly recommend that you take out specific insurance for mountain activities. We can organise this at a cost of 8€ per day for EU citizens and 12€ per day for non-EU citizens. This will cover you for search and rescue services, evacuation by helicopter and emergency medical treatment. You should also make sure that you have adequate travel insurance that covers you for the usual things such as cancelled flights, lost luggage, hospital treatment, etc. Please contact us to organise mountain rescue insurance for your trip.

If you wish to book accommodation in Chamonix we would be happy to recommend some local hotels, gites, self-catered apartments, or chalets and advise on the best locations. Please contact us if you would like help finding accommodation in Chamonix.

We can help you to organise your transport to/from Chamonix. We work with well-established airport transfer companies which use new and comfortable vehicles and which have the capacity and know-how to handle everything from delayed and cancelled flights, to unexpected traffic jams with professionalism and efficiency.

To book your transfer, we will need the following: 

• Your full name 
• Mobile phone number 
• Email address 
• Your destination address 
• Your flight details (date, time and flight number)

SHARED TRANSFERS

This is the most economic and ecologically friendly way of travel. The driver will meet and greet you at the airport, gather you and the rest of the passenger group together and then head off to your chosen destination. The door-to-door service means that you will be dropped off and picked up right at your hotel /chalet / apartment. From 40€ per person for one-way and 80€ per person for a return trip.

PRIVATE TRANSFERS: 

Private Transfers are the quickest way to get to and from the airport. Your driver will meet and greet you at the airport and guide you to your vehicle. There is no waiting for other passengers. Private transfers are available for one to eight person bookings and travelling together and you are guaranteed sole occupancy of the vehicle for your transfer. And, of course, it's a door-to-door service, so you won't be lugging any bags very far. 250€ per car for one-way and 500€ per car for a return trip.