As the course includes technical climbing with specific training in terrain that changes during the winter season, this itinerary is just an example. The exact itinerary will be decided during the course depending on the weather forecast, conditions and overall level and progress of the group.

We will have the pre-course meeting with your group and your guide in the Chamex offices in the evening. The exact time will be communicated to you by an email few days prior the course. Your guide will discuss with you the equipment, the course itinerary and goals for the week.

Your guide will check what skills you already know and are confident at and what skills you need to know but are unsure or not very familiar with. You will practice those skills to gain the full confidence. We will go to one of Chamonix ice climbing areas to do the training.

Today is dedicated to advance your crampon technique and roping techniques for safe travel on glaciers. We will also cover crevasse rescue training. The Vallee Blanche (form the Aiguille du Midi or from Helbronner) or Mer de Glace glacier are the ideal locations for the training.

La Flégère  and the Index area offer a great terrain to practice mixed climbing, ridge climbing, route finding and the protection placement. You will learn the essential rope work and climb a fun route.

Let’s put all these new skills into work. Depending on the conditions, we will go either to Cogne to ice climb – this is one of the best ice climbing areas in Europe. There are many multi-pitch routes ideal to practice skills such as ice screw placement, building anchors on ice and lead-climbing. Another option is to climb the high altitude mixed routes from the Aiguille du Midi or Helbronner lifts. The exact area, activity and itinerary will be discussed with the group and decided the evening before departure, depending on the weather forecast, conditions and goals of the group. As the guiding ratio is 1:2, we will divide the team into small and relatively independent teams.

We will return to Chamonix on the day 5 in the afternoon (the exact time will depend on the destination, traffic, etc).

We don’t include mountain rescue insurance in any of our courses but we strongly recommend that you have it. Mountain rescue may be very expensive, particularly if helicopters are involved. Check with your travel insurance provider if you are covered for the specific activity you are going to do with us.

However, we can organise the mountain rescue insurance for you. Details of the insurance cover are different for EU and non-EU residents; please contact us for more information.

We highly recommend that you book any equipment with us at least 2 weeks in advance as the hire shops can have limited availability in the busy season.

You can collect your equipment the evening before the start of the course and return it in the evening at the end of your course. We work with the following Chamonix ski hire and mountain shop:

• Concept Pro Shop that is conveniently located directly next door from our office. Open 7/7 08:00-19:00