Options for Six-Day Beginner Mountaineering Course in Chamonix

Six-Day Beginner Mountaineering Course in Chamonix

Price per person. Group of 2

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Offer! 1.150,00 € Price per person VAT included

Options for Six-Day Beginner Mountaineering Course in Chamonix

Learn mountaineering in Chamonix on a six-day Alpine course

Six-Day Beginner Mountaineering Course in Chamonix — BEGINNER · 6 DAYS

Build your mountaineering foundations with PirineoSur in Chamonix, at the foot of Mont Blanc. This six-day beginner course combines instruction with climbs on snow, ice and rock, in a group of one or two participants. It is designed for people starting mountaineering and hikers who want to progress into high-mountain terrain.

The aim is to develop practical technique and mountain risk awareness while completing climbs suited to your level. The course can also provide an opportunity for a first 4,000-metre summit. The programme is indicative: discuss your experience and objectives with the guide when planning your course.

Snow, ice, rock and glacier skills

Movement on snow and ice: using an ice axe and crampons, introductory ice-tool techniques and choosing suitable movement techniques.
Ropes and protection: specific knots, roping up, placing snow, ice and rock anchors, building belays, belaying a leader and second, and abseiling.
Glacier travel: travelling roped together, managing rope length, moving together and practising crevasse self-rescue.
Planning mountain days: interpreting maps, choosing routes, assessing risks and adapting to mountain weather and conditions.

Put your learning into practice

The course begins with technical exercises and builds towards supervised climbs. The final two days combine snow, ice and rock, with further practice in roped movement, ice-tool and mixed-terrain techniques, and improvised abseil systems. A high-mountain guide adapts the teaching to the participants.

Dates, equipment and course costs

Courses run from June to September, meeting in Chamonix. This introductory course has a moderate overall difficulty. The price includes six days of guiding, accommodation arrangements and collective safety equipment. Technical items you do not own can be provided from the equipment list; ask PirineoSur about loan and rental arrangements before travelling.

Accommodation, meals, travel, internal transfers and mountain lifts or trains are additional. The guide’s accommodation, meals and lift costs are also excluded. An indicative allowance of €500 per person is advised for these additional expenses; check your arrangements and expected costs with PirineoSur.

Read the full six-day programme and equipment list below, then contact PirineoSur to discuss dates, your experience and the course arrangements.

Six-day programme
Included and not included
Equipment to bring

Indicative course programme

Day 1 — Snow and ice techniques

Movement techniques, using an ice axe and crampons, and specific knots.
Ice-tool climbing techniques.
Placing snow anchors according to snow hardness.
Building snow belays according to snow hardness.
Placing ice anchors.
Building ice belays.
Belay stations and systems for belaying the leader and second.
Abseiling on ice.

Day 2 — Roped glacier travel and crevasse rescue

Roped travel on a glacier.
Rope management in two- and three-person rope teams, and shortening the rope on easy ground.
Moving together as a rope team.
Practical crevasse self-rescue exercises.

Day 3 — A supervised ascent

An ascent putting the skills practised on the previous days into use.

Day 4 — Rock techniques

Placing rock protection.
Building rock belays.
Systems for belaying a second from above and a leader from below.
Planning and completing an easy climb supervised by the instructor, then descending by abseil.

Days 5 and 6 — Mountaineering on varied terrain

Planning and tactics for a guided ascent on a combination of ice, snow and rock.
Roped movement, further ice-tool and mixed-terrain techniques, and improvised abseil systems.

Included in the course price

Six days of high-mountain guiding.
Arranging accommodation in the valley and mountain huts.
Collective safety equipment, including ropes and anchor systems.
Technical items from the general equipment list that the participant does not own.

Not included

Personal accommodation and meals.
Return travel to the Alps.
Internal transfers to activity starting points.
Cable cars or trains used to access the mountain.
The guide’s accommodation, meals and cable-car costs.

Allow an indicative additional budget of €500 per person for these expenses. Confirm your arrangements and expected costs with PirineoSur when booking.

Clothing

Waterproof jacket and overtrousers, Gore-Tex or equivalent.
Technical mountain trousers, Schoeller or equivalent.
Fleece or softshell jacket.
Thermal base layer and a spare.
Thin and thick socks, with spares.
Gloves and a spare pair.
Warm hat, sun cap, sunglasses and ski goggles.
Headtorch with spare batteries and a replacement bulb if required.
Face and lip sun protection, and after-sun cream.

Technical equipment

Harness and two HMS locking carabiners.
Ice axe and crampons with anti-balling plates.
Telescopic poles.
Helmet.
45–60-litre backpack.
Water container holding at least 1.5 litres and electrolyte salts.

Footwear

High-mountain boots with rigid or semi-rigid soles, and gaiters.

Personal first-aid kit and essentials

Your personal first-aid kit.
Mineral salts for drinking water.
Sunscreen and lip protection.
If you need glasses or contact lenses, bring a way of securing or retaining them.

Contact PirineoSur if you are missing any item. Rental and loan equipment are available; agree the arrangements before the course.