Matterhorn ‘Long’ Course

Who hasn’t heard of the Matterhorn? One of the most famous mountains in the European Alps, if not the world. It stands proudly above the alpine village of Zermatt, on the border of Switzerland and Italy. At 4478m it is not the highest mountain in the Alps, but certainly one of the most aesthetic! A fact not many people know is that the well known chocolate ‘Toblerone’ derives its shape from this mountain!

To climb the Matterhorn takes a combination of factors. The conditions on the mountain have to be conducive to a climb, the weather has to be stable and you have to be sufficiently acclimatised and well practiced in the art of alpine climbing for a realistic chance at the top. If you think this sounds the thing for you, then read on...

The objective of this course is an ascent of the Matterhorn.

Due to the serious nature of this mountain, we offer this trip as a ‘long’ course which incorporates a certain amount of preparation before the actual ascent. This is intended for those people who want to complete our Matterhorn preparation course and the Matterhorn course itself in one long go as opposed to over two years.

The benefits of this approach are that you obviously have reduced costs as the combined course length is slightly shorter, and also because you only have travel costs there and back once. Please be aware, however, that the risks are that you may find this an arduous course and that we may advise you of an alternative objective during the course. We consider trying the Matterhorn in this way to be a considerable challenge, so please be prepared for that.

• 10 days guiding by experienced mountain guides.
  
• We provide technical equipment (crampons/ice axe/ helmets/harness + group gear).
  
• Accommodation provided in the valley as well as mountain huts.
  
• We run this trip between late July and early September due to weather and snow conditions.
  
• Provided as a bespoke course for individuals.
  
• You need to be fit, have a head for heights and be technically coordinated.

Join us for a once in a lifetime adventure.....

This is a 10 day course, which, with an arrival and departure day as well as a rest day in the middle, is a thirteen day round trip. We run the course over this duration because it provides the best chance of your trip meeting the necessary criteria (weather, acclimatisation, ability, fitness) to maximise your summit chances.

We base ourselves in and around Saas Fee and Zermatt for the duration of the trip. We will meet you at your accommodation on the first guiding day (it is recommended that you arrive a few days before so that you can spend a day acclimatising on your own in preparation for the event).

The aim of the course is to further your climbing skills and complete your acclimatisation during the first week and then use a suitable weather window during the second to climb the main mountain.

During the trip we will have the chance to check and improve your rock climbing skills, as well as attempt peaks such as the Rinpfischhorn, Weismiess or Breithorn, which in themselves are substantial 4000m peaks, before attempting the mighty Matterhorn itself!

You will meet your mountain guide on the morning of the first guiding day. You should arrive the afternoon/evening before this for you to be ready for the start of the course, and if possible a day or two earlier than this to enable you to do some walking/acclimatising on your own.

A typical tour itinerary may look like this:

Please note: This itinerary is a guide only. It can be subject to change dependent upon viability, course members' fitness, weather conditions or for any other reason the guide may deem necessary.

The best thing is to fly to one of the Swiss airports and then catch return trains with the fantastic Swiss railways. Airports in Zurich, Basel and Geneva are all feasible and your train journey should be nor more than 3 - 3.5hrs each way. Easyjet, British Airways and Swiss Air all fly to Switzerland from various locations in the UK.

The Swiss railways website is http://www.sbb.ch/en/. We also recommend purchasing a Swiss railway railcard. There are various variations of this, the most appropriate of which could give you free return rail travel to and from the airport and also half price travel on many of the cable cars. A website offering these for sale is http://www.swisspasses.com/. There are many others; a search on Google will quickly locate several.

To take part in this course you will need fitness for ascents of 5-6hrs at altitude whilst carrying your alpine climbing rucksack. You should have experience in the use of crampons and ice axes, and be prepared for total day lengths of 6-9hrs in the first part of the course, going to 8-12hrs in the second part of the course. Previous climbing experience at alpine grade 2 or 3, as well as coordination and balance (i.e. no two left feet!) are necessary.

Courses which may be good preparation for this are participation in one of our Alpine 4000er courses, Mont Blanc ascent or also our Alpine Intro course. Should you have successfully taken part in one of these, then the guide will be able to advise whether this course is suitable. If you send us a CV of your climbing experience then we will gladly tell you whether your experience is sufficient.

We recommend that you follow a fitness plan in preparation for your challenge, an example of one will be sent to you when you have confirmed your booking.

Although the fitness plan we will send to you has been devised by a fitness professional, this is only provided as a guide and you should seek professional advice before starting your own fitness regime.

Weather and snow conditions permit us to run this course anytime from late July to early September.

This course is guided on a 1:1 ratio for the 2nd half and may be guided at 2:1 for the first half.  Please get in touch with us to enquire about your preferred date by clicking on the link below.

All requested dates are unconfirmed until Maximum Adventure's terms and conditions have been met.

• Professional event organisation.
• Qualified mountain guides.
• Single or twin room accommodation with breakfast in Saas Fee and Zermatt.
• Mountain hut accommodation, half board.
• Technical equipment such as crampons, ice axe, helmets, harness + group gear.
• Group first aid kit with qualified first aiders.
• Completion certificate to prove you did it!

Inclusive price - £3990pp

Below is a list detailing the approximate costs of what to budget for within the week: