Eiger by adventurebase

ADVANCED ALPINE MOUNTAINEERING

DREAM-GUIDES.COM INFO@DREAM-GUIDES.COM . +44 (0) 845 564 52 19

ADVANCED ALPINE MOUNTAINEERING

The Eiger is one of the most sought after summits in the Alps. If you have previous experience of Alpine Grade AD terrain and good physical fitness, it is within your grasp. We aim to climb this famous peak towards the end of the week, after a suitable preparation in and around the Chamonix valley. One of the most sought after summits in the world, the Eiger is a formidable challenge from any route. Normally climbed via the South Ridge, this is a long and technical climb suitable for fit climbers only, but worth it to get to the top of this world famous peak! We spend the first 3 days / 2 nights acclimatising and training in the mountains around Chamonix. Our training climbs are quality routes in their own right – e.g. Eperon Sublime on the Aiguille de Floria, Dent du Geant, Tour Ronde, the Cosmiques Arret, and the Traverse of the Entreves. The final choice will depend on which routes around Chamonix you have done before. So, please let us know on your booking form. Wednesday morning we drive to Grindewald and go to our mountain hut to be in a position for the main event. We have a spare day built in, in case of bad weather, which maximises our chances of success. Temperatures vary a lot, with below freezing dawn starts in the high mountains, to ‘roasting’ in the valley on sunny afternoons.

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Keen, fit mountaineers with previous experience on AD terrain. Stamina, balance, and concentration are a must! Our Chamonix Classics week is an ideal prerequisite. ABILITY LEVEL: 4 - Technical climbing proficiency and previous experience at climbing alpine AD routes as well as a knowledge of rope work and glacier travel is required. FITNESS LEVEL: A - Good cardiovascular and hill walking fitness is a must. Endurance is key to successful mountaineering several days in a row. Typical days require 5-6 hours of climbing, and summit days can be up to 10-15 hours!

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WEDNESDAY: Drive to Grindeward (we organise this) and take the uplift and walk to Monchjoch hut.

DATES: July to September (Weather dependant) MEET: We meet Saturday evening in Chamonix to deal with any equipment rental and run through the plan for the week. We return to Chamonix on Friday afternoon and recommend you book your return flight on Saturday morning

THURSDAY - FRIDAY: Climb the Eiger! We return to Chamonix after the climb. We have a spare day built in to this itinerary to deal with any bad weather and maximise our chance of success. SATURDAY: Departure Training for the Eiger

EIGER– TYPICAL ITINERARY The Eiger – We climb the Eiger via the classic South Ridge. This is a long climb (10 hours or more) on delicate terrain – snow ridges, rock ridges and scrambling. Like the Matterhorn, this mountain also requires fairly dry conditions for an ascent. If you are suitably experienced it may be possible to climb the Mittelegi ridge (at the guide’s discretion). The itinerary is flexible, and weather/condition dependent, but here is a guideline of what to expect. SATURDAY: We meet Saturday evening to go through the weather/conditions and plan for the week. You meet your Guides and can ask them any questions SUNDAY: Warm up on the cosmiques arêtes or a similar route. MONDAY - TUESDAY: 2 days climbing around, and overnighting in, the Torino hut. Typical routes would be traversing the Entreves, the Tour Ronde and the Dent du Geant. This is the final preparation for the real thing, and great routes in themselves!

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help you achieve your goals. Training does not work overnight! The fittest athletes train as part of their lifestyles and have been doing it for years. Consider training for a good couple of months before coming out to the Alps.

To maximise your chance of summiting the Eiger it is important to get as fit as you possibly can. Good fitness will also make it more fun and less exhausting! The process of training for your goal will help you focus on your goal and having a goal will help you focus on your training. So all in all training is good! Mountaineering is all about being able to exercise at a moderate intensity for many hours (typically 5 to 12 hours) and your training should reflect this. Probably the best training is going on long days hill walking as this simulates the real thing as closely as possible and prepares the mind (exercising for long periods in poor weather requires mental strength!). However not everyone has the opportunity to do this and so alternatives such as jogging, cycling and gym workouts are good. The focus should be on training Cardiovascular Endurance for long days in the mountains, and upper body strength for climbing. For cardio cycling, running and rowing machines are much better than weight training. Try and exercise for up to a couple of hours at a time, 4 times a week. For climbing, core stability, flexibility and balance are as important as strong arms and shoulders. Donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t just lift weights; try yoga, swimming, pilates too. Please remember to build up your workouts over time. If you are not used to exercising much, your muscles and joints need time to build up to avoid injury. Try and choose an activity that you enjoy and keep a note of what you do and your times, this really helps with keeping the motivation up. If you are not used to training then your local gym will be able to advise you on a plan and schedule to

THE EFFECTS OF ALTITUDE As one climbs higher the air gets thinner and so there is less oxygen in each breath we take. The higher we go the less oxygen there is. This makes exercising much harder work than at sea level and so we have to slow down to help compensate. Which because we have slowed down, we may feel colder. There is also less oxygen in the air as we get higher, this can lead to altitude sickness or Acute Mountain Sickness which is like the worst hangover you have ever had (headache, nausea, weakness, fatigue, dizziness) and can develop into a very serious and even fatal (in extreme cases) problem. To avoid these problems, enjoy the climbing and increase our chances of summiting we need to acclimatise by spending several days and nights at progressively higher altitudes, so our bodies can adapt. This is a very important part of our preparation.

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your safety as crampons are more likely to fall off or even break. When buying boots bring your crampons to the shop to make sure they fit well. Unfortunately we can’t recommend a specific brand and model

6. Rucksack - 40-50L

for each item on the kit list, as what is available is constantly

7. Water bottle 1L - not platypus type - they freeze and leak.

changing and of course different people are different shapes

8. Harness (adjustable so that it is comfortable over all your

and sizes with different budgets. However, in general, we use

layers), 2 screw gate karabiners, belay device, 1 8-foot sling

and endorse Sherpa and Black Diamond products because

9. 2 pairs sunglasses (cat 4), goggles, sunhat, sunscreen, lip

from previous experience, they are excellent. If you go to a

salve/block

good retailers such as Snow & Rock, explain to them you will

10. 3 sets socks and light coloured thermal tops

be climbing the Eiger and they will be able to advise you on

11. Lightweight goretex hooded top & bottoms – make sure

what is best for you.

pockets are accessible even when wearing a harness 12. Warm hat, thick gloves (e.g. ski gloves), and thin gloves

Lastly, if necessary it is possible to rent most hardware items

13. Insulating layers. We use a thin ‘100’ weight fleece and a

in Chamonix (ice axe, crampons, harness, and helmet).

synthetic duvet jacket. Which we think a synthetic or down

You can hire boots too, but this is a last resort (no one likes

duvet jacket is perfect because you can put it over all your

uncomfortable boots).

other layers (including goretex) when taking a break or if it is really cold without taking anything off. This is very quick and

Bring this list with you…

very warm and practical. If you don’t have a duvet jacket/can’t afford one then make sure you have 1 or 2 thick fleece layers

1. Ice axe - for general mountaineering (at least 60cm long)

instead.

2. Crampons – 12 point crampons for general mountaineering

14. Trousers – There are many brands of fairly windproof/

with anti-balling plates. Whether strap on or clip on models

shower resistant trousers for hillwalking/mountaineering.

they must fit your boots well. When buying crampons bring

‘Schoeller’ fabric garments are great but there are other good

your boots to the shop so they can fit them for you – that way

ones available too. Bring a pair of lightweight thermal leggings

you can avoid buying incompatible ones!

(long johns) too – it can be chilly on summit day.

3. Helmet – standard hard plastic climbing helmet.

15. Personal first aid – This should include a blister kit and

4. Trekking Poles – optional

ibuprofen.

5. Boots - These must fit and be comfortable. We feel it is

16. Head torch and gaiters

best not to rent boots. Rather buy some and have them

17. Book/iPod for spare time in huts and earplugs

fitted professionally - this will make your week much more

18. Sleeping bag liner (you don’t need a sleeping bag as

comfortable, fun and blister free! Try and make sure they are

duvets/blankets are provided in huts)

broken in before the week. They should either be ‘plastic’ or

19. Cash (euros) for extra drinks/snacks in huts/uplifts (allow

high-end insulated leather (not fabric) and must be compatible

€20 per hut night and €40 per uplift)

with your crampons.Your boots should be stiff-soled (also

Remember kit should be lightweight but functional – you have

known as B2 or B3 grade boots in the retail world). If your boots

to carry it!

are not stiff enough not only will it compromise your comfort when walking/kicking steps in hard snow but also compromise

We can help with equipment rental in Chamonix.

DREAM-GUIDES.COM INFO@DREAM-GUIDES.COM . +44 (0) 845 564 52 19

COURSE RATIO: 1:2, then 1:1 for 3 summit days

GETTING TO CHAMONIX – Once you have booked with us and bought specialist skiing/climbing travel and cancellation insurance (dogtag), it is best to book flights and airport transfers well in advance of your departure. Booking a place on a minibus airport transfer service is by far the best way to get from Geneva airport to Chamonix. If you have booked the full course, we can book your airport transfers at a competitive rate, just email us with your flight details… CHALET ACCOMMODATION When staying in Chamonix, we stay in one of our comfortable Adventure Base Chalets (www. adventurebase.com), which are a 6 minutes’ walk from the town centre’s restaurants and bars. Breakfast and packed lunch are included leaving the evenings free for you to explore the delights of Chamonix. Rooms are normally on a twin share basis. Have a look here for more details and photos: http://www. adventurebase.com/sun/accommodation/slider. WHAT TO EXPECT FROM MOUNTAIN HUTS The huts are basic but still extremely comfortable. Food is usually on a 3 course set menu basis with a vegetarian option available. Often there is no running water and so you have to buy water to drink and wash with (no showers). You can usually buy tea, coffee, wine, beer, soft drinks, chocolate bars and snacks. Sleeping arrangements are normally dormitory style bunk beds (eg 6 people on the bottom, 6 on the top) with blankets or duvets. You can expect a good atmosphere and a stunning view!

COURSE LEVEL: Intermediate to Advanced Full Course Price includes: guiding, guides expenses, twin share chalet accommodation in central Chamonix on a B&B and packed lunch basis, mountain hut accommodation on a full board basis in and between resort transports. FULL COURSE PRICE DOES NOT INCLUDE: Insurance, travel to/from Chamonix, uplifts, equipment rental, drinks/snacks, eating out in Chamonix. COURSE ONLY INCLUDES: Guiding, guides expenses, up to 3 nights mountain hut half board accommodation only (not including boiled drinking water or packed lunch in huts) OTHER INFORMATION http://www.chamonix.net is a good source of information about the town. There are several cash points in Chamonix / Grindlewald and Maestro/Visa/MasterCard are all readily accepted. In mountain huts, however, you need to have cash (Euros / Swiss francs) to pay for any incidentals. To find out more about our course, availability, or to ask any questions, please get in touch with us through the website www.dream-guides.com or by phone on +33 (0)845 564 52 19. Look forward to seeing you soon!

DREAM-GUIDES.COM INFO@DREAM-GUIDES.COM . +44 (0) 845 564 52 19