Welcome to the Swiss Mountaineering School grindelwaldSPORTS.

4634m

 The programme:

Day 1: From Klein via Schwarztor to the hut at 2883m We meet at the train station in , hike through the village and catch the cable car up to Klein Mat- terhorn. After a short descent we put on our skins and start hiking across the plateau. We enjoy another few turns and re ascend to the Schwarztor at 3726m. The Schwarztor descent is famous for its spectacular scenery, we ski all the way down to the vast Gornergletscher. Having arrived at the bot- tom of the valley, we put our skins back on and hike up to the at 2883m. From the sunny terrace of the hut we look up and across at all the glaciated peaks and faces of the mighty Monte Rosa .

Day 2: Summit ski tour to Dufourspitze 4634m This day requires an early start, many meters are waiting to be climbed. We start in the dark, the beams of our head lamps illuminating the track in front of us. Step by step we head up the Monte Rosa Glacier, the air getting thinner making breathing harder the higher we get. Slowly but steadily is our mantra here. Shortly below the saddle we swap from skis to crampons. We follow the west ridge to the summit, climbing on snow and solid rock in an exposed position. The summit marks the highest point of , we en- joy the views and a well-deserved drink from our thermos and a bite to eat. We retrace our steps, fully fo- cused along the west ridge and arrive back at our ski depot. The ski descent back to the Monte Rosa hut makes us forget the tiring ascent. After some food and drink at the hut we continue skiing down, either all the way to Furi through the Gornergletscher gorge or with a re ascent to Rotenboden. At the start of the ski touring season and conditions depending it’s possible to ski all the way to Zermatt. Towards the end of spring the route via Rotenboden is the only practicable route.

 What you need to know…

Meeting point: 8:15am at the train station in Zermatt.

Your journey: Travel by car or train. If arriving by car, leave your car at the underground parking in Täsch and catch the train shuttle from there. Zermatt cannot be reached by car.

Requirements: Day 1 Day 2  600m elevation gain  1750m elevation gain  1500m elevation loss  1750m elevation loss  11.5 kilometres  10 kilometres Walking time: around 5-6 hours Walking time: around 6-7 hours + hut descent

Ability level: medium

Equipment: See equipment list in the appendix. In our Outdoorshop, we sell technical equipment, mountaineering clothing, shoes and backpacks. You can also rent the technical equipment, just let us know.

Decision: 1-2 days before the tour, we check different weather forecasts and the conditions to decide whether we can start the tour. The day before the tour, we call you to let you know the last information.

Hut : Please be aware that we stay at a mountain hut. Depending on the season, there might not be any tap water. Also, in most huts you will not be able to charge any devices. Please let us know if you are a vegetarian or have other food allergies to make sure we can inform the hut.

Last information: The day before the tour, we call you to let you know the name of the mountain guide as well as his/her mobile phone number. Please only use it in emergencies, for example if you missed the train. For all other questions, please contact our of- fice in Grindelwald: +41 (0)33 854 12 80 or [email protected]

Price per person: CHF 1’995.00 1 participant per mountain guide CHF 1’095.00 2 participants per mountain guide

 What you benefit from:

Included:  Guiding by a licenced mountain guide/ aspirant guide  His/her expenses  1 night in bunk room with half-board  Tea for the next day

Not included:  Your expenses  Snacks  Rental equipment  Possible expenses for a taxi (costs of the guide have to be paid by the guest)

Safety: All our courses are conducted by licenced IFMGA mountain guides. For a continu- ous high standard, regular training and further education are compulsory. This way we can guarantee the best possible security measures. grindelwaldSPORTS has been certified over the last couple of years with the „Safety Label in Adventures“. Our security and emergency concepts are annually examined by this organization.

General terms of contract: Please read the general terms of contract.

 We help you to prepare:

Clothing: Choose functional clothing that is water resistant, comfortable and breathable. We suggest the several layer principle for best adaption in fluctuating temperatures. Our experts in the Outdoorshop are happy to help.

Footwear: In the equipment list in the appendix, you see what kind of footwear you need for this tour. If you have bought new boots, we suggest you try them out on an easy hike before undertaking a tour.

Lunch: A little lunch per day should be enough – some bars, a sandwich, dried fruit, nuts, … We recommend to drink a lot the evening before and in the morning. It helps to handle the altitude.

Packing a backpack: Do not pack too much. In the equipment list in the appendix you see the size of backpack we recommend. Do not forget, you need to carry everything by yourself.

Any questions: That is what we are here for. Do not hesitate to conact us, either by phone on +41 (0)33 854 12 80, by e-mail ([email protected]) or on spot at our Outdoor- shop at Dorfstrasse 103 in Grindelwald.

The necessary equipment for this tour is marked with a .

 Equipment list

Listed below is the equipment we suggest bringing. Use it as a checklist to make sure you do not forget anything. Of course, you can always add to the list but remember everything you pack must also be carried ;-)

 Backpack Backpack 20-25l Backpack 30-35l Backpack 25-30l Backpack 35+l

 Clothing Warm, functional clothing Sun hat Windbreaker or GTX-jacket Gloves (ideal 1 thin pair 1 thick pair) Light windbreaker pants or GTX-pants Beanie or headband Mountaineering or hiking pants Extra underwear and extra socks Ski pants Thermo underwear short/long

 Footwear Crampon proof mountaineering boots Hiking boots Ski touring boots/snowboard boots Solid and warm winter boots

 The basics Sun glasses (category 3 or 4) Sunscreen lotion and lipstick (min. factor 30, better 50) Thermos flask, drinking bottle SAC/DAV permit (if holder) Silk sleeping bag Halbtaxabo/GA (if holder) Headlamp Maybe earplugs Toiletries Maybe camera and binoculars Identity card

 Technical equipment Harness Ski touring skis with skins and tele crampons Crampons with anti-snow plates Ski poles, even better adjustable poles Ice axe Robust snow shoes with tele crampons Helmet LVS (avalanche beacon device) Descender with locking carabiner Avalanche probe Sling 120cm 1 piece Avalanche shovel Ice axe for steep ice fall climbing maybe avalanche airbag Ice screw maybe ski helmet locking carabiner 1 piece Crampon rental: please contact us if you are shoe size 45 or more.