The Zermatt Ten 4000m Peaks

An intense week for the already experienced mountaineer. It's an opportunity to summit TEN of the alps most spectacular summits all in one week. This trip will leave you with a sense of awe, accomplishment and pride.

For

The mountaineer who already has some experience of the high mountains and is keen for more. This itinerary has been put together for a guide to climber ratio of 1:4. Alternative routes can be taken on Days 2 and 3 with a lower guide to client ratio, ie 1:2 or 1:3.
The number of summits will depend on the groups fitness level and the weather.

Day 1: Arrival day.
Day 2: Hohsaashut (3101m)
Day 3: Summit: Weissmies (4017m)
Day 4: Summit: Breithorn (4164m)
Day 5: Summit: Castor (4221m) and down to Sellahut.
Day 6: Summit: Naso (4272m) Corno Nero (4322m) Balmhorn (4167m), Vincentpyramide (4215m)
Day 7: Summit: Ludwigshoehe (4341m), Parrospitze (4432m), Punta Gnifetti (4554m) Zermatt
Back to the chalet.
Day 8: Departure day.

In the evening your guide will come round to the chalet to answer any questions and go through any equipment queries. There will be time the following morning to hire/buy any equipment still required. Dinner will be served at 7.30pm. The rope bridge over the Trift glacier.

Transfer to Saas Grund. Cable car to Kreuzboden (2400m). From here we will climb on the Triftglacier to Hohsaas. It is a 700m climb which takes approximately 3-4 hours. It's the perfect warm-up day. Once there we'll enjoy the magnificent glacier landscape and we'll take time to do some work on basic cramponning, ice axe and rope techniques, whilst get used to the altitude.
Overnight stay is at the Hohsaashut (3101m).

One of the easier 4000ers for starters, neverless among the most beautiful ascents in the area. It will take approximately 3.5/4hours and the view at the top is amazing.
From here you can see Italy as far as lago Maggiore and Milan, Bernina, Berner Oberland and Monte Rosa.
We return the same way down to Hoohsaas from where we take the cable car down to Saas Grund. After a short break we'll carry on to Zermatt.
Overnight at a hotel in Zermatt. The start of a 4 day traverse; we take the lift from Zermatt up to the Klein Matterhorn (3883m). It is a two hour climb on snow, a gradient of 35 degrees on the steepest sections and a vertical height of 380m.
We then descend 840m to the Refugio Guide d'Ayas (3425m) in Italy. The refugio is situated on a rock island in-between the glaciers and is well known amongst climbers for its pasta and (cheaper than water) red wine. An early start we climb 4 hours from the Refugio Guide d'Ayas to the summit. It is a vertical ascent of 800m. The route, which starts on the glacier, gets gradually steeper and steeper until we reach the final snow ridge which leads to the summit. From here it is a 640m descent to the Refugio Quintino-Sella (3584m). The Gnifetti Hut

An even earlier start we climb gradually along the glacier, passing underneath the Lyskam until we reach the 40-45degree slope up to Passo del Naso. After summiting Il Naso we traverse over the Lysglacier and climb the Corno Nero, Balmhorn and Vincentpyramid before descending to the Refugio Gnifetti (3611m). It is 8-9 hours hut to hut.

Rifugio Marherita, the highest hut in the alps.

We set off back towards the Lysjoch and climb the Ludwigshoehe. We then drop slightly before climbing again to the second peak of the day, the Parrotspitze. On our last summit, Punta Gnifetti, we have a drink in Rifugio Margherita, the highest hut in the Alps. From here we descend via the Grenzglacier passing the Monte Rosa hut, to the station Rotenboden, where we take the Gornergrat train down to Zermatt and return to the chalet at Argentiere.

Transfers to the airport can be arranged if required.

CHANGES TO THE ITINERARY.

Changes to the itinerary are at the discretion of the Mountain Guide. These changes may be made due to weather conditions, conditions on the mountains, changes in accommodation, or fitness of the group.

Price includes:

7 nights accommodation: 4 hut nights 3 nights at Chalet McNab
7 days half board, (breakfast, and evening meal).
6 days with UIAGM Mountain Guide.
Transfer back to the hotel from Zermatt on Day .
Transport to the airport on Day 8.
All transport as detailed in the itinerary.

Price does not include:

Flights
Transfer from Geneva airport to Chalet McNab
Lifts
Holiday insurance
Lunch, snacks and drinks.