An introductory Alpine Climbing Course in the Chamonix Valley, France 5 days instruction with IFMGA guides Rock climbing and Ice climbing fundamentals Glacier travel, avalanche awareness and crevasse rescue Classic Chamonix summits FREE Equipment hire worth 100 is available for this holiday HOLIDAY CODE CHC France, Trek & Walk, Climb, 7 Days 1 night mountain hut / refuge, 5 nights chalet, 6 breakfasts, 6 dinners, max group size: 4, 5 days alpine climbing instruction, max. altitude - 4248 metres VIEW DATES, PRICES & BOOK YOUR HOLIDAY HERE
PAGE 2 Introduction This 6 day intensive course is aimed at regular mountain walkers who wish to make the step up to Alpine mountaineering and climbing. During a week based at our comfortable chalet in the Chamonix Valley participants will receive instruction from and participate in climbs with, IFMGA qualified guides. Topics covered will include basic rock climbing skills, lead climbing, setting up anchors, abseiling, traditional gear placement, multi-pitch route climbing, rope management, safe glacier travel, and the use of ice axe and crampons. Participants will also learn route planning, weather analysis, use of map and compass. For the last two days of the course we will be joined by additional guides and will spend a night in a mountain refuge to climb one of Chamonix's classic routes. Is this holiday for you? This is a 6-day introductory Alpine skills course, aimed at people who are keen to get into mountaineering or want to build on their existing skills. A high guide / client ratio means that the course can be adapted to suit individual needs. Participants should have a good level of fitness and be used to mountain walking at a reasonable pace for several hours each day. To get the most out of the course, we would recommend that you have been winter walking in crampons before and have had a go at rock climbing, either indoors or outdoors. This is the perfect course for those who wish to broaden the range of summit objectives available to them. Guiding is at a ratio of 1:4 during the first 4 days of training and on the last two days of the course the guiding ratio is at 1:2. All the guides for this trip are IFMGA qualified. The itinerary will be flexible and during the week the guide will use their expertise and local knowledge to determine the best routes to take advantage of the weather conditions and the abilities of the group. A suggested itinerary for the week is given, but may be subject to change. Holiday Itinerary Day 1: Meet at the group's chalet in Argentiere in the Chamonix Valley. We will meet at the group's chalet accommodation in Argentiere in the Chamonix Valley. Our guide(s) will brief us on the week ahead and will also check equipment to make sure we have everything we need. KE Land Only package services begin with dinner and overnight at the chalet. CHALET MEALS D Day 2: Introduction to using crampons and an ice axe. After a full breakfast we will have a little time to purchase any last minute items of clothing or gear required for the week ahead. In the late morning we take the old rack and pinion railway up through the woods from Chamonix to the edge of the Mer de Glace (1909m) - this is the glacier where Frankenstein hid in Mary Shelley's novel. We have a short walk followed by a few ladders down onto the glacer itself. The French call this essential training day 'i'ecole de glace', basically 'ice school' and the main aim is to develop good footwork at all times. We start out with a close look at crampons and how to use them safely and then add the use of the ice axe. We do lots of moving around on the ice to build confidence and improve technique. We look also at methods of belaying on ice and introduce knots and rope work for glacier travel. We return on the railway and make our way back to the chalet for dinner. CHALET MEALS BD TIME 2-3 HOURS WALKING HOURS
PAGE 3 Day 3: Crevasse Rescue Training and intro to alpine rock climbing. From Argentiere we take the lift system to the Grands Montets. This gives us quick access to the glacier; so straight away we are using skills acquired the day before. Our basic aim for toduay is to teach and practice crevasse rescue, looking at diffeerent scenarios. To complete the day we make and intro to alpine rock climbing by ascending the North East spur of the Aiguille des Grands Montets. CHALET MEALS BD TIME 8-9 HOURS WALKING HOURS Day 4: Traverse of the Aiguilles Crochues. Taking the Flegere lift system from Les Praz allows us easy access to this route. It is just a short walk from the top list station to the start of the climb. This is a classic ridge climb, high above the Chamonix Valley in the mountain range of the Aiguilles Rouges. it provides us with some of the best views across the whole of the Mont Blanc Massif - from the Aiguille du Tour to Mont Blanc itself. The day consists of easy rock climbing and scrambling and provides an ideal opportunity to practice Alipine skills of 'moving together', short pitches, protecting traverses and down climbing on narrow ridges. On the way down we might have enough time to enjoy a drink and a piece of homemade tart at the Refuge du Lac Blanc, before continuing our descent to the lift station. CHALET MEALS BD TIME 6-7 HOURS WALKING HOURS Day 5: Mont Blanc du Tacul (4248m) and overnight in a mountain hut. Straight after breakfast we take the early morning lift from Chamonix to the Aiguille du midi (3842m), today we aim to ascend the north slopes of Mont Blanc du Tacul (4248m). The route itself is a relatively straight forward snow climb through impressive alpine scenery, however we are very likely to encounter big cravasses, towering ice seracs and narrow snow bridges which each have to negotiated with care. We rope up at the top of the Aiguille Du Midi and descend the classic snow arete, cross the Col Du Midi and climb up towards the shoulder of Tacul. We then follow a broad ridge to the final rocks which lead us to the summit cross and stunning views of hte big mountains of the Alps - the Drus, the Jorasses, the Courtes, the Droites and prehaps even a distant view of the Matterhorn. Our return journey is via the same route in the most part, finishing todays adventure at the Cosmiques Refuge - a well positioned and friendly hut. Staying in these high mountain refuges is all part of the Alpine mountaineering experience and here we can learn a lot from our guides about good 'hut etiquette'. MOUNTAIN HUT / REFUGE MEALS BD TIME 9 HOURS WALKING HOURS Day 6: Arete des Cosmiques - Classic Alpine climb. This brilliant route, though not long, packs in most aspects and techniques that we have covered during the week; making a suitable and exciting finale for our last day. Leaving the hut early, we first cross snow then climb mixed snow, ice and rock. This route provides an ideal opportunity to use all those 'Alpine Techniques' we learnt this week and in the most glorious setting. The end of this route lands us on a viewing platform - often with a round of applause from the tourists! We should then have time for a drink and to fully appreciate the view from this amazing structure. We descend in the cable car back down to Chamonix and return to our chalet where we can reflect on the weeks adventures over a celebratory meal. This evening we will have a celebratory dinner. CHALET MEALS BD TIME 8 HOURS WALKING HOURS
PAGE 4 Day 7: Departure day. The KE Land Only package services end after breakfast. MEALS B Holiday Information What's Included Professional IFMG qualified guides Group equipment (ropes & safety equipment) Local transport excluding uplift All accommodation as described Meals as detailed in the Meal Plan What's Not Included Travel insurance Airport transfers Lift and cable cars Some meals as detailed in the Meal Plan Personal equipment Miscellaneous personal expenses - drinks souvenirs etc. Meal Plan All meals except lunches are included in the trip price. Lunches or hill food snacks can be bought in the local supoermarket and also in the hut during our overnight there. Food The food provided by Yeti Lodge is varied and plentiful. Continental breakfasts and full 3-course evening meals are included everyday. Packed lunches can purchased from the chalet for 8 and hill food snacks are available fom the local supermarket. Yeti lodge operates an 'honesty' bar for wine, beer and soft drinks. During the overnight stay in the mountain hut, a simple but filling dinner is provided which will consist of a soup, a choice of main course (including vegetarian) and a desert along with tea and coffeee. Wine, beer and softdrinks are available to purchase in the huts. Joining Arrangements & Transfers The group will rendezvous at the Yeti Lodge in Argentiere on the evening of Day 1 of the trip itinerary. For clients arriving by air, the easiest way to get to Argentiere is to fly to Geneva Airport and make use of an airport transfer service. We recommend mountaindropoffs.com. KE clients can get transfers from 27 each way by entering the promo code YETI. Please note that transfers are subject to availability and your flight details are required a minimum of 72 hours before your arrival in Geneva. Hotel contact details and an emergency number will be provided with your booking confirmation. If you are driving to Chamonix we will provide route details and directions to the group hotel/chalet in Argentiere. Parking is available for clients arriving by car.
PAGE 5 Accommodation During this trip, the group will spend a total of 5 nights in chalet accommodation in Argentiere. Accommodation here is in either twin or triple rooms. During the course, there is also a night in a mountain hut, where the accommodation is on a non-segregated, dormitory-style basis. Depending on availability, it may be possible to arrange single rooms for the nights in chalet accommodation in Argentiere at exta cost. For single supplement price please refer to the dates and prices section for this holiday on our website. Group Leader & Support Staff The course will be led by English-speaking IFMGA guides. Guiding will be at a ratio of 1:4 or 1:6 depending on the activites of the day. During the 2-day ascent of a classic climb, the guide ratio will be 1:2. Altitude This holiday involves going to high altitude. During the course of your trip you will reach altitudes in excess of 3500 metres. This is not something that you should worry about; the human body is quite capable of adapting to a very wide range of altitudes, but it is important that we follow some simple rules in order to acclimatise successfully. Before coming on this holiday you should read the advice on trekking at high altitude on our website which can be viewed via the link below. You can also talk to one of our trekking experts if you have any concerns about altitude. www.keadventure.com/page/altitude.html Spending Money The package price includes valley transport, all accommodation, meals (except lunches), and guiding. You will need to allow an amount for lunches or hill food snacks. Yeti Lodge offer an honesty bar for wine and drinks with your meals. In mountain refuges you will need to pay for drinks, including bottled water. 200 should be sufficient to cover all personal expenses. There are cash point facilities in Argentiere, close to the chalet. If you are intending to hire or purchase items of equipment, you should budget accordingly (credit cards can be useful in this respect). Approximately 152 should be budgeted for cable cars and mountain railways - this is in addition to the above amount. Free KE Gift We give you a free gift as a way to thank all our clients who book a KE holiday. Choose from KE T-shirts, buffs, KE trek bags* (where applicable) plus many more. Alternatively you can choose to make a 10 donation to the Juniper Trust Charity. You can make your selection in your My KE account after booking. * A trek bag is not required for this holiday. You can however purchase a KE trek bag for 24.95. Delivery outside of the UK will be charged. Baggage Allowance For this holiday you should take one piece of luggage and a daypack (of around 30-40 litres). For international flights please check your baggage allowance with your airline. Since group members will carry all personal equipment during the trek, it is important to keep the overall weight of this equipment to a minimum. Neither a sleeping bag nor a camping mattress is needed and it should be possible to keep the weight of your pack to under 10kg. Whilst in the mountains you will leave your main bag and travel clothes in the group s chalet in Argentiere. Luggage with wheels can be useful for this holiday.
PAGE 6 Group Size & Holiday Status For each holiday there is a minimum number of participants required to enable it to go ahead. Once the minimum number is reached, the trip status will change from 'Available' to 'Guaranteed to run'. You can check the trip status for each departure in Dates and Prices table. Other than in exceptional circumstances, we will not cancel a trip once it has achieved this guaranteed to run status and so you are free to proceed with your international flight booking and other travel arrangements. General Information Passport & Visas A passport with 6 months remaining validity at the end of your stay is generally required for visits to countries outside the EU. The information that we provide is for UK passport holders. Please check the relevant embassy or consulate for other nationalities. It is your responsibility to ensure that you have the correct travel documents and visas for your holiday. Visa requirements and charges are subject to change without notice. If you are travelling outside the EU you should have at least 2 blank pages in your passport for each country that you visit. Visa Europe UK and USA passport holders do not require a visa. Health & Vaccinations You should contact your doctor or travel clinic to check whether you require any specific vaccinations. UK residents should obtain a free European Health Insurance Card (EHIC). This entitles you to state provided medical treatment, but is not a substitute for medical travel insurance which is still vital when travelling overseas. Electricity Supply & Plug We recommend you check if you require an adaptor for your electrical items at: http://www.worldstandards.eu/electricity/plugs-and-sockets/ Travel Aware As a reputable tour operator, KE supports the British Foreign & Commonwealth Offices' Travel Aware campaign to enable British citizens to prepare for their journeys overseas. The 'Travel Aware' website provides a single, authoritative source of advice for all kinds of travellers and we recommend that prior to travel, all KE clients visit the official UK Government website at travelaware.campaign.gov.uk and read the FCO Travel Advice for their chosen destination. North Americans can also check out the U.S. Department of State website: www.travel.state.gov for essential travel advice and tips. KE treat the safety and security of all clients as the most important aspect of any trip we organise. We would not run any trip that we did not consider reasonably safe. Should the FCO advise against travel for any reason, we will contact everyone booked to travel to discuss the situation. We receive regular updates direct from the FCO and are in constant touch with our contacts on the ground. If you have any questions about government travel advice, please call our office.
PAGE 7 Climate Generally, the temperatures that we can expect to encounter during the day will be reasonably warm, in the range 18 28 C. At night in Argentiere, we can expect the temperature to drop to 10 15 C. The weather is usually stable at this time of year, but mountainous areas do generate their own weather systems and occasional rain and even stormy weather cannot be ruled out. Maps Series Bleue Topographic Survey 1:25,000 IGN The French survey's excellent detailed topographic map series. For full coverage of all possible routes used for the course, there are two sheets: Chamonix & Massif du Mont Blanc (sheet. 3630 OT) and St.-Gervais-Les-Bain & Mont du Mont Blanc (sheet. 3531 ET). Flight Information Flight Inclusive Or Land Only? On our website we display a UK Flight inclusive package price and Land only package price for the majority of our holidays. Land Only Notes We sell this holiday on a Land Only basis, joining at the group chalet in Argentiere, Chamonix. The nearest airport is Geneva, approximately an hour's drive away. Please refer to Joining Arrangementsand Transfers for further details. Flights SHOULD NOT be booked until you have received your booking confirmation and the departure is showing 'Guaranteed to Run' or 'Limited'. If flying from the UK there are a number of low cost airlines offering flights to Geneva. These include Easyjet who have flights from London, Manchester, Liverpool & Glasgow and Jet 2 who have flights from Manchester, Leeds Bradford & Belfast. Other airports may be available. If you would prefer to book a 'flight inclusive package' using scheduled airlines from the UK please contact our flights department for a quote. Whilst flight prices are likely to be more expensive you will benefit from full financial protection. Flight Options From The US For help and advice with booking your flights, we recommend you consult our friends at Exito Travel, airfare specialists since 1994. The air team at Exito are familiar with our destinations and know the airports, best airlines and potential pitfalls. If there is ever a flight change, cancellation or air-related issue before or during your travels, it's nice to know you have someone on the Exito air team looking after you. Visit their website at: www.exitotravel.com or contact the team on: keadventure@exitotravel.com &/or via phone at: 800.655.4053 ext. 8507.
PAGE 8 Why Choose KE Adventure Travel? Why Choose KE Adventure Travel? Experience KE has 31 years experience of adventure travel worldwide. All of our holidays are accompanied by an experienced leader, some of whom have worked with KE groups for many years. Many are professional guides and instructors with an unrivalled knowledge of the areas in which they work. In many parts of the world, we recruit local guides with appropriate training and experience. In addition to having the technical skills to ensure your safety, KE expects its leaders to be active members of the group. A leader should be fun to travel with and ready to share with you their enthusiasm for adventure travel and their knowledge of the area. Alongside the group leader, there will be a local support crew, which could be just a driver, or a complete team of guides, drivers, porters, muleherders and cooks. The hard work of our support crews, along with the fascinating insight they can offer into their local culture, is integral to providing you with the very best adventure travel experience. The team of KE office staff is amongst the most experienced in the business, with the proven ability to set up and operate a worldwide programme of adventures. Every one has adventure travel at heart and joins at least one trip a year. It is this depth of experience that makes KE stand out from other adventure travel operators. When you contact KE, by phone or e-mail, or visit our office, you will find the help and advice you need, from someone who has actually done the trip and can give you the benefit of their first-hand experience. KE can guarantee the very best in trek support, excellent food, a good standard of hotel and camp accommodation, plus the back up of one of the most respected companies in the business. Client satisfaction is at the top of our agenda and almost 50% of our bookings each year come from repeat business. If you are looking for adventure then look no further than KE. RESPONSIBLE TOURISM AND AWARDS Responsible Tourism has always fitted naturally with KEs travel ethic. It is important to us that our clients are not the only beneficiaries of the travel experience, but that we share a two-way relationship with the areas that we visit. We make sure that our local staff are well treated and well paid, we respect indigenous cultures, take care to protect the environment and make the most of every opportunity to make a positive contribution wherever we travel. In addition to holding an AITO 5-star Sustainable Tourism rating, we are recipients of AITO s Achievement in Sustainable Tourism Award in recognition of the work carried out over the past 20 years, giving back to the communities and areas we visit. We have been awarded Highly Commended status in the Best Tour Operator category of the Virgin Holidays Responsible Tourism Awards, and were named Best Trekking Operator on Earth by National Geographic Magazine, whose criteria included commitment to responsible tourism. We continue to travel responsibly, and more information on our policy, practice, and specific projects can be found at www.keadventure.com, and on the website of our partner charity the Juniper Trust: www.junipertrust.co.uk. KEs Mountain Code is issued to our staff, trek leaders and overseas agents, and we recommend it to our clients, too!
PAGE 9 Your Complete Financial Protection KE Adventure Travel is a fully licensed and bonded tour operator. We are a member of the Association of Independent Tour Operators (AITO), bonded with the CAA (ATOL 2808) and ABTA licensed (W4341). You can book your trip with KE Adventure Travel in complete confidence that all monies you pay for a trip are fully protected. BOOKING YOUR HOLIDAY Making a Booking The easiest way to make your booking is online. You will need to pay a deposit at the time of booking. This is normally 200 but for some holidays with special permit fees or internal flights, this may be more. The amount of deposit required for an individual holiday is given on the dates and prices page of the holiday. Late bookings will require full payment. We cannot confirm any booking until we receive your fully completed booking form. Adventure Travel Insurance IMPORTANT - It is a condition of joining any of our trips that you are insured against medical and personal accident risks (to include repatriation costs, air ambulance and helicopter rescue services). We also strongly recommend that you take out holiday cancellation insurance, as all deposits paid are non-refundable. Please ensure that your insurer is aware of your KE Adventure itinerary and can agree to cover the activities being undertaken. You will then need to advise us of your policy details and complete an Insurance Declaration Form. CAMPBELL IRVINE DIRECT travel insurance is available to EU residents and will cover the majority of KE Adventure holidays. It has been designed to provide cover for activities normally excluded by other insurers such as trekking, mountain biking and climbing. Please note that certain activities may attract a higher premium. In addition Campbell Irvine Direct cannot provide cover for KE climbing trips above 6000m. Cover for these can be obtained through either the British Mountaineering Council (BMC) or Snowcard. TRAVELEX is a USA based insurer offering travel insurance, which can be used by US citizens and US residents only. KE recommends the "Travelex Select" package for our holidays. If your holiday involves using mountaineering equipment (ropes, harness or crampons), for climbing or glacial travel, you should consider the "Adventure Plus Pak" optional upgrade on the Travelex Select Plan. Please refer to the 'Description of Coverage' for a summary of the terms, conditions, exclusions and limitations of the applicable Protection Plan. This policy will also cover KE climbing trips above 6000m. We hope that this trip notes has answered most of your questions. Please feel free to contact us and speak to one of our experts.
PAGE 10 Equipment List The following checklist should help you with your packing. As a general rule, you should always try to keep the weight of your equipment to a minimum. You Must Bring The Following Items: Mountain Boots (see notes below) Rock climbing shoes Gaiters Trekking poles x 2 (with baskets) Socks walking socks are best (2/3 pairs) Waterproof over trousers (with leg zips) Trekking trousers (not cotton) Base Layers Fleece layer(s) Waterproof jacket (with hood) Sunhat Warm hat Sunglasses category 3/ 4. Thin gloves (thermal) Warm and waterproof gloves/ski gloves Climbing Rucksack 35-45 litres (MAX) (no external frame) Head torch and spare battery Sun Protection (high factor for skin) Lip salve with sunscreen Water bottle 2x 1 litre Small Wash kit Plastic Bag or rucksack liner to keep essentials dry Sleeping bag liner/sheet sleeping bag (silk is lightest) Basic First Aid Kit Mountaineering equipment (available for hire): Crampons MUST be fitted with anti-balling plates Crampon bag
PAGE 11 Ice Axe Helmet Mountaineering harness 1 x screw gate karabiner 1 x taped sling: 60-120cm The Following Items Are Optional: Travel Clothes Travel Shoes Shorts (for non-glacial travel) Extra warm layer/ down jacket (primaloft or lightweight down) Earplugs (particularly if you are not the one snoring!) Camera Small Padlock (for trek bag) Equipment Notes Mountaineering Boots: Recommended boots for this trip are comfortable, warm and stiff - to take a crampon securely/deal with cold conditions. A B2 boot will be suitable, but NOT a B1 Crampons: Modern strap on crampons are perfectly acceptable for this climbing trek and will fit any boot. All crampons MUST be fitted with anti-balling plates. Grivel crampons - G10 or G12 with a strap system/or semi-strap/ heel clip are excellent and they come fitted with anti-balling plates. Make sure they are compatible with your boots. Aluminium crampons are not suitable for this trip (they are not strong enough over mixed terrain). Equipment hire: The following equipment can be hired from KE free of charge for this climbing course: Crampons (with anti-balling plates) and crampon bag; Climbing helmet; Harness (with karabiner); Ice-axe. This can be reserved either when you book your trip or closer to your departure but we advise booking hire equipment as soon as possible to ensure availability. We do not hire mountaineering boots or rock climbing shoes, but there are several shops in Chamonix/Argentiere renting boots and rock shoes that are suitable for this trip. Sleeping bags: These are NOT required as bedding is provided at the mountain refuge. However, you must bring a sheet sleeping bag or liner. Please note: This document was downloaded on 5 Dec 2017, and the trip is subject to change.