UKC

A bit of an open ended post really but hoping to tap into people's experiences and advice to help me narrow down my choices!

After a few years climbing and mountaineering in the UK I think the time has come to try pastures new.

I've spent most of the day looking at Jagged Globe etc to try and narrow down where I'd like my first international trip to be but I'm struggling with the array of choices! My budget is around the 2k mark all in (although I don't need to spend all that!).

I've looked at a few websites offering trips in the Alps such as Gran Paradiso or Weissmies as well as trips to Cotopaxi or Antisana. Am I better going with a large company or booking a local guide for value for money?

In reply to jamesofdeath:

How long for? £2k will get you a very long way.

Why guides? Why not your climbing mates from the UK?

In reply to NottsRich:

I'm not too restricted on time; anything up to 3 weeks for further away, but obviously shorter trips (5 - 7 days) mean less time off work, less arrangements needed for kids etc so shorter would be my preference.

Just thought guides would be the way to go as a first trip to be honest.

In reply to jamesofdeath:

Can only comment on the Alps, but you don´t need a guide for Gran Paradiso! If you go towards the end of the Italian school term (July), you can watch the grim spectacle of local guides dragging up whole rope teams of five to ten screaming pupils, with a second guide running up and down the line to whip any laggards (not really, but the rope teams are real!). If you can walk in crampons you will be fine. I took my 13 yo daughter up that hill as her first 4k peak.

Weissmies is very condition and route dependent, but again I would not think one needs a guide for either the Almageller hut or Weissmies hut routes (although the Northern route does cross a proper glacier with all is dangers).

Same for Lagginhorn next door (that would probably be better than WM as a first 4k peak, at least in terms of glacier safety), or Allalinhorn and Alphubel across the valley. One step up would be Bishorn (a secondary summit of Weisshorn).

Rather than invest in a guide (and the fees are absolutely crazy, especially in Switzerland), I would recommend booking a glacier training course and then go unguided. Also, as discussed in a recent thread, there are many mountains between 3500 and 4000m that are much nicer than the easier 4k peaks, which tend to be overrated and overrun!

CB

In reply to JamesLamont:

I've sent you an email

If you have been climbing and mountaineering in UK for years as you say paying Jagged Globe for Gran Paradiso is going to be a complete waste of money.

In reply to JamesLamont:

An interesting question.

To build on what other people have said about guided trips, I would book a week somewhere with a company offering the most for the money. If you are not bothered about area, your options are many. Have fun browsing!

Yes, you may not need a guide for some objectives. But you can tap into their skills and knowledge for your own development. Choose a company according to dates, price and make sure that the instructors have the tickets. Go from there.

It sounds to me like you have skills which will be great for the alps, so maybe one of the Intro Alpine courses from Chamonix is a good start. Have lots of fun either way, and good luck.

H.

In reply to JamesLamont:

A week in the High Atlas for a bit of culture. You could easily climb Toubkal and the other (second highest) one, that I can't remember the name of.

You can do 90% of it on your own, then hire a one or two day guide in Imlil (the trail head), or maybe even at the hut if you offer enough cash. It won't be expensive.

In reply to edunn:


Akioud? That seemed to be the most obvious next one.

In reply to mysterion:

Ras/Timesguida i believe. Akioud is a challenge though.

In reply to JamesLamont:

Your profile suggests you have rock climbed for a while and also done some winter walking and climbing. If this has included leading then you could have great fun in the European Alps learning together with a friend or an experienced mentor. Alternatively join a club. A quicker and less potentially risky way to learn would be through a course or personalised guiding. Some people choose a course for a few days or a week and then, armed with their new knowledge and skills, stay in the Alps to climb independent of a guide. You have to choose which suits you best.
There is plenty of information available to help you self teach or support what you will learn through a course or guide and lots of places that are ideal to learn and develop as an alpinist. A good starting point could be Bruce Goodlad's book 'Alpine Mountaineering'.
Have fun