UKC

I Dont know which forum this belongs in but im looking for input on good regions in the alps for low grade mountaineering, plenty of PDs with an AD thrown in. We have climbed in gran paradiso national park and the big white mountain before so maybe in Switzerland? Thanks

In reply to tingle:

Arolla.

In reply to tingle:

Switzerland is good but insanely expensive at the moment. If you enjoyed the GP area, it will be worth looking at some of the other Italian valleys off Val d'Aosta, for example Vallpeline, Valtrournenche and Val di Gressoney. The honeypot huts like the Gnifetti are still pricey but slightly off the beaten track things are a lot cheaper, or even free in the case of bivouac huts

In reply to tingle:

Bernina Alps

In reply to tingle:

Saas Fee for the following:
Allalinhorn PD
Strahlhorn PD
Rimpfischorn AD-
Lagginhorn PD
Weismmies PD

Randa / Tasch / Zermatt for the following:
Alphubel PD+
The Dom PD-
Castor and Pollux PD+
Breithorn F

In reply to tingle:

Saas - free uplift if you base yourself in the valley (eg. camping).

In reply to tingle:

Depends how you are getting there and planning to accommodate yourself. Stayed in Brigg a few times. Cheaper than the honey pots, in many ways more pleasant and central to travel out in many different directions with only a short drive. There are guest houses, hotels and a camp site.

In reply to chris bedford:

interesting, would you see any problems in having a base camp down in the valley then for the big climbs bivvy/hut on the route ?

In reply to tingle:

+1 for Saas

In reply to tingle:

Check out Ailefroide in the Ecrins. To my mind, a fantastic place for PDs and ADs with the added bonus of exceptional single and multi-pitch day climbs just a stones throw away from the village centre. Really beautiful place and very welcoming. Lot cheaper than Switzerland too!

In reply to tingle:
From what I remember from last summer, each night you stay (eg. camp) in the valley, you get the next day's uplift for free (apart from the Metro Alpine). So if you keep a tent on a campsite you will have a free uplift for the duration of your stay even if you also bivi or stay in a hut (for which you normally get a bit of a reduction on the cost of camping). Makes climbing in this part of Switzerland just about possible!

In reply to chris bedford:

One thing you have to be fairly careful of for the free uplift is checking that it includes coming down, i.e that the date is correct for your down day. If you take down a tent, the campsite will put a date on the ticket, which will normally be the day you are leaving for the route. So you may find you are queried/refused for the descent. Check this and try to persuade the accommodation (the same applies to bunkhouses), to make sure they give a ticket covering your descent day.

You can leave a tent up, but this will cost, even though the Swiss normally give discounts for days when you are on the mountain. With Swiss costs being insane now, every little cost needs to be monitored for most people, and even the cost of empty tent nights is bad news.