UKC

evening all,
me and my partner are looking at booking a trip to the alps for our honeymoon.
we are regular rock climbers in the UK and also enjoy days out on the hill (summer and winter) we are now looking to take our love for the mountains to the next level and would love to get some alpine peaks under our belts. unfortunately we have limited winter skills. we would love it if you could help us with your knowledge to pick an appropriate destniation to have a memorable time.
any advice is welcome on potential places to vist, we are quiet flexible at this point in where to visit.
cheers

In reply to RyanH:

Hi there,

If you don't already know the area try Chamonix and this book https://www.amazon.co.uk/Chamonix-Mountain-Adventures-Walking-Cicerone/dp/1...

There's other alpine areas with easier peaks but for a honeymoon I'd recon Cham would be great unless you're looking for somewhere more "wilderness"

There's lots of cable cars to ride with to high places with amazing (even romantic) views. Also if the budget allows after the wedding; a day out with a guide e.g. http://www.verticalfrontiers.com/ might be memorable too

Have a great time

In reply to RyanH:

val di mello.

In reply to RyanH:

Well I would suggest that you consider the Engandine valley in Eastern Switzerland.

Beautiful area, with lots of straightforward Alpine peaks that can be reached from delightful huts, also masses of fantastic and not normally crowded walking in the side valleys that still have very good paths, also many of them have superb views of the Bernina massif.

Not cheap, but then nowhere in Switzerland is cheap, tends to get quite a lot better weather than more Western and Northern parts of the Alps like Chamonix, also much less sense of "hustle and bustle", more of quieter, more relaxed mountain districts.

In reply to RyanH:

If you are looking to avoid snow and ice then go to the Dolomites. I like Corvara as a base. Around there, in July, you'll find snow free 3000m peaks that can be ascended by walking, scrambling, via-feratta and rock routes.

If you want to get to the top of snowy 4000m peaks, look at going to Saas-Fee in Switzerland to tick off the Allalinhorn and also the Briethorn via a day trip to Zermatt. These two peaks are very easy and only required limited but essential glacier travel know-how which anyone familiar with ropes, harnesses and stuff can pick up quickly.

In reply to JLS:

Cheers for your help these are all the sort of things I'm looking for. This trip will be to cut our teeth for the first time on snow and ice so the places suggested apear really adequate.

After a discussion with the other half, we was wondering if you can book a guide while in the alps or is it better to pre book over here first, this would be for us to tackle something that requires a little more knowledge?
Thanks again for your help

In reply to RyanH:

Chamonix would be perfect.Many people don't like the crowds,but for example I take the last lift to L'Index,bivvy and can take my kids up any of the many rel.easy climbs in peace and quiet,Traverse of the Aiguilles Crochues with perhaps a start up the SE face has some ok snow,fantastic views of Big Mamma and on the descent you can have a beer at the Lac Blanc hut.Cham has everything.

In reply to RyanH:


You certainly can book a guide in most Alpine areas, but my view is that it is better to pre-book. I would try to get recommendations for particular guides, probably hold a bit of an email conversation with them beforehand to discuss options, skills etc, rather than just picking whoever is "next on the taxi rank".

In reply to RyanH:

If you book a local guide in the alps they will march you up and down the hill very quickly and you will likely learn very little. You may manage to hook-up with a British guide for a day who will tend to have more of an instructional approach but generally the British guides will be hoping for you to book on a week long "course" which will be good but will cost significant money. Either way Saas-Fee / Saas Grund is the place to go. You'll find there are plenty things to do there to suit your limited experience or harder things with a guide.

Things you could likely tackle without a guide.
Multipitch rock route to summit 3000m Jägihorn: Alpendurst (4c)
Via Feratta to summit 3000m Mittaghorn: Northwest Ridge Via Ferrata (VF1A)
Crevassed snow plod to summit 4000m Allalinhorn: West-northwest Ridge (F)
Rock Climbing at Feechi, Saas Grund: Feechi#overview
Dri Hornli rock climbing and traverse: Dri Horlini#overview
Dri Horlini Traverse (AD)
Scramble up to Mischabel hütte
Walk up to Monte moro pass and down the cable car to Italy for a coffee: http://www.summitpost.org/mattmark-monte-moro-pass/257023

The BMC Alpine essentials DVD is invaluable.

In reply to JLS:

In general very good and thorough advice, but one caveat - around Saas Fee and the Valais Alkps generally you are frequently dealing very large mountains, with BIG vertical intervals and quite long horizontal distances. It might be better to go somewhere with slightly less physically daunting undertakings for a first Alpine outing.

In reply to JLS:

Could also add Alphubel from Mitel Allalin railhead to your list, a straightforward glacial expedition with a very high transport point. But bear in mind that it is pretty high, so you need to be reasonably aclimitised.

In reply to RyanH:

Check out Frost Guiding
http://www.frostguiding.co.uk/
They have a base in Evolene which is beautiful
Good access to loads of climbing/ mountaineering
have had two holidays with them excellent value for money ( and great food)

In reply to RyanH:

+1 for the Val d'Herens - Evolene or Arolla. Much prettier valley than the Saastal and the mountains are mostly mid to upper 3000's. Only thing is, no mechanical uplift....

Does anyone know if the Saas valley uplifts are still free of charge to people staying in the valley?

In reply to Simon4:
>"Could also add Alphubel from Mitel Allalin railhead to your list, a straightforward glacial expedition with a very high transport point."

Perhaps. There used to be an early 4am lift on a Thursday for that purpose. The normal 6am lift is a bit late for snow conditions. I found the descent to Langflue quite demanding dues to crevasses. In hindsight reversing back to Mittelallalin would have been less stressful.

Most to the stuff I've pointed the OP at isn't too demanding and has lovely views of the bigger hills close at hand. The most physical stuff is just the hut walks to Mischabel and Amagelar so not so bad when there is a cafe and the end.

Edit: Oh, and another time I got a bit off route of the chossy ridge which could have easily turned into a messy end for me and the mrs.

In reply to JLS:

cheers for all your expert knowlage its making my life some what easier in making my mind up.

In reply to JLS:


Sound rock in the Pennine Alps - its in boulders, not powder! I have a memory of descending slightly below the North ridge of the Weissmeis, in order to find an easier route. In fact my body has a memory, or several, of the consequence. It will probably go eventually.

Stick strictly to the ridge crests!

In reply to RyanH:

Ha, I'm no expert but my Mrs likes Saas Fee so we've been there a fair few times and have done most of the stuff there that isn't death on a stick. You'll have a good holiday there.

In reply to colinakmc:

As of this August, yes. We got a 'citizens pass' for the duration of our stay in the valley, from our campsite. This was good for all the lifts (but not the Mittelallalin train). We also got discount at the campsite for a night in a hut by getting a receipt for it....only six CF off the bill but every little helps!

In reply to JLS:


Second hand info, but a team we met in late August tried that descent to Langflue and found it impassible. They had to reascend and go to back to Mittelallalin, apparently making the last train by dint of running through the station still roped up and in crampons!