UKC

I'm looking for a suitable venue for a group ice climbing trip next winter. I'm after somewhere with cheap flights from the Northwest, a good selection of easier graded climbs which are consistently in condition (Jan/Feb), which don’t have too long a walk in. Essentially, what are the alternatives to Rjukan?

In reply to mmmhumous: I can't think of anywhere with so many quality routes in such a small area and with such easy acces. Cogne is good and is often in condition when Chamonix is not. The approaches can be anything from 10 minutes up to 2 hours. The Ecrin offers plenty of climbs but spread out over a bigger area so a bit of driving is required but still relatively convenient. Many ice falls are almost if not literally roadside but you may have to drive a bit more to get to them. Ceillac springs to mind as being convenient climbing.

In reply to GridNorth:

Cheers

Ceillac is very popular because of the number of ice falls often in conditions and not far from the car park. If you base yourself in Briancon (or nearby it) you will have plenty of other venues at hand too (La Grave, Freissinieres, etc.). Ceillac itself it's not a big town. Flights to Turin are usually cheap (Ryanair, BA, EasyJet, Thomas Cook, etc.). You'll be about 1.5 hrs from the border with France (if you make it alive through Italy, that is).