UKC

Hey everyone,

Looking at running a training trip to the Alps next summer and in search of new valleys to expand my logbook experience. The key is that the valleys must have relatively good lift coverage so that most routes could be done in a single day, with only a few hut/bivvy nights needed for 'expedition' phases.

Looking for areas other than Cham, Mattertal and Saastal!

Bonus points if you have any campsite suggestions...

Danai

Have you looked at the Italian side? Val Sesia, Val Gressoney, Val d'Ayas, hour or so along the A5 autostrada from Turin. L'Escursionista map 8, 1:25k. Lifts to 3280m from the 1st two, 4wd taxi to 2600m from the 3rd.

What mountain stuff are you looking for, snow/ice or rock routes? Altitude?

Can you just explain what you mean by that.

Apologies Jon, probably should've been more specific - it was early hours! I'm organising a group of us to go out for a few weeks to do some mixed alpine mountaineering, ~3500m+ with opportunity for some 4000ers would be good. I am personally familiar with Cham, Saas and Mattertal but looking to expand my own portfolio so looking for recommendations for new areas from personal experience

Depends if you want / need to stay in one area for longer than a few days. For a long stay, there's plenty to do in the Ecrins using Ailefroide or La Berarde as bases. The weather tends to be nicer than Cham as well.

Never been but there's various stuff to do in the Oberland and it's a massive area, accessed from several different entry points. Lots of classic ridges around AD.

Plenty of other areas to visit in Switzerland outside Saas and Zermatt but the areas tend to be smaller so you might need to move around a bit more. Zinal is nice and gives access to some classic AD ridges at 4k+. A fair way further SE, Piz Bernina and Piz Palu are well worth doing but they are snow ridges.

Thanks! Hadn't thought of Zinal, could be a good way to switch it up whilst keeping some routes in the back pocket.

The Écrins National park is a personnal favorite. Good base camps include L'Argentière Les Écrins (there are two guest houses there, "Le Moulin à Papillon" and "La Pierre d'Oran", that are climbers'favorite), Briançon and La Bérarde. Depending on your fitness, you could do many routes in a day, car-park to car-park. If you're a bit slower, you could spend a night in a refuge quite easily. It's also a great winter location for ice and mixed climbing.

You could check the following routes, see if you're interested :

- Arrête sud du pic du glacier Blanc

- Traversée du Pelvoux

- Roche Faurio

- Traversée de la barre des Écrins

- Pic Coolidge

- Arrête des cinéastes

There are other great massifs, such as Oisan, Vanoise and Vercors, but they are quite wild and might not fit your request. Definitely worth considering though.

Just sent you a message but it may get sent to spam

I was about to post a comment about the Ecrins when I saw the line about lift access. But other than that the Ecrins is agreat place. And add Ailefroide as a possible base.

Depending on how much you like waking up early and driving the best choice in Switzerland is probably the Valais and basing yourself somewhere around Sion.

I can think of 20+ five star ridges within an hour by car that are ideal day trips and plenty more if you have the legs for it. The problem with basing yourself up a valley (say the Val d’Anniviers) is that once you've done the good day routes there (Couronne de Breona + Aiguilles de la Lé) it's a long way to get elsewhere. 

The Berner Oberland is great but there it's more a case of heading up to huts for several nights in a row to access things.

I'd love a brain dump of that list if you have the inclination!

Agreed the Ecrins are fantastic, had been looking forward to our normal week in Ailefroide at the end of June    Maybe a fortnight next year??

Worth pointing out the Berarde side is much wilder and remote with longer walk ins.   I think the climbs from the Ailefroide side are more accessible and if the OP is happy staying at huys for couple of nights there is a lot you can do from eg the Glacier Blanc refuge.  

On the other hand if shehe is looking for somewhere you can hop on a chair, do a day's climb and back to the valley then that is not the Ecrins. 

As a list to start with:

Gneiss / granite ridges

Perrons Traverse E-W and W-E
Dent de Fenestral W ridge
NE ridge of Le Luisin
Traverse of les Ecandies
Becs Noirs - N ridge 
Grande Chenalette 
Couronne de Breona S-N
Aiguilles de la Lé S-N
Petit Dent de Veisivi SE ridge
La Maya de Bricola

Limestone ridges

Pierre Qu'Abotse S ridge
Arête Vierge (Tête à Pierre Grept)
Arête d'Argentine E-W
Grand Chavalard Traverse N-S
Arête de Saille (Grand Muveran)
Arête Champion (Dent de Morcles)
Dent du Lan

Summits that can be done in a day if fit and with stable weather.

Arête W de Dent de Tsalion
Douves Blanches
Aiguilles Rouges d'Arolla
Lauterbrunner Breithorn S ridge

Obviously some are easier than others and certain ones like the Arête d'Argentine are best done in cooler weather when higher stuff might be snow covered.

Awesome, many of those new to me. Thanks very much!