Monte Rosa Planning

Paperwork

Please return the requested paperwork as soon as possible.

Application
Passport Copy – A valid passport is required at time of booking
Flight itinerary

Trip Insurance & Evacuation Coverage

We strongly recommend purchasing trip insurance. Even with the best planning, unexpected circumstances — such as an injury or family emergency — may prevent you from joining your trip.

Helicopter Evacuation

If you need to leave the expedition early, you are responsible for all incurred expenses (evacuation fees, transport, extra hotel nights, etc). In many European countries, climbers must pay for any rescue situation they are involved in. If helicopters are required, which is typical in the Alps, the bill can be very expensive. For this reason, climbers should consider purchasing mountain rescue insurance. We recommend Global Rescue.

Trip Insurance Info

Meet Times & Transport

Flying to Geneva, Switzerland

Arrival: Fly into Geneva, then travel by shuttle to Chamonix. Arrive in Chamonix by the afternoon of Day 1 of your trip itinerary. If you need to (or opt to) arrive early and stay in Geneva, recommended hotels can be found in the Lodging section.

Shuttle from Geneva to Chamonix: You are required to make your own way to Chamonix. Shuttle buses are the best way to get from Geneva International Airport to Chamonix. We recommend Geneva Airport Transfers or Alpy Bus. Both cost around €25 and are easy to book online. The shuttle will drop you directly at the Pointe Isabelle Hotel. Book your shuttle at least two weeks in advance.

Team Meeting: Meet at 7:00am in the hotel lobby the morning of our first climbing day (Day 2 on itinerary). Your lead guide will send an email 7-10 days prior to your trip with details outlining the first climbing day and a possible gear list for that day.

Departure: Climbers should plan to depart Chamonix for Geneva the morning of Day 9. Shuttle reservations for this return should be made before your trip begins. When booking your returning flight, be sure to account for the 1-hour shuttle ride from Chamonix to Geneva.

Arriving Early or Departing Late

Chamonix has an abundance of tourist attractions, shopping and dining for climbers and their families. The most popular is the famed Aig D’Midi cable car (the 3rd largest tourist attraction in all of France), which leaves directly out of downtown Chamonix and arrives at just over 3800m. Most visitors enjoy sightseeing and lunch from the cable car. In addition to the Aig D’Midi, the Montenvours train provides spectacular views of the Mer du Glace.

Hotels

Single room arrangements can be made for an additional fee. Be aware that private rooms are available at hotels during our trip, but not in mountain huts.

For climbers choosing double room accommodations, every effort will be made to pair you with another climber. A Single Room Supplement Fee will apply if a match cannot be made or there is a last minute cancellation. This will help keep our overall program pricing down since unlike other companies we do not charge more for smaller groups.

In Chamonix

We will lodge in Chamonix on the first, second, fifth, and eighth night of the trip. These four nights of lodging are included in your trip cost. We typically stay at the Pointe Isabelle. It is a centrally located and enjoyable place to stay. You can leave your luggage at this hotel in a safe storage area. We do recommend locks for you luggage and bags.

Pointe Isabelle Hotel

In Geneva

Lodging in Geneva is entirely optional depending on your travel plans and itinerary. Here are some recommended hotels:

Hotel Royal
Hotel Tiffany

European Huts

One of the benefits of climbing in the European Alps is the amazing hut system in place for climbers. A tradition since the late 19th century, the huts serve as base camp, a refuge from the elements, and even a bunk house with restaurant. Huts are fully staffed with a guardian and cook staff. The system allows us to leave our sleeping bags, tents, stoves, and meals behind while we climb.

Dinners are typically comprised of soup, cheese, bread, a meat dish served with a grain and dessert. The huts can accommodate vegetarians. A typical French breakfast of bread & jam is served in the morning with coffee and tea. The huts all have indoor washrooms, though there are no showers and the sleeping rooms are bunk style. All of the huts provide ‘hut slippers’ for climbers to wear while inside the building. Huts typically sleep between 80-160 climbers and are often busy during the climbing season. Starting mid-day at most huts, you can purchase a “tarte d’jour” (tart of the day), an omelet, coffee, assorted beverages, and other snack food for an additional cost. Huts do not have Wifi.

Alpine Club Membership
If you are a member of an Alpine Club (American Alpine Club, British Alpine Club, etc.) we encourage you to bring your alpine club membership card as some huts offer discounts for members.

Gear List

Please refer to your Gear List:
Monte Rosa Gear List (opens in new tab)
You are required to bring every item on this list as described, so be as precise as possible when packing. If you plan to rent gear (US-based climbers only) your rental form must be submitted at least a month prior to the expedition start date. Please call our office or email [email protected] with any questions.

Most of our gear is also available to buy through the Alpine Ascents Store, where our climbers receive a 10% discount. Use coupon code CLIMB.

Renting Gear in Chamonix

For climbers based outside of the U.S. who need to rent gear for this trip, you can rent in Chamonix. We recommend Snell Sports or Concept Chamonix. We highly recommend emailing the store ahead of time to reserve your rental equipment. This equipment should be picked up your first day in Chamonix.

Packing Tips

People generally take too much “stuff” rather than too little. Study each item before you pack it. Eliminate redundant items, extra changes of clothing, and excessive “nice to have” luxuries. You will benefit from traveling light because of the costs of excess baggage and because of the frequent loading and unloading of bags. Take everything on the required equipment list and little else. Remember to review your airline’s weight limits and pack accordingly. If your airline enforces a strict weight limit, you should be ready to have your boots and another heavy item transferred to your carry on.

Gear Lexicon

If you’re confused by items and/or language on the Gear List, we encourage you to refer to our Gear Guide for explanations on layering systems, differences between boots, etc.
Gear Guide (opens in new tab)

Luggage

This expedition is logistics-heavy. The best way to have a comfortable, smooth trip is to understand ahead of time how you’ll pack and move your gear around Peru. You need four different types of luggage for this trip:

Expedition Backpack – big, comfortable, and ready to hold all of your gear on the upper mountain.
Expedition Duffel Bag – the biggest, burliest duffel available. Think 150-liters in size.
Trekking Backpack – 30-40 liters, enough to carry light snacks, layers, and water.
Small Duffel – carry-on luggage of any kind that isn’t hard-sided nor wheeled.

Stage 1 – Travel to Switzerland

Pack everything (except for a few items mentioned below) into your expedition duffel and check it in with your airline. Your expedition pack and trekking pack should be flat-packed inside of the duffel bag.

Pack your small duffel as your carry-on, being sure to include any usual comfort items for international air travel. Staying relaxed in the days prior to your expedition will contribute to your success! Pro tip: we typically fly with our high-altitude boots and our insulated pants in our carry-on baggage. These items are nearly impossible to replace locally, while other gear list items can be found in local shops.

Stage 2 – Trip Prep in Chamonix

After our gear check, we’ll pack as outlined below:

Stage 3 – Travel to Mountain

We travel to the first mountain.

Stage 4 – Climbing Monte Rosa

We climb the final mountain.

Expenses

Currency

We recommend using credit/debit cards on this trip to avoid changing currency.

In Geneva, Switzerland the Swiss Franc is used. In Chamonix, France the Euro is used. If you are traveling from the US and planning to use cash on this trip, we recommend exchanging to Euros in the US prior to departure.

ATMs: ATMs are readily available throughout this trip.

Credit Cards: Visa and MasterCard are widely accepted. American Express is not.

Itinerary Adjustments

Our Monte Rosa program has allowed the highest success rate by providing climbers four days of mountaineering training and acclimatization prior to the summit portion. If climbers cannot successfully complete the first four days of the itinerary, they may be asked not to attempt the summit portion. Guides will work with climbers to find suitable alternative climbing options around Chamonix. If this is the case, climbers will cover any additional cost accrued for itinerary adjustments.

Food & Water

Climbers are responsible for your own meals while in town. Breakfasts are included at the hotel. Dinners can range from €25–50. While on the mountain, breakfasts and dinners are provided by the huts. These meals are included in the trip cost. You will need to purchase bottled water at the huts, which can range from €3–5 for 1.5L. The huts also offer wine, beer, and soda for additional costs.

You are responsible to supply your own snacks/lunch food while climbing. A grocery store is located adjacent to the hotel. Lunch costs for the duration of the climb can vary greatly with each individual. Plan on spending between €75–€100 total for lunches. Please bring traditional power bars, Gu’s, and Shot-Blocks from home as these are not easy to find in Chamonix. We recommend 5-7 power bars, 3–5 energy Gu, and 2–4 Shot Blocks energy snacks for the trip.

Tipping

Our guides make every effort to ensure your climb is risk aware, successful, and as enjoyable as possible. If you have a positive experience, gratuities are an excellent way to show your appreciation. The suggested amount is $250, with a general recommended range of $200 to $300. These amounts cover all guides on your program and are shared equally. Any contribution to the guides’ tip pool can go directly to the lead guide on your program and will be appreciated by the entire team. If you tip by check, please make it out to the lead guide by name. Please do not make the check out to Alpine Ascents.

On the Mountain

Changing Conditions

Recent summers have been unseasonably warm in the European Alps. This has led to increased hazards in the mountains. Typically, this happens when there are long stretches of significant warming with a high freezing level. During these times, we often see increased rock fall, icefall, and other mountain hazards. Our guide team is privy to the situation and monitors conditions daily. We also coordinate and work directly with many other guide services and guide bureau offices in the Alps. When mountain hazards increase, the guide team is ready to adjust plans to an alternative mountain if required. Please be aware of this possibility.

Leave No Trace

Alpine Ascents International practices Leave No Trace principles on all expeditions. We believe that given the proper information most people will do all they can to help protect and maintain the environment. Before your climb, please become familiar with Leave No Trace:

7 Principles of Leave No Trace

Note from The Guide

Light Packs

Many of our climbers are accustomed to carrying heavy (50+ lbs.) packs while climbing in wilderness areas in the United States. Because of the accessibility of the climbs and greater infrastructure in the European Alps, we climb with smaller and much lighter packs. Please follow the recommendations in your Gear List and bring a pack of appropriate size. You will be glad to save the weight!

Other Climbers

Along with lighter packs, the accessibility of this region also leads to greater use than what some of our climbers may be accustomed to. There will likely be many other climbers on the route at the same time. Your guides will instruct you in passing other parties or letting them pass as appropriate. In these interactions, we aim to be respectful and courteous to all others climbers we encounter.

Other things to know

Electricity

You will need a European outlet adapter for your electronics.

Clothing

Because we will be spending time in town, consider bringing “street clothes” in which you feel comfortable dining and walking around town. Luggage with items you are not bringing on the mountain can be kept at our hotel in a secure storage area. We recommend locks for your luggage.