We want to make ice climbing safe, fun, and challenging. Our guides will share their experience and knowledge with an emphasis on teaching the techniques you can use to progress not only in terms of climbing technique but also in terms of tour planning, rope work, safety skills and risk management.

The emphasis will be on your personal progression as an ice climber, while getting the maximum amount of time on the ice and enjoying the classic, scenic, and countless frozen waterfalls in the Central Swiss Alps.

The goal is to become more comfortable on ice, learn the intricacies of evaluating conditions and choosing routes, and learn to place ice screws, lead safely, manage ropes, and organize belays, anchors, and descents (rappels or walk-off…)

Participants: We require a minimum of 2 participants.

Pricing: 2 participants: CHF 350.- per person | 3 participants: CHF 265.- | 4 participants: CHF 215.- 

What’s included? Organization & tour planning by a UIAGM mountain guide, and guiding fee.

Not included: Rental equipment, personal transportation costs, any lift or train tickets and personal consumption.

What you’ll learn:

• Familiarization with the tools necessary for climbing ice. (From proper layering to ice tools, ropes, ice screws, etc.)

• Correct belay and rappel technique, and the special needs in the winter environment (ice and snow on the ropes, danger of falling ice)

• Climbing technique – Ice axe swing, reading the ice to find good tool placements, managing stress and fatigue, footwork, strategies for confronting delicate conditions

• Leading ice! Placing safe screws, finding good ice, route finding, rope skills, and organizing anchors on ice screws

• Descent planning and organizing the ropes for rappels or walk off descents, managing wet or icy ropes and the nuances specific to winter mountaineering

• Planning an ascent. Using available resources to determine where and when to climb.

Course Requirements:

Technical level - You have to have previous experience in climbing with crampons and ice axes (alpinism or ice climbing) for this course. This is the logical follow-up to our introduction to ice climbing courses or for clients with experience on alpine summits or week-long alpine courses.

Physical fitness - You have to have good level of physical fitness. Ice climbing is a relatively athletic activity and spending full days outside in a cold environment is physically tiring.