Alpine Summer Courses
Guides and Ratios
![[Andy Owen, 6 kb]](/images/t/4140.jpg)
All of our Alpine guides hold the international mountain guides certificate. They are members of the British Association of Mountain Guides (BMG), which is, in turn, affiliated to the International Federation of Mountain Guides Associations (IFMGA). There is no other qualification allowed for working in the Alps as a guide and it is the highest award available to professional mountaineers.
The guides who will climb with you in the Alps are dedicated mountaineers with an intimate knowledge of the regions where we base our courses. As many of them also lead our expeditions, they will be able to advise you on your long-term expedition and mountaineering goals... [read more]
Student to guide ratios
Please note that these are the maximum ratios. So for example, on the Alpine Introduction course, days 2-5 are staffed at 1:4, but you can expect ratios to vary between 1:3 and 1:4, unless a course is full on 12 participants.
| Alpine Introduction | Teaching on day 1 - 1:6, Climbing days 2-5 at 1:4-1:6 | |
| Alpine Techniques | Days 1-3 at 1:4, Days 4-6 at 1:2 | |
| Mont Blanc Extensions | All climbing for 3 days at 1:2 | |
| Saas 4,000ers | All teaching and climbing - 6 days at 1:3 | |
| Zermatt 4,000ers | All teaching and climbing - 1:2 | |
| Mont Blanc Summit | Training - 3 days at 1:4, Mont Blanc - 3 days at 1:2 | |
| Oberland 4,000ers | All teaching and climbing - 1:2 (as per the recommendations of the British Mountain Guides) | |
| Chamonix Climber | All teaching and climbing - 1:2 | |
| Zermatt Climber | All teaching and climbing - 1:2 | |
| Haute Route | Mountaineering journey with instruction - up to 1:6 | |
| Oberland Traverse | Mountaineering journey with instruction - up to 1:6 | |
| Alpine North Faces | Days 1-3 at 1:2, Days 4-6 at 1:1 |
Alpine Grades
The French Alpine grading system encompasses the technical difficulty, length and level of committment required for the climb. If you are preparing for an expedition overseas of grade 2A and above, you should become familiar with this grading system, as it will help you assess your experience in relation to the requirements for each trip:
'F' (Facile/easy) - easy angled snow and ice / glaciated terrain. Ice axe and crampons are normally required, but the ground should not be steeper than approximately 35°.
'PD' (Peu difficile/not very difficult) - longer routes, often with more complex glaciated terrain, with scrambling on mixed ground (snow, ice and rock). Snow slopes are not normally steeper than 45°. Short sections of grade 1 and 2 scrambling, though potentially in exposed situations.
'AD' (Assez difficile/fairly difficult) - more committing routes with steeper snow and ice up to 55°, though normally just one axe and crampons will be required. Rock sections can be sustained with lots of grade 2 scrambling and short sections of British VDiff or Severe which may be pitched.
'D' (Difficile/difficult) - snow and ice up to 75°, requiring the use of an ice axe and hammer. Rock climbing up to British grade Very Severe. Lots of pitching with confidence required moving together on grade 3 scrambling ground in exposed situations.
'TD' (Tres difficile/very difficult) - routes of a much more serious undertaking, with sustained sections of ice climbing and difficult rock climbing, possibly including aid climbing.
Venues and travel
Jagged Globe Alpine Courses cover much of the Western Alps. Each valley base is specifically chosen to provide the best access to the mountains in that area. This reduces the travelling required during the courses and gives you more time to enjoy the climbing:
- Chamonix (France) - Hotel La Chaumière
- Saas Grund (Switzerland) - Hotel Roby
- Arolla (Switzerland) - Hotel Mont Collon
- Zermatt (Switzerland) - Hotel Aristella (newly refurbished for 2011)
- Grindelwald, Bernese Oberland (Switzerland) - Hotel Bel - Air Eden
Each course commences on the evening of the start date given in the programme and concludes after breakfast on the end date. Half-board accommodation in hotels, chalets or mountain huts is provided (with the exception of Private Guiding which is quoted separately).
Participants need to make their own travel arrangements to the course venue or start point, as indicated with each course description. Detailed and up-to-date travel information for each venue is sent to you after we have received your booking.
Equipment
On booking your Alpine course, you receive an equipment list specific to that course. To help you make the right choice of gear, we include recommendations for certain brands and models. Jagged Globe also includes the loan of ice axes, crampons, harnesses and helmets in the course cost, if booked in advance. If you need to hire boots, you can do so through us for the Alpine Introduction course, or at the course base for other courses.PHD Mountain Software make specialist clothing suitable for our Alpine Courses. Visit the Alpine Mountaineering page of their Trip Advisor.
Inclusions and Exclusions
The following paragraphs summarise what is included and excluded from the course cost.Please note that the costs for mechanical up-lift are not included in the overall course cost because these can vary, depending on the weather and routes selected. This means that we are not restricted by a budget. Also, if we spend less on up-lift than expected, you make the saving rather than us. An estimation of these additional costs is given below for each course venue.
What is included in the course cost
- All Accommodation, which will be either a 2-star hotel (or better), twin sharing, when in the valley (except in Chamonix, which is hotel accommodation, mainly in twin rooms, but occasionally in triples or quads), or a mountain hut, dormitory accommodation.
- Breakfast and dinner throughout.
- Instructional fees based on the optimum student to instructor ratio for the activity being undertaken and in keeping with the recommendations laid down by the IFMGA and BMG for Alpine Guiding.
- Transport (by public means, private hire vehicle, minibus or guides' cars) to fulfil the course programme including:
- The transfer from Arolla to Chamonix if you are joining an Alpine Introduction Mont Blanc Extension.
- All group mountaineering equipment such as ropes and other technical equipment.
- Ice axes, crampons, harnesses & helmets, when booked in advance.
What is not included in the course price
- Transport between the UK and the course venue.
- Mountaineering and travel Insurance
- Transfers between course venues or locations, unless mentioned in the inclusions above.
- Lunch.
- Personal climbing equipment and clothing (including boots, which can be hired locally at each course venue, except for Arolla, which is stocked with Jagged Globe boots).
- Cable car and mechanical uplift costs (estimate below).
Estimated additional up-lift costs (these can be reduced in Switzerland by purchasing a Swiss Card (see details below)
Alpine Introduction - none.
Haute Route - between £70 and £80.
Chamonix Climber - between £80 and £100.
Alpine North Faces - between £80 and £100.
Alpine Techniques - between £80 and £100.
Mont Blanc Extension - approximately £30.
Saas 4,000ers - None in summer 2012! Saastal Tourismus have announced that all uplift in the Saas Valley will be free. Normally between £50 and £90.
Zermatt 4,000ers - between £80 and £130.
Zermatt Climber - between £80 and £130.
Oberland 4,000ers - approximately £100.
Please note that the cost of mountain railways and uplift in Switzerland can be halved by purchasing a Swiss Card, which includes a return rail journey to your course base, from the Swiss Border or entry point (e.g. Geneva Airport).
On-line booking
You can book any of our courses securely on-line by selecting your preferred dates and paying a deposit by credit/debit card of £150 per course. We will send you a confirmation of booking and comprehensive Joining Instructions, which includes travel information and a detailed equipment list...