In August of 2013, Nick St.Georges and Andy Strangemann will be heading off to Zermatt Switzerland to climb a number of 4,000 meter peaks, with the main goal to ascend the 4,447 meter Matterhorn. We will also climb a number of other peaks that will likely be harder than the horn, such as the Zinalrothorn and a traverse from the Breithorn to the top of Monte Rosa and will thus ascend to heights of 4,634 meters hoping to sleep one night at the famed Margherita Hut at 4,560 meters atop the Signalkuppe.
As these peaks are accessible via alpine huts run by the SAC in Switzerland and the CAI in Italy, we have come up with a definite schedule and will make advance hut bookings for our group well in advance.
We will depart Calgary on August 10th and return on August 22nd.
Required Items to Bring:
Full alpine climbing gear (list to be provided to the group well in advance)
As we expect to be sleeping warm and eating well in the huts, we will not need the usual overnight camping gear.
Warm to cold climate outdoor clothing (list will be provided to participants well in advance)
Considering the time away and the size of the peaks,our packs will be very manageable and a 50 liter pack should suffice to carry our stuff.
Recommended Items to Bring:
A good camera, some extra cash in Swiss Franks and Euro's, decent health and travel insurance coverage
A heck of a good attitude to engage in some truly enjoyable climbing overseas
How to Get There:
Event Directions:
Take Hwy 1 to Calgary Airport, Check-in and board flight via Frankfurt or Toronto to Zurich, eat supper, watch movie, get some sleep, arrive in Zurich, collect duffel, board train, gaze at awesome scenery, sleep some more.
Arrive in Zermatt, wow at the scenery and high peaks, get an adrenaline rush knowing we are really here, hoist pack onto shoulders and hike through town and up 700 vertial meters to first hut at 2,337 meters.
Notes:
We are looking to bring together a tight knit group of serious mountaineers that are keen on climbing in the alps and can each share the sharp end of the climbing rope in both rock and ice terrain. A good level of fitness is an absolute must, as we will have some long days and climb every day weather permitting.
The whole undertaking, including flights transport, huts, food/drink etc. should not cost more than aprox. CAD $3,400, which includes $1,800 for the flight. Perhaps we can find a deal on the flights to reduce this cost.
Once we have chosen the team, we will engage in a few alpine outings in the Rockies to gel as a group and work on our group climbing dynamics.
Interested?
We look forward to climbing with you!
Nick and Andy
*Cancellation Policy*: If a participant is unable to attend a paid course or trip, there will be no refund unless the participant finds a suitable replacement that is acceptable to the trip coordinator. Acceptable waiting list candidates will have priority. It will then be the participant's responsibility to recover funds from the replacement. If the coordinator cancels an event, participants get a refund (less any non-recoverable costs). Note that ACC National does not refund hut fees due to weather, delay, closures, or any other reasons. The Calgary Section of the ACC is a not for profit club and we only charge attendees what it costs us to provide courses or trips.
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Registration for this event closed on Friday, May 31, 2013 at 01:00 AM.