Dear guests, climbers and mountaineers, I am a native Swiss certified mountain guide and speak 4 languages, which makes your experience more authentic as we will be able to communicate and get to know the locals. I know the Alps like the back of my hand and love to show you my country. I know countless amazing areas off the beaten path. If you scroll through, you will find many mountains unknown to American climbers, but there is so much more to see and do than just the Matterhorn.

Individual Mountain Tours in Europe

In the event that you plan to engage a mountain guide alone as opposed to with a group, my specialty is organizing and arranging the perfect tour for you to put you on the top of the mountain of your dreams, whatever that mountain may be. If you wish, I will organize the hut reservations and everything else necessary for guaranteeing success (except the weather!).

Give yourself some time off, leave work and follow your dream to go mountaineering in the Alps.

The Alps - just saying the words conjures images of sweeping valleys, silver glaciers, cascading waterfalls, chalets and dramatic mountains. Climb one of the majestic mountains where mountaineering started. Feel the crisp air. Soak in the timeless mountain ambiance, where farmers cut grass with scythes, cowbells ring as the beasts graze and the rounds of cheese can be seen stacked neatly in small sheds. It is truly like a fairytale.

Individual Mountain Tours in Europe

The Eiger

This mountain is most famous for its difficult north face. Little known is that the Eiger has one of the nicest ridges in the Alps, exposed, looking down a thousand meters to a glacier on one side and a thousand meters down to the meadows of Grindelwald on the other.

Acclimatization and training for the Eiger is done on the Wetterhorn, the beautiful massif above Grindelwald.

The Mönch

The Moench is done in a one day climb based out of Grindelwald or Interlaken. We take the first train up to the Jungfraujoch where we start the climb up towards the Mönchsjoch hut. At the South-East ridge we rope up and start the real climb up an exposed rock/snow ridge for about 2-3 hr. to the summit. We climb down the same way. We can have 2 people on the rope if you wish. The climb is the easiest 4'000 m. peak in the Berner Oberland but is still a good challenge for a mountaineer.

If we need to, we will do a one-day preparation course to ensure your and the guide's safety.

The Jungfrau

The Jungfrau means "virgin" in Swiss, which certainly describes the pristine snow and beautiful face of this mountain. The snowy peaks wears its white coat all year, and that is actually where the name came from. It is a great glacier climb with an exposed finish and a little rock climbing. It will take about 4-5 hr. to climb and about 4 hr. to get back to the Jungfraujoch. The climb is fantastic and the view is incredible, overlooking Europe's biggest glacier, the Aletschgletscher, and the Swiss Flats to the north and west.

 

Eiger, Mönch and Jungfrau

They stand together and are one of the natural wonders of the world. Once you see them, you have to climb them. They are all beautiful yet very different in character. The Mönch is a mixed snow and rock ridge; the Jungfrau is a glacier climb, and the Eiger mostly rock. What a package! It doesn’t get any better than this.

 

 

 

The Eiger, Mönch, Jungfrau and Matterhorn

All four mountains in one. Click above to see details.

The Matterhorn

 

Known as the most recognized mountain in the world, its face is big, ragged and beautiful. Who can resist climbing it! This popular tour over the Hoernli Ridge can be quite crowded, but we will teach you how to move efficiently to avoid the crowds. All of our clients who climb the Matterhorn are acclimatized beforehand on a 2-day preparation tour. You also have the option of going up over the less crowded Lion’s Ridge and down over the classic Hoernli Ridge.

 

 

The Grande Tour

Eiger, Monch, Jungfrau and Mt. Blanc

If you would like to have it all, this is the tour for you. Although we cover all of the peaks in a reasonable amount of time, this tour allows for flexibility in the schedule, which means more opportunity for success. Starting in quaint Grindelwald and working our way to the Matterhorn and finally to the grand finale of the Mt. Blanc, which traverses over Tacul, Maudit to the main summit.

The Monte Rosa 4'000 m. Peak Tour

 

If you are a lover of glaciated mountains in a spectacular set-up, you are in for a treat. We start in Zermatt, Switzerland, enjoy a tram ride up to the Kleine Matterhorn, collecting the first two (Breithorn and Pollux) of the 12 possible 4000 meter peaks in the Monte Rosa area. We cross over into Italy to stay in their huts, where they serve their famous pasta and, naturally, they have espresso machines for the finest coffee. We continue over Castor, Liskamm west/east peak, Balmhorn, Pyramid Vincent, Ludwigshöhe, Parrotspitz, Signalkuppe and Zumsteinspitz. The final icing on the cake is the highest peak in Switzerland, the Doufourspitz. On top we stay in the highest hut in Europe, the Cabana Margarita at 4554 meters. It is like climbing multiple Mt. Rainers!

The Starter mountaineer week at Susten

If you want to get into mountaineering, and the Alps sound like the place to do it, this is the perfect week for you.

Learn French crampon technique, crevasse rescue techniques, build anchors in snow/ice/rock, as well as rock climbing techniques in the Steingletscher area. Stay in a hotel for 2 nights in the beautiful Sustepass area. After an introduction to rock and ice, we will apply the learned skills on a nice moderate climb on the Gweachtenhorn, Sustenhorn and Vorderer Tierberg. We stay at a cozy mountain hut for the climbs. You will not forget this adventure

We can guide 4 people on this trip

Mountaineering Week at Oberaltesch

Far away from the big crowds, we stay at the Oberaltesch hut, a very nice, classic Swiss alpine hut above the glacier of Oberaletsch with a great few of the Aletschhorn. We will do moderate climbs every day to the Gross Fuesshorn, Rotstock,  Nesthorn and as final climb we do the Bietschorn. We hike out to Blatten in Goppenstein.

Max. 2 clients.

The Finsteraarhorn Tour

The highest peak and one of the most stunning looking mountains in the Berner Oberland. We climb the Monch the first day and stay at the Moenchsjoch hut. Day two we climb the Jungfrau and hike to the Konkordia hut. We climb the Gross Gruenhorn to the Finsteraarhorn hut. The next day we climb the Finsteraarhorn and travel to the Oberaarhorn hut. we climb the Oberaarhorn and hike out to Grimsel that day.

 

The Wetterhorn

The defining mountain of the village of Grindelwald.

A very esthetic rock ridge up to a snowy ridge. We hike to the Gleckstein hut over the Grindelwald glacier. Early in the morning we attack the Willis ridge to the top, 4-5 hr one way. We will stay one more day in the hut and hike out the next day.

 

 

 

The Schreckhorn, Lauteraarhorn and Eiger

These three climbs are hard and long, so we allow 5 days for the climbs. We stay at the Schreckhorn hut for the first two climbs. Each morning we have to start around 2 am to be able to reach the peak in reasonable time to avoid any thunderstorm in the afternoon. For the Eiger we have cross over to the Mittelleggi hut from where we tackle the Eiger. The climbing is long and continuous in class 4-5 terrain. They are surely the most beautiful 4000 meter peaks in the Berner Oberland but they are only the reward of hard, long days.

 

The Fiescherhorn

A nice exposed snow ridge climb done in two days from the Moenchsjoch hut and back to the Jungfrau train. it overlooks the dramatic Eismeer and the Schreckhorn to the Finsteraarhorn.

 

With our local knowledge, we can direct you to the best possible mountains or tour for individuals. We love going out of the norm and climbing in remote areas such as:

Oberaletsch, Weissmies, Weisshorn, Dom, Monte Rosa / Dofourspitz, Dent Blanche, Zinalrothorn, Finsteraarhorn, Gross Gruenhorn, Wetterhorn, Fiescherhorn, Schreckhorn, Gwaechtenhorn, Sustenhorn, Biancha ridge, Aiguille de Chardonnay, Aiguille de Argentiere, Tour Noir, Grande Jorasse.

 

Dear guest, climber and mountaineer, please take a minute to read this recommendation:

This will help you to decide wherever your are capable for a climb and have the right skills required to fit you idea. I would love to go and guide you successfully on your dream mountain but as we know some mountains are very difficult and need a high commitment on physical fitness and more important mountaineering skills. If you are reading this you are already on the right track for success!

Be honest to your self and your ambitions, how many years have you climbed and in what difficulty, what is your current physical conditions? I will help you as the local expert to find the climb you will have fun and enjoy yourself but still have a challenge. The mountains here in Europe are difficult, even though they are easy accessible. The main differences is that you will have to down climb the entire mountain because we have no rappel stations in place so you need to be very confident on your feet with or without crampons after maybe 4-5 hrs. of climbing in your legs.

My recommendation is, send me a email or call me to ensure the best trip possible to your skill level.

See you in the Alps!

Click below for information on equipment and training plan for climbing in the Alps.

Alps Equipment List