My climbing buddy and I are coming to Europe this summer and we are interested in climbing the Matterhorn. I'm looking for suggestions for any guides that could help us for a low price. We just need help dealing with the crowds on the route and some route finding. We are both experienced climbers and want a local guide that knows the mountain and that will provide a quick and safe climb for us. Let me know if any of you have suggestions. Thanks.

Well no response to that question. How about any suggestions for other climbs in the area of Zermatt or Chamonix?

muper wrote:Well no response to that question. How about any suggestions for other climbs in the area of Zermatt or Chamonix?

What level of climbing do you want to do? There are so many options in the area you are asking about!!! Be more specific, please...

You will probably not find a guide at a "low price", at least not a professionally certified guide. All of the guide services that I have looked at for the Matterhorn are expensive and require a one guide to one client ratio. See the Matterhorn page for links to 3 different guide services and details of their requirements. Swiss guides, whether from Zermatt or elsewhere will charge about the same price.

We are looking for any type of climb. Day climbs, mountaineering, rock ect. We are both experienced and just want to do some nice fun climbs. We want to experience the Alps and what it has to offer. In my research I've found that it is overwhelming due to the amount of great looking climbs. Thanks for your feedback.

If you're going to Zermatt, get the Valais guidebooks and flip through. Highlight all of the climbs that have "classic" in the description and take it from there. Guides for the Matterhorn are 1:1 and more than $1000 per person.

Other good routes in the PD-AD range are Zinalrothorn (normal or Rothorngrat), Obergabelhorn (I forget the name of the ridge...Arbengrat maybe?). Also, Festigrat on Dom, Nadelgrat traverse, Rimpfischorn, Weisshorn. Just go there...you'll figure it out.

Chamonix has more variety than Zermatt and there are more options for marginal weather days. Something to consider maybe?

muper wrote:Well no response to that question. How about any suggestions for other climbs in the area of Zermatt or Chamonix?

If you go to Zermatt, IMO the one climb to avoid is the normal route of the Matterhorn. The mountain looks fantastic, but I for one will wait until I am good enough to go via one of the other ridges.

In addition to the suggestions above I would recommend the Monte Rosa massiv. Climbs of all difficulties all the way from Nordend (probably the most isolated of the MR summits) to Breithorn. One climb I have not yet done myself, but which is high on my list, is the Lyskamm traverse, which must be one of the greatest ridge climbs in Europe. This can be done after staying at the Margherita hut, the highest hut in the Alps. The view looking down on Matterhorn as it gets the first rays of sunlight are well worth the headache,,,,,

Enjoy your trip,

Christian

Thanks for the great responses, keep them coming--including any suggestions of other peaks to do in the area.