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My question is about alps guides. Whenever I look at guide services for mountains like Mont Blanc, The Matterhorn, and The Eiger, I find insanely expensive week-long programs that include everything from basic instruction to acclimatization hikes. That's fine, but what about service for people who have experience, don't need basic instruction, and can acclimatize on their own, yet would like a guide who is familiar with the route for just the day(s) of the climb? It seems like this should be out there, yet it's hard to find (at least on the internet). Can anyone in Europe shed any light on this?

A few things.

First, I think that internet advertising can be expensive for indiviual guides (as opposed to guide services). Individual guides are the ones that are more likely to do the trip you are talking about. I think agencies, or larger organizations, tend to want to run an easily insured program. Thus the 'full' package.As for individual guides that would do the trip you're talking about, 1st time client: there ARE TONS. Many Europeans guide here, and many Americans guide there.

They all follow the same guidelines. IFMGA: International Federation of Mountain Guide Associations is one place to look.
http://www.ivbv.info/en/
I think its just hard to run an active internet business and be the sole guide for it too. You have to, at some point, hire an office manager to help with the business aspects of it. Most are struggling to do it themselves, while guiding full time too. Also, I think many guides become busy with ( and trusting of) their 'regular' clients, and don't advertise this type of trip because a guide must also trust their client. Especially a 1-to-1 trip.t

Lastly, a few examples. Again, these are just friends, so I mention them, but there are tons of guides out there doing the trips you're talking about. Good luck looking around!! And have fun over there.These folks believe fully in the concept you're talking about. This 'fit, experienced' client' model.

Todd, Winslow, and Tim have a group called In the Company of Guides == 'in the company of guides' because you decide the level of your first experience. They guide internationally. On all 7 continents, especially Europe and the US. You should check them out.
http://inthecompanyofguides.net/In_The_Company_of_Guides/In_The_Company_of_Guides_Home_Page.html

Brent L. Does totallly customized trips (and also does motorcycle tours!): http://www.brentthemountainguide.com/

And another Guide friend, Jonathan Spitzer, is doin the same thing:

http://www.snowrockandiceadventures.com

As you can see they all have internet pages, but can't pay for 'clicks' or word preference on searches... but are great guides.
good luck.

Flattlander wrote: what about service for people who have experience, don't need basic instruction

This is your own opinion
Any certified guide check his client before a serious climb

Clearly, or they wouldn't be doing their job. But do you have anything insightful to say with regards to my questions? To clarify: I have technical climbing experience, and experience acclimatizing for and climbing to over 4,000 meters. Yet I am enough of a beginner that I may want to hire a guide where I am unfamiliar with the route/terrain, especially if there is a high amount of exposure or problematic route-finding. What if I don't want to pay a guide for a week to help me with a 2-day climb? How do I contact guides that operate on a smaller scale and don't advertise on the internet? Those, essentially, are my questions.

Flattlander wrote: How do I contact guides that operate on a smaller scale and don't advertise on the internet? Those, essentially, are my questions.

another piece to try to look for is the local office of the association. There's one in Chamonix. I don't know where it is, but Tim Connelly would.

Here's Tim's facebook profile:

https://www.facebook.com/#!/profile.php?id=626757294

The only guided trip I've ever done is the Matterhorn. I did it with Perren "Beni" Benedict. He was great. But it's true what you say about them doing "acclimatization hikes." None of the guides through the official guiding agency in Zermatt will take you up the Matterhorn without first seeing you on at least one other climb, with the chance to evaluate your skills. I guess they've probably been burned too many times by people who "have plenty of experience and technical skills." Not to say that you don't, as I too had plenty of experience at the time, but they aren't going to take your word for it.

And if you find a non-local guide who will just run you up the Matterhorn, you aren't going to have the Hornli Hut experience/accomodations, nor probably someone who knows the route as well. All the guides there in the valley have EXTENSIVE time on the route before they can guide on their own.

Basically, if you want a good quality guide, you're going to pay for the Matterhorn, plus at least one other mountain. Or you can do like I did, spend the dough, and get the whole 10-day guided experience. In the birthplace of modern mountaineering, it just seemed right, though I couldn't imagine getting a guide anywhere else.

Xue Sheng wrote:

Flattlander wrote: How do I contact guides that operate on a smaller scale and don't advertise on the internet? Those, essentially, are my questions.

another piece to try to look for is the local office of the association. There's one in Chamonix.

At this adress you can downlowd 2011 price list for Mont Blanc range.
http://www.chamonix-guides.com/Produit/106/3-activites-ete-chamonix.htm
This list concern only "ordinary" routes. For Walker (Grandes Jorasses NF), Dru north face or any other really hard and serious route i.e. you have to negociate with the guide (Fourchette in the PDF).

Thanks for the insights, guys. I truly do appreciate it. At this point, it looks like a friend and I will be taking a shot at the Gouter Route in early September if the weather cooperates.

Flattlander wrote:I will be taking a shot at the Gouter Route in early September if the weather cooperates.

The snow was very poor last winter - less than 1m in Chamonix during WHOLE season, unbeliveble... - that means less snow on the glaciers, bigger crevasses, more rock falls, etc, etc. Especially in Goûter route rockfall will be next summer a real problem, more than ever. It seems that Payot ridge (left of Goûter couloir when you look from Tête Rousse) will be the "standard" route to the hut this summer and in the future.
Take care about the weather and pray every day during the summer for big snow falls in Mont Blanc range!!!

A few years ago I was in the same boat: fairly experienced but looking for a guide for my 1st trip to the Alps. You CAN find the kind of guiding you're looking for on the web but it takes a little poking around.

For example, we found this guide in Zermatt (Richi) that worked with us to formulate a good itinerary given our experience level. All planning was done one on one via email and phone and was very casual. After our first outing he saw how well we did and it opened up a lot more possibilities for us. No week long programs, just short trips with flexibility and some level of independence on the part of the client. For example, on one trip we just met up with his younger guide buddy at the hut the evening before the climb (he gave us instructions on how to get there). On the last climb he took a heli lift after the serious climbing and left us on our own for the long glacier hike out... which was perfect for us as we did not need hand holding and would have liked to be by ourselves anyway.

I'd highly recommend him if in the Zermatt area. He appears to be very well connected to other regions as well though (his wife is from Chamonix and comes from a family of guides) and may be able to refer you to others depending on where you'll be. We found his prices to be very reasonable.

http://www.chalet-waidmannsheil.ch/bergfuehrer.html

Every major climbing center in Europe has a guide's bureau. There are hundreds of guides in the Chamonix bureau. You walk in a day or two (or more, if you like) before the climb you want to do and tell them you want a guide. Every route has a price, from the walk-ups to the harder routes like the Walker Spur. You pay the price of the route, plus the hut fees for you and the guide. If you can't leave the hut due to weather, you don't pay for the route. It's very easy. Don't bother booking anything ahead of time. Get there, do your acclimatizing, watch the weather, and then book the guide. The French guides are awesome...and you may end up with someone really famous.