Climbing Tour in the Monte Rosa Massif

As you certainly know, due to its technical difficulty, the mountaineering tour of Monte Rosa requires excellent physical preparation and a good resistance to intense physical efforts and many hours of hiking at high altitudes. A solid previous experience on the glaciers of the Alps is certainly essential because it brings good confidence in the use of crampons and progression on the glacier, with minimal rock climbing ability.

The Alps environment (with low temperatures, frequent strong wind, and glacier exposition for more than 6-7 hours) requires to be necessarily very well fit and it is essential to be equipped with glacier technical gear and mountaineering clothes suitable to guarantee comfort even when staying on the glacier for more than 8/9 consecutive hours.

When choosing to do a high-altitude program, the training starts from there. The first thing to do is an honest self-assessment of one's own level, taking as a reference the technical difficulties of mountaineering, the physical levels, and seeing if you are within the required parameters. To facilitate this, the best approach is to do some long hikes in the mountains or in a natural environment to check your physical condition.

After you have defined your situation, you can define a training plan for the months leading up to the ascent. The best preparation for mountain sports always involves a good amount of cardiovascular exercise (running, biking, mountain biking, etc.), along with long walks in the mountains even on challenging trails. Working out only at home or at the gym is not enough compared to an outdoor training routine. If it becomes really difficult for you to go regularly in the mountains, the advice is still to try to walk uphill with a positive elevation gain of at least 1,000 meters. Also, training at altitude (at least above 3,000m) becomes essential, especially if overnight stays in refuges, huts, or tents are also planned.

The loan of the personal technical equipment (mountaineering harness, straight-hand ice axe, and crampons) is included in the tariff: the Guide provides it on the day of departure, after the starting briefing.

In addition, the guide will bring the common safety gear, such as rope, ice screws, daisy chains, and carabiners.

All you need to check and bring is your personal mountaineering clothing, including technical mountaineering boots, waterproof, and rigid soles (please avoid bringing new ones you have never used before the ascent!). After your booking confirmation, we will send a complete and detailed list of recommended equipment and clothing and if you need anything for rent, we will recommend some shops where you can hire the necessary gear. Boots renting is around 20-22€/day, and trekking poles are 15€ per person.

Absolutely no porters are expected for this ascent. Each participant should bring a personal backpack and technical equipment, including a thermos for tea/water, energy bars/dried fruit, and energy food for the trip.

We will personally take care of the hut reservations. The overnight stay at the Capanna Gnifetti hut (or Città di Mantova hut) and Capanna Regina Margherita hut, with half-board formula, includes breakfast and dinner, but not the beverages/drinks or the extra meals for the clients and for the guide.

Any other extra meals and all the beverages (water, beer, sparkling beverages, etc.) are NOT included and have to be covered by the customers directly on the spot for them and for the guide too.

A few days before the trip, the guide will inform all participants about the weather forecasts and general conditions expected for the itinerary (temperatures, wind, snow conditions, etc.).

In case of bad weather, we will do our best to offer you an alternative program or move the date a few days later, depending on customer availability.

Yes, there are several special requirements that you need to consider for this trip. Here are some of them; please read them carefully before confirming the booking:

• It is strongly recommended to have rescue and research insurance; if you need one, after your confirmation, we can recommend some solutions suitable for you.

• There are no specific vaccine requirements for this trip, but it is always a good idea to check with your doctor or a travel clinic to make sure you are up to date on routine vaccinations. Also, there is no longer a need to provide proof of vaccination, recovery from COVID-19, or negative test results.

• We finally invite all non-EU citizens to inform themselves about specific permits to enter Italy.

The maximum ratio for this tour is 1:2 (1 Mountain Guide for 2 clients, as maximum). If you are a group of more than 3 people, we have more Guides available to undertake the adventure.

The Monte Rosa mountaineering tour can be scheduled during the summer season, from the beginning of July to the end of August.

In general, we advise all customers to always keep a minimum of flexibility on dates, in order to have a better chance of finding availability in the huts.

The meeting point is in Gressoney Staffal, at the lifts ticket desk, reachable by car from the Pont-Saint-Martin exit (Milan-Turin highway) in about 50 minutes, or by public bus service (Arriva company).

The meeting with the guide on the first day will be in the early afternoon, around 2:00 pm (please remember to check the bus timetable in case you need to reach the meeting point by public transport).

The time back to the Staffal on the third day will be around 12.00 am.

The hiring of the trek poles and the renting of the boots are NOT included. If needed, the renting of the boots has to be done by the customers before the trip to one of the shops in Gressoney. We will send you more details in case of need.

The costs for beverages and extra meals for the clients and the guide are NOT included and have to be covered on the spots, sharing the guide’s fee between all the participants.

The transfer to the meeting point is NOT included.