700CHF Base Rate

Rates will vary depending on the objective, the activity, the guide-to-client ratio, where the trip is taking place and how many days are booked. Typically, the daily rate covers the “guiding fee” only and does not include expenses such as hut fees or lift passes. Keep in mind that most technical guiding will be done at a 1:1 or 2:1 ratio; ski guiding or glacial treks can be done at up to a 6:1 ratio. Please contact us to receive a more accurate quote for your trip .

GIVE THE GIFT OF THE MOUNTAINS!

A gift certificate is the ideal present as you are offering an experience that will never be forgotten. A day in the mountains is something that stays with someone well beyond any object you can get. And we strongly believe that life is shaped by the experiences you get to have!

You can see on our website all the adventures that we offer as well as the trainings we do.

Feel free to contact us and together, we can create your perfect gift!

_{Gift vouchers are valid 2 years from the date of purchase. They can be sent by email or in the mail at your preference.}

To book your trip, a 40% deposit at the time of booking is required. The full amount is due 60 days before the start of the trip. If you wish to book a trip within 60 days prior to the start, full payment is due at that time. To make a payment click here.

In the event that the trip requires booking hotels and transportation, full payment is due as soon as the trip is confirmed.

If you cancel a trip up to 60 days before the start of the trip, we will refund the full amount minus a $100 cancellation fee. If you cancel a trip between 60 and 30 days prior to your trip you will receive a 50% refund. No refunds will be given for cancellations made less than 30 days prior to your trip. In the event that we should cancel a trip, you will receive a full refund. We can not however be held responsible in any way for other related expenses you may incur (airline tickets, hotel reservations, shuttles and any other arrangements).

It is necessary to purchase a mountain rescue insurance policy through a national Alpine club organization (i.e, American Alpine Club, Austrian Alpine Club, British Mountaineering Council) or a local insurer. Furthermore, we strongly encourage you to purchase a travel insurance policy that will cover travel related costs in the event unforeseen circumstances prevent you from taking the trip.

This is the preferred method for European clients. If you would like to do a direct bank transfer please contact us for our account details. We accept a transfer to either our French bank account or our US account.

Caroline Swiss IBAN: CH64 0076 5001 0365 5300 7

When coming to the Alps: Chamonix, Zermatt, Grindelwald , the best airport to fly into is Geneva.  GVA is about one hour from Chamonix and easy to transfer using a shared shuttle service.  Some useful links here are:  www.mountaindropoffs.com, www.alpybus.com, www.chamexpress.com  There are several others you can find using a simple google search.  Expect to pay around €30 for a one-way ticket from the airport to Chamonix.

For destination in Switzerland, the Swiss rail system is the way to go.  For travel to Verbier, the rail system works or Alpybus will do transfers.  If you pl

an to use the railway system it makes sense to purchase a ½ fare card at the train station or prior to your trip departure.  This will give you a -50% reduction on your train fare, Swiss Post Buses and many lifts in the country.

It is also possible to fly into Zurich, which is convenient if you are just doing a trip around Zermatt or Grindelwald.  Again, the train will be the best way to transfer from the airport and will take about 3hrs. Schedules can be found on the website:  sbb

.ch  Milan is also an option (especially if doing a ski trip in Italy or Dolomites), but travel to Chamonix via Milan is time consuming and tricky.  Traveling to Switzerland from Milan is slightly easier, and will take about 3.5 hrs to Zermatt for example from the center station in Milan

There are many options for accommodation in Chamonix, Zermatt, Gridelwald or wherever your trip takes you. A search engine will help in tracking down the best deals during your visit. For small groups or even individuals, airbnb.com can be a good solution. For many of our programs we handle accommodation, but contact us if you have specific questions regarding places to stay.

France and Italy both use the Euro while Switzerland uses the Franc Suisse. Changing currency at the airport is a good idea, but there are many places to exchange cash in Chamonix. If your trip will take you into multiple countries (i.e. the Haute Route), it is a good idea to have some cash in both Euros and Francs. Credit cards are widely accepted, but not every Hut will take a card and often small restaurants or lifts will only take cash. ATMs are easy to find and probably the most convenient way to get local currency.

Depending on what type of trip you have signed up for, you will likely be spending a night, or several, at one of the many Alpine huts. These huts can vary widely, but most offer basic accommodation reasonable meals and beat camping! Huts will provide blankets, slippers and require that you use some type of sleep sac to keep the linens clean. Breakfast and Dinner will be provided at the hut and it is possible to purchase packed lunches, snack food and a wide array of drinks (including alcohol). Many high mountain huts will NOT have running water or provide drinking water, so make sure to budget for this (bottled water averages at 8€ for 1.5liters). Huts will cater to special dietary needs (vegetarian, gluten free within reason), but make sure to tell them or us upon arriving at a hut. Lastly, on popular itineraries hut reservations can be difficult to obtain and impossible to change, especially with larger groups, so keep that in mind during your trip. Hut prices vary a bit from country to country, but expect to pay around $100 night plus any extra food and drinks.

The lift infrastructure in the Alps is quite simply mind blowing! In fact, riding some of the teleferiques and mountain trains is as much a part of the experience as the climbing itself! The lift systems save time and energy allowing us to climb more and approach less. Prices of these lifts can be steep, so depending on what type of trip you are on it may make sense to purchase a Swiss ½ fare card, or a “multi-pass” in Chamonix.

The Alps has unquestionably the best mountain rescue resources in the world. Most rescues are done by helicopter, which can access some incredibly technical terrain very efficiently. While we are lucky to have such a safety net on our trips, rescue costs are high. Therefore, we require everyone to have some type of mountain rescue insurance. There are many different policies out there, but we have found a membership with an Alpine club is one of the easiest ways to go. A membership will provide both mountain rescue insurance and discounts at huts. The American Alpine Club and Austrian Alpine Club (UK section http://www.aacuk.org.uk/) are both popular and easy to join. Rescue coverage varies amongst these clubs, so make sure to contact them and be sure they cover European Rescue and find our there policy and rescue protocol specifics. Another option is to get a policy through Global Rescue.

Trip insurance is also strongly encouraged and often different from mountain rescue insurance. This will help cover costs if you have to cancel last minute, loose baggage, make changes to flights, etc. Make sure you have read our cancelation policy before sending a deposit https://intothemountains.com/about-us/rates-payment/

Depending on what type of trip you signed up for, all-inclusive or otherwise, you may be responsible for covering “Guide’s expenses,” and certain travel expenses. This may include: lodging, lift tickets, hut fees, gasoline and tolls. Just make sure you are clear on what expenses you will be responsible for on your trip and we would be happy to provide a breakdown for you depending on your itinerary.

If you are travelling in Switzerland and don’t wish to purchase the gear you need for your adventure, it is now possible to get all the clothing and equipment you need rented and shipped directly to your address in Switzerland through Cirkel Supply. This will make your travel lighter and more efficient!f

• Backpack 30-40L
• Harness with gear loops
• Two locking Carabiners
• Mountaineering Ice Axe 50-60cm
• Two Technical ice axes for ice courses or more technical climbs
• Steel crampons with anti-bot plates
• Helmet
• Mountaineering boots that work with your crampons! (They should climb well and be broken in prior to the trip!)
• Summertime boots for the Alps should be similar to: Scarpa Triolet, Jorassess or Mont Blanc

Base

• Two pairs of socks
• Synthetic underwear
• Lightweight long underwear (tights work well in the summer)
• Lightweight synthetic top
• Synthetic T-shirt

Mid Layer

• Medium weight synthetic top
• Soft-shell style jacket and pants (Should be windproof or wind resistant)

Outer Layer

• Insulating jacket – light down or synthetic to fit over everything
• Storm protection, Gore-Tex or equivalent Jacket and Pants
• Three pairs of gloves: liners, mid-weight, warm pair– wind stopper fleece style works well and a shell that can be worn over everything is good system
• Winter Hat and neck gaiter (a Buff works great for a neck gaiter)

• Small personal first aid kit – blister stuff, band-aids, ibuprophen…etc.
• Camera
• Headlamp with extra batteries
• Trekking poles Goggles (depends on the objective)
• Sunglasses – good lens and side protection
• Sun screen 30+ and lip balm
• Sun hat Hut Stay Specific
• Lightweight sleeping bag liner
• Ear plugs
• Hand Sanitizer
• Toothbrush and toothpaste

Avalanche Safety

• Beacon – with extra batteries
• Shovel
• Probe

Touring Gear

• Backpack 30-40L – must be able to carry skis
• Skis and touring bindings
• Ski touring boots – should have a “walk” mode and be well broken in
• Ski Poles
• Climbing skins
• Ski crampons

Mountaineering Gear

• Harness with gear loops
• Two locking Carabiners
• Mountaineering Ice Axe 50cm or less
• Boot crampons with anti-bot plates

Base

• Two pairs of socks
• Synthetic underwear
• Lightweight long underwear (tights work well in the summer)
• Lightweight synthetic top
• Synthetic T-shirt

Mid Layer

• Medium weight synthetic top or insulating vest

Outer Layer

• Soft-shell style jacket and pants (Should be windproof or wind resistant)
• Insulating jacket – light down or synthetic to fit over everything
• Storm protection, Gore-Tex or equivalent Jacket and Pants
• Three pairs of gloves: liners, mid-weight, warm pair– wind stopper fleece style works well and a
• shell that can be worn over everything is good system
• Winter Hat and neck gaiter (a Buff works great for a neck gaiter)

• Goggles
• Sunglasses, sun screen, lip balm
• Sun hat or visor
• Small personal first aid kit – blister stuff, band-aids, ibuprophen…etc.
• Headlamp with extra batteries
• Camera

Hut Stay Specific

• Lightweight sleeping bag liner
• Ear plugs
• Hand Sanitizer
• Tooth brush and toothpaste