MONTE ROSA SUMMIT

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Monte Rosa
4000m Summits

8 Days 3900 ex Alagna

Accommodation

5 Nights Hotel 
2 Nights Refugio

Transportation

All on foot

Included Meals

7 Breakfasts
0 Lunches
7 Dinners

Trip Grade

Category 3
High Heart Rate Holiday

Group Size

2 – 8 Maximum

Snow-capped mountains had always fascinated me. I had hiked around and between giant mountains before, and often found myself wondering what it would be like on the summit of the mountains I was looking at.

I shared this thought with one of our guides while hiking in Europe and he suggested I should try Monte Rosa. He said it was the perfect place to begin any mountaineering journey.

These were his words. “Monte Rosa is a beautiful mountain. It has incredible views of all the Alps. It has incredible mountain huts and it has the highest hut in all of Europe. It is perfect for someone just starting out. Plus it’s in Italy, so it is perfect!”

National pride aside, his words inspired me to do something I had always wanted to do. 

Guess what? My guide was right. Monte Rosa is perfect!

“Climb mountains not so much for the world to see you, but for you to see the world”

Anonymous

I love these mountains. I have climbed and skied them all my life. The Monte Rosa massif has excellent summits for all skill levels, from beginners to advanced. This trip is perfect for those who want to try mountaineering. You will learn how to use crampons and you will be up very high in the mountains. We also get to see traditional Walser culture as well as get a feel of the mountain culture in the Rifugio. You will love this trip. Ciao!

Sergio – Mountain Guide

The Monte Rosa massif contains 18 peaks of 4000 meters or more. The massif is second only to Mont Blanc. Situated between Switzerland and the Italian Piedmont and Aosta Valleys, Monte Rosa is the perfect 4000m to start your mountaineering life. High enough and technical enough to be a challenge, but simple enough for a beginner to learn about the finer points of mountaineering without risking too much.

Our expedition to Monte Rosa begins and ends in the beautiful Alagna, Italy. This small commune has a heritage of mountaineering dating back to the late 19th century and today has become both a mountaineering mecca and a freeride nirvana. 

Above the small village are amazing summits and glaciers where we will practice our ice axe and crampon techniques. Each group will be supported by an IFMGA Mountain Guide who will teach you how to correctly use crampons and ice axes.

Our highest peak will be Punta Gnifetti 4554 m which is easily accessible from the Italian side of the massif. We will also learn how to safely traverse a glacier and understand how mountaineers work out lines up to the summit of a mountain. If you have ever wanted to learn to climb (in an environment that is simply spectacular), then this trip is for you.

The Journey

Transfer from Malpensa airport to Alagna and accommodation in Hotel Montagna di Luce. Dinner at the hotel. The trip from Malpensa usually takes about 2 hours through the lowlands before heading toward the spectacular Alps. Our hotel is the last accommodation before the mountains and provides a quiet place to relax, eat and sleep between climbs. (D)

This morning we will do a mountain gear check, making sure everyone has the right equipment and if not, we can hire the gear in town. In the late morning, we will walk from the hotel, down through Alagna and then up into the UNESCO World Heritage site of the Otro Valley. This is where we will learn about the Walser people who still inhabit both the Italian and Swiss side of the Alps. The Walser arrived in the Alps in the 1500’s, making their home among the spectacular summits. Their traditions live on in their architecture and their way of life. We will have lunch in the Otro Valley before heading back to Alagna for dinner. (B,D)

Today is our first big climb as we climb Punta Giordani. Early morning we will take the cable car from Alagna to Punta Indren 3275 m. From there we will be shown the basics of crampons, how to fit them and use them and how to read the glacier and lines up mountains. The ascent is quite steep and usually takes between 3 and 4 hours to reach the summit of Punta Giordani at 4046 m, one of the easiest 4000 peaks of the Alps. But don’t be fooled, while considered easy, under certain circumstances the conditions can be made difficult. From the summit, we will have spectacular views over the glaciers that spill down the mountain and other high peaks of the Alps. It is about a 2.5 to 3-hour descent back to the cable car which will take us to Alagna. (B,D)

There is no rush today. You may feel a little tired from your climb the day before so we will take things slowly. At around midday we will head up the valley into the National Park and stroll to Rifugio Pastore, an hours walk from the road head. Here we can sample Rifugio food and have a great view of the Monte Rosa massif, with all its’ glaciers spilling down and the summits that we are going to attempt in the coming days. This is essentially a rest day, readying ourselves for the following days of climbing. After lunch, we will head back to Alagna where you may like to relax at the hotel or head into town for some last-minute shopping or even grab a delicious gelati. (B,D)

Our day will start late today as we do not need to take the cable car until 2 or 3 in the afternoon. After lunch, we will take the cable to Punta Indren 3275 m, the same place we started our climb up to Punta Giordani. However, instead of heading up the summit, we will head West around the glacier and up to Rifugio Gnifetti 3647 m. This trek only takes just over an hour and requires limited use of crampons. The last section of the walk is a 20 to 300-meter cliff where we will need to climb metal rungs to reach our Rifugio. Rifugio Gnifetti is situated just above the main glacier on the Italian side of Monte Rosa and provides not only our accommodation and meals for the night, but affords us some of the best views of the mountains and the glacier. Rifugio life is a little hectic and cramped with climbers from all over the world housed in a relatively small building. However, the atmosphere is electric with anticipation. Dinner at the hut. (B,D)

Today is the big day where we will climb the second highest peak in the Monte Rosa massif AND stay at the highest Rifugio in the Alps, Rifugio Margherita at 4555 m. The first objective is to climb to Col Felice at just over 4200 meters. From here we can see the sun rising on the Gran Paradiso, Mont Blanc and the Matterhorn. After a short break, we head onto the Swiss side of the massif into a large gully before heading back up toward our final destination, Punta Gniffeti. The trail provides for spectacular views over all the Alps. The last section up to the Rifugio is particularly steep but the views are incredible. We will stay the night at the Rifugio with amazing views of the flat plains home to Milan and Torino. Lunch and Dinner here. (B,D)

We will descend to Alagna today, but not until we have climbed a couple more 4000-meter peaks on the way down including Vincent and possibly Ludwig. This can be a difficult day as our night’s sleep may not have been particularly good. However, we will have lunch at Rifugio Mantova before taking the cable car down to Alagna for our dinner at our hotel and a celebration of the week we just had. (B,D)

After breakfast, we will bid farewell to our hosts for the week and transfer to Malpensa airport. (B)

Single Supplement

Single Supplement is available for the Alagna portion only as Rifugios do not have single rooms. The cost for a Single Supplement is $775.

Journey Extensions

Check out our Journey Extensions for those that want to stay a little longer or try something different along the way.

Includes

  • Led by qualified IFMGA Mountain Guides (1 Guide for every 5 climbers)
  • All accommodation in towns and on the mountain
  • Transfers Malpensa to Alagna return
  • All meals as outlined in Itinerary
  • Climbing permits
  • Cable cars from Alagna to Punta Indren
  • All activities as per itinerary

Excludes

  • International airfares
  • Travel Insurance
  • Lunches and drinks
  • Climbing equipment rental

Your Guides and Safety

Our lead guides are fully trained, registered, and licenced IFMGA members who work for us regularly. All mountain lovers, they have skied, climbed, and hiked many of the routes around the area and spend their days off exploring the region. 

The Monte Rosa massif has more 4000 meter peaks than the Mont Blanc massif. This is a climbers paradise.

The Best Time To Climb

The best time to visit and climb this area is from mid June to the end of July and the start of September. The reason for this is that these times are the shoulder periods before the busy main season which starts at the end of July and throughout August when the mountain can get busy.

Accommodation

Our base is the beautiful Hotel Montagna di Luce. On other nights we will be using mountain huts including ‘Capanna Margherita’, the highest hut in the Alps. These are basic places with dorm accommodation. They are full of energy and atmosphere and are a great place to meet other climbers.

We get asked a lot of questions about our Monte Rosa 4000 meter Climbing trip. The following are certainly the most common, however if you have another question please let us know or the answer may be found in our Trip Notes section.

How hard is the Monte Rosa climb?

The actual climb to the summit of Punta Gnifetti is not particularly difficult. There are a couple of things that can make it more difficult. The first of course is the weather. Your guide will make sure it is safe to climb, however even if the weather is favorable, it could still be very cold, it may snow, and on the lower slopes, the ice may get slushy due to the days’ heat.

Another consideration is your footwear. If you do not have mountaineering boots you can hire these in Alagna. However because you haven’t had a chance to walk them in, they may feel a little uncomfortable which makes climbing that much more difficult. 

Finally, overnighting in high altitude Refugio with lots of people is not a recipe for a good night’s sleep, so you will be not only tired from climbing but also from a couple of nights of restless sleep.

Can I hire equipment?

Yes you can. 

If you need boots, crampons, harnesses, helmet or walking poles, these can all be rented in Alagna. You will need to rent the gear for 4 days.

The cost for these are as follows:
Boots: 15 euros per day
Crampons: 10 euros per day
Helmet: 10 euros per day
Harness: 10 euros per day
Walking Sticks: 10 euros per day
Ice Axe: 10 euros per day

Combination Harness, Ice Axe, and Crampons: 20 euros per day.

These will be organised and paid for in Alagna, however, we will need to know in advance what you need so we can reserve them for you.

Do I need previous experience in climbing?

You do not need any experience in climbing. This is an introductory trip for the sport, so all you need is some fitness and a willingness to learn. 

I love these mountains. I have climbed and skied them all my life. The Monte Rosa massif has excellent summits for all skill levels, from beginners to advanced. This trip is perfect for those who want to try mountaineering. You will learn how to use crampons and you will be up very high in the mountains. We also get to see traditional Walser culture as well as get a feel of the mountain culture in the Rifugio. You will love this trip. Ciao!

Sergio – Mountain Guide

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