Below you can find some useful information regarding going to the mountains with me.
Why do I need an IFMGA Mountain Guide?
Hiring an IFMGA Mountain Guide ensures a safer and more enjoyable adventure in the mountains. IFMGA Mountain Guides undergo extensive training over a minimum period of three years and are rigorously assessed to ensure that they bring the highest standards of professionalism, safety and client care to their guests. The qualification allows for guiding in almost any mountains around the world, and is a mandatory legal requirement in such European countries as France, Switzerland, Italy and Slovakia.
IFMGA Mountain Guides focus on your safety and satisfaction, allowing you to fully immerse in the beauty and challenge of the alpine environment.
How much does it cost?
The guiding wage depends on the difficulty and complexity of the objective as well as the number of participants. The approximate prices of typical mountain activities are given below:
- Gerlach normal route: 1 participant – 520 EUR, 2 participants – 620 EUR
- Mnich normal route: 1 participant – 400 EUR, 2-3 participants – 520 EUR
- Climbing in Tatra Mountains: 1 participant – 475 EUR, 2 participants – 575 EUR
- Großglockner Stüdlgrat (2 days): 1-2 participants – 1650-1850 EUR
- Mont Blanc normal route (5 days program with acclimatization) – 1-2 participants – 3600 EUR
- Skitouring in Tatra Mountains: 1 to 6 participants – 400-520 EUR per day
- Haute Route (6 days skitouring traverse Chamonix-Zermatt): 2 to 5 participants – 2700-3600 EUR
- More complex objectives and expeditions are priced individually.
What is included in the price?
Prices provided on this page are only an approximate wage of the mountain guide for the considered activity. Usually, the following additional expenses need to be considered when calculating the total cost of the mountain adventure:
- accomodation and meals in the mountain huts for the guide and participants (usually 60-120 EUR per person per night)
- cable car and ski lift tickets for for the guide and participants
- transportation and parking costs
- mandatory insurance
What equipment do I need?
I am providing basic equipment for the popular objectives like Gerlach normal route or Mnich, i.e. climbing harnesses and helmets for all participants. The bare minimum that you need to have is comfortable clothes and footwear, suited to the activity you choose, i.e. mountaneering boots, apprach or climbing shoes, etc.
For more advanced climbs it may be required to equip yourself with iceaxes, crampons and some more sophisticated gear. I will be happy to advise what to buy or rent once we start to plan the adventure.
Am I able to climb the X objective?
Some of the objectives require certain climbing skills or fitness level. As a mountain guide I may need to assess your abilities to climb a specific objective by either starting with an easier one, or checking your preparation on a climbing wall. This is a typical procedure required to ensure safety during more serious mountain adventures and avoid dissapointment due to unrealized goals.
How does the booking process look like?
Due to limited availability of places in the mountain huts, it is advisable to plan alpine trips well in advance – ideally several months ahead. In practice, we first agree on dates that suit you and fit into my guiding schedule. I then check hut availability and, if possible, make a preliminary reservation.
Once the dates are confirmed, I will ask you to pay a deposit. The deposit is required to secure your booking and constitutes acceptance of the following terms and conditions.