Picos Peaks

About our trips

About our trips

Skills and prerequisites

Our trips cater to almost all experience and skill levels. From beginners courses to climbing long alpine multipitch routes. From cruising on gentle powder slopes to steep skiing 50 dg couloirs. From alpine wellness holidays to type two fun adventures.
In your own interest, please carefully consider if you meet the necessary prerequisites of the chosen trip.

To give you a rough idea of the overall difficulties we have classified our trips using the 3 peak symbols.

Difficulties

Easy. Suitable for beginners.

"For your first steps."

Difficulties

Intermediate. Some experience required.

"You shouldn't be doing this for the very first time."

Difficulties

Difficult. High demands on your personal skills.

"You already have an above-average level."

We take a big effort in putting together groups of similar standards and aspirations.
Regardless of the type and difficulty of a trip it is a crucial factor for the experience and safety of everyone to ensure that all participants are up to the requirements. We therefore list the technical and physical prerequisites as detailed as possible in the individual trip description. We are happy to take the time to answer questions and thoroughly discuss your previous experience and aspirations via mail or directly on the phone. If in doubt, please don't hesitate to contact us and we'll advise you honestly and help you choose an appropriate outing.

About our trips

Group sizes

We believe in the benefits of small group sizes! What does that mean for you?

Safety first: We restrict technically demanding routes to a guiding ratio of 1:1. Some rope techniques have a small safety margin. To apply them in a party of two or three can multiply the risk! Small groups are faster and more flexible, which is a big factor in avalanche prone terrain. Furthermore, we adhere to local standards and adjust to changing conditions.
Mentoring: On our courses we can take into account a broader range of individual needs. We can deal with specific questions that extend the standard teaching content. The learning will be deeper due to a higher exercise intensity. And finally we can better adjust to your personal speed and level on guided climbs.
Fun: The second most important factor! When off piste skiing you don't have to wait for ages. In small groups, there's less faff and more smooth going!

Each trip has a minimum and maximum group size provided. We need a minimum number of participants to give you fixed prices and guarantee you that a trip can take place.

What if the minimum group size is not reached?

In this case we unfortunately cannot confirm the trip at that point. But we keep you updated and inform you well in advance so that you can plan. We will often try to recruit some of our regular clients or merge different groups and dates. We might as well offer you to run the trip at a lower guiding ratio in a modified form. If we have to cancel the trip despite all efforts, we will of course refund you all payment.

About our trips

Accomodation

We spend the night in bivy bags under the stars or in 4-star-hotels. You can find a short description of the accommodation standard on the trip page so that you know what to expect.
Whether accommodation costs are included in the trip price, can be found in the "inclusions" section of the trip. If it's not, you will be required to pay your hotel or hut on-site. Please read more about additional costs!
All necessary accommodation will be booked by us. If you have special needs e.g. a single room, or you'd like to arrive a day earlier or stay longer please get in touch. We'll organize it for you.
For more information on mountain huts we'd like to refer you to our FAQ.

About our trips

Guide Fees

Prices of our regular programs and the necessary minimum group size are stated in the description of a trip. Different fees will apply if you book a trip or course individually through our guideservice.
For bespoke trips with only one or two participants we take a daily fee of around 550 € as a basis. This rate contains the guiding and all the guide's expenses so that there will be no bad surprise. In our calculations, we also allow for the fact that in 1:1 guiding, the costs are not very well shared between group members...
Note that we are always happy to stay on campgrounds or hostels in the valley, to help you save money.

Exceptions are costly trips like freeriding and offpiste skiing with extensive use of lifts and sometimes expensive lodging. Further exceptions may be renowned summits like Matterhorn, Weisshorn, Mont Blanc, Aiguille Verte, Grandes Jorasses, Eiger and Co. On these, we respect the guiding fees of the local mountain guide associations.

About our trips

We are happy to make a quote for your individual trip breaking down your expenses as accurate as possible.

Additional costs

The "included" section lists the included services of a trip. The "excluded / extra costs " section gives you an overview of the additional costs to be expected. Please understand that, although we try to be as accurate as possible, this can only be a hint as prices for lift tickets, transportation etc. can vary.

About our trips

You find more information on e.g. paying hut fees in the FAQ

Why is the accommodation not included?
We prefer maximum transparency. You only pay for the guiding, and we do not generate extra revenue by selling accommodation more expensive than we buy it.
In addition, taking into account varying exchange rates of the Swiss franc and the possibility to use different huts/hotels due to changes of itinerary would simply make the trip more expensive.

Flexible and individual dates

Provided that we are not already out guiding and have the capacity, we offer extra dates for all our trips on individual request.

You have a special date in mind? Make an inquiry — we are happy to arrange an individual trip for you and your team, exactly at the date that suits you. You don't have enough teammates? We try to find some.
We also offer pre-set alternate dates for challenging routes that largely depend on conditions and weather, allowing for a second try. Please read the Guideservice section for more information.