How spontaneous are you?
Places filled: 7/10
This trip will test your courage and confidence. Are you ready to embark on your summer's most exciting adventure without even knowing where you're going?
Alpine Lottery is a trip where you only learn the names of the peaks on the spot. But maybe that's even cooler? You don't have to worry about where the peak is, what's special about it, or why you should climb it at all. Our guides with extensive experience in the Swiss Alps will bring you special gems that you might not have been able to choose to climb by Googling on your own. Because in fact, there are many more extraordinary peaks in the Alps than Mont Blanc and the Matterhorn. They simply aren't talked about widely enough.
What criteria should be taken into account?
During the trip we will climb two peaks. At least one of them is over 4000 m high (but maybe both are? Who knows...).
The peaks are located in the Swiss Alps and the starting point of the trip is Zurich Airport.
The difficulty levels of the peaks are around PD and PD+. So they are suitable for enthusiasts who have had some experience with mountaineering before, but the peaks are also perfectly suitable for brave beginners in good physical shape.
Keywords: glaciers, rock climbing, steep ridges, mountain huts with three-course dinners, breathtaking views.
Overview - short & sweet
Goal: Climb exciting mountains in the Swiss Alps
Dates: 25.06-03.07.2025
Activity: mountain climbing, mountain hiking
Accommodation: tents, mountain huts
Adventure guides: Kaarel Kuslap, Kelli Kuslap
Technical difficulty level: 3/5
Route difficulty: F to PD+
Physical difficulty: 3/5 (requires good physical fitness)
Group size: min 6, max 10 (including 2 guides)
Trip price — €1859
Please note: For community members discount -5% (1766 €) applies
👉 SEE EQUIPMENT LIST HERE 👈
Travel cost
Price includes
Travel arrangements and on-site guidance
Guidance by experienced mountaineering instructors with EKR3 qualification
All overnight stays (cabins in the mountains, camping fees at the campsite below)
Local transportation (gondola, buses, trains, including transportation from the airport to the campsite)
Breakfast and dinner in mountain huts
Special climbing equipment for the group (ropes, ice augers, carabiners and other glacier equipment)
Stylish Elamus+ designed sports shirt
Group pharmacy (including high-altitude medications)
Elamus+ mountaineering preparation package (valued at €200)
Access to online mountaineering webinars
Winter mountaineering training day
Summer trial hike/training
Price does not include
Flight tickets Tallinn-Zurich-Tallinn (from €350)
Insurance (travel insurance and MANDATORY sports insurance suitable for mountain hiking)
Personal hiking and climbing equipment (can also be rented) from us)
Drinks and snacks (including lunch) on the mountain
Meals off the mountain
Tents and cooking equipment at the campsite (we will fold the tent up)
Unscheduled excursions, transportation, etc. (or if you want to do something extra)
Registration for the trip
Before registering, please read travel conditions. To secure your place on the trip, a deposit (20%) must be paid within 3 business days of receiving the confirmation and invoice by email; if there are less than 30 days left until the trip, the total cost (100%) must be paid. Read more: frequently asked questions ja package tour information sheet.
Schedule and activities
DAY 1: Arrival, lifting the veil of secrecy
We will meet the group at Zurich Airport at 10.00. There will be 3 flights arriving in Zurich at this time:
LOT: starts from Tallinn at 5.45, stops in Warsaw, finishes at 9.40
Finnair: starts from Tallinn at 6.00, stops in Helsinki, finishes at 9.45
Lufthansa: departs from Tallinn at 6.00, stops in Frankfurt, finishes at 9.45
The guides Kelli and Kaarel welcome the group and together we travel by public transport to our destination - a small town where the campsite will be our base camp for the trip. There we announce which peaks we will climb in the coming days.
We set up our tents, stock up on mountain snacks for the next few days, and have dinner.
NB! If you are coming by car, let us know! We can reveal your travel destination in another way without you having to travel to Zurich specifically for it.
DAYS 2-4: First peak
Time to head into the mountains and start acclimatizing. We'll review how to use crampons, pickaxes, and rope. We'll take pictures of the beautiful views and wonder how we didn't know about this place before!
And of course we will also climb to the top. We can expect an 8-12 hour summit day, during which we will climb approximately 800-1400 meters. So a lot of physical effort, but undoubtedly a powerful experience!
We will spend the night in a mountain hut, where there are mattresses, you can enjoy a three-course dinner and warm rooms.
DAY 5: Rest day
We recover from our mountain climbing by exploring the campsite and the surrounding area. In the evening we pack our bags to climb higher again the next day.
DAYS 6-8: Second peak
This peak is already a bit tougher, both in terms of height and the length of the summit day. But it's okay, we're acclimatized. The system is the same: we climb high, we're excited and we sleep in a hut. And then, of course, after the summit assault, we go down to the city to celebrate!
DAY 9: Farewell
And it's over! We say goodbye to our fellow travellers and the guides and fly back to Estonia, where hopefully summer has gone into full swing.
NB! There may be minor changes to the schedule and planned activities - for example, due to weather and conditions or passenger requests.
Don't worry, let's do it!
How can I be sure I haven't been to these peaks before? I don't want to discover when I get there that I've already done it.
If you have climbed in Switzerland before and are afraid that the peaks might overlap, talk to the climbers about it. Maybe we can dispel your doubts. ;)
How physically fit do I need to be to reach the peak?
The peaks participating in the lottery do not directly require previous technical mountaineering experience, but good physical fitness and mental endurance are required, as the days on the summit are long. In addition, a solid balance is required on the steeper sections.
Due to the individual characteristics and sports preferences of people, it is difficult to provide uniform indicators for assessing good physical fitness. To give a few examples, a person in good physical shape can run a half marathon in under 2,5 hours, a marathon in under 6 hours. Or cycle at least 100 km in a row. Or complete the main distance of the Tartu Marathon in February. It is important that your body can work with a high heart rate for several hours in a row and your leg muscles can push you up a hill several hundred meters. At least as important is mental endurance during long, intense activities (motivating yourself, dividing the journey into sections, walking in silence in your thoughts).
But I don't have any hiking gear, who can afford to buy it?
You'll still have to spend a little, but not much. Hiking and climbing equipment can be rented at a very reasonable price and, of course, borrowed from friends. In addition, you can use any kind of existing clothing; for example, a ski jacket is also very good for the mountain. The more resourceful can manage almost without additional expenses. Special equipment can also be rented.
What you definitely shouldn't skimp on are decent waterproof mountain boots with a stiff sole. A stiff sole ensures that the crampons don't come off your boot in the middle of the mountain and that your feet don't get so tired on rocky ground. Read more about it FROM HERE.
Will I survive?
It's an extreme sport/hobby, but you shouldn't be too afraid here. Of course, there are certain dangers in the mountains and you have to take them into account, but accidents happen in everyday life too. The most important thing for the group leader is to ensure the safety of the participants — to do this, we learn and use correct mountaineering techniques and turn around if the weather gets too bad. The point is still to have an enjoyable experience and not let this mountain go away. ;)
Okay, I registered. Now what?
Well, theoretically you could just vanish into thin air and appear on a plane, but then you risk discovering “oops, I have the wrong crampons and what is this middleman node?” on the spot. It can happen, but we highly recommend participating in preparatory events — it’s part of the fun. We organize preparatory hikes and trainings, advise on suitable insurance and equipment, where to rent cheaply, what to train for, etc. We will definitely review the equipment you have collected just before the start of the trip and send reminders about important things.
Read more also frequently asked questions.
Travel documents and footnotes
The participant is responsible for the validity and condition of their travel documents. For this trip you will need:
ID card/passport;
sports insurance suitable for mountain hiking (read more on the FAQ page). A suitable sports insurance policy must be carried and is a prerequisite for participating in the mountain hike;
travel insurance.
Plan your trip early and start training for it. We will organize several trial trips, training sessions and recommend training plans beforehand. It would be a shame if the peak was only behind the physique. Also a good opportunity to get in shape. ;)
Summits are not guaranteed. As you might expect, weather is king in the mountains. So it is entirely possible that weather or dangerous conditions will prevent us from even attempting the summit. Nevertheless, it will definitely be an awesome experience!
Although at the end of the day everyone is still responsible for their own actions and consequences, we do our best to mitigate the risks associated with mountaineering. As a result, the group leader has the right to make ongoing decisions about the competence of the participants, the suitability of their equipment, physical/mental capacity, etc. and, if necessary, for example, to prohibit participation on summit day if it endangers the health of the group or the participant themselves. Hopefully, of course, there will be no need for this.
Read also travel conditions.
