Five peaks in one fell swoop!
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A trip for serious summiteers! There are 82 peaks in the Alps that are higher than 4000 m. The Alpine Five takes you on an adventure where we climb to the top of five different 4000 m mountains in the Swiss Alps. The peaks we will visit during this trip:
Bishorn (4151 m)
Breithorn West Peak (4160 m)
Breithorn Central Peak (4154 m)
Breithorn East Peak (4138 m)
Black Rock (4075 m)
The trip begins in the picturesque Swiss mountain village of Zinal. There we will undergo a thorough acclimatization program - preparing our bodies for the high altitude and reviewing the basics of moving across a glacier. The acclimatization hike culminates with a climb to the summit of Bishorn.
After acclimatization, we head with our camp to Visp - a slightly larger town at a lower altitude. From Visp, you can conveniently take the train to Zermatt and climb the first peak of the Monte Rosa mountain range - the Breithorn massif, where each higher peak is a separate four-thousander peak.
During the mountain program, we stay in comfortable mountain huts with shared bedrooms with bunk beds and in the evening you can feast on a three-course dinner. When off-mountain, we stay in tent camps with all the amenities, where everyone must bring their own tent.
This trip is perfect for your first mountaineering experience. The peaks are high, but not very technical - you don't have to climb them with your hands. We will mostly hike on gravel mountain trails and flat glaciers. However, the trip is also suitable for those who have climbed mountains here and there before, but would like to add some more peaceful peaks to their list.
Overview - short & sweet
Goal: Climb 5 x 4000m peaks in Switzerland
Dates: 16.-24.07.2027
Activity: mountain climbing, mountain hiking
Accommodation: tents in the village below, mountain huts in the mountains
Adventure guides: Kelli Saar, Hendrik Erikson
Technical difficulty level: 3/5
Route difficulty: F…PD (mild glaciers, minimal rock climbing)
Physical difficulty: 3/5 (requires good physical fitness)
Group size: min 6, max 10 (+2 adventure guides)
TOUR PRICE:
Early bird (until 16.01.2027) - €1750
Regular price (17.01.-30.04.2027) — €1890
Last minute offer (from 01.05.2027) —1990 €
NB! Elamus+ community members get a 5–10% discount. Read more and check your discount eligibility. community members page.
👉 SEE EQUIPMENT LIST HERE 👈
Travel cost
Price includes
Trip organization and on-site guidance by an EKR3 certified mountaineering coach
All overnight fees (cabins in the mountains, camping fees at the campsite below)
Matterhorn Glacier Paradise Gondola Tickets
Local transport (Zinal → Visp; Visp → Zermatt → Visp)
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)
Equipment needed for communal meals (stove, gas, and cooking utensils)
Elamus+ mountaineering preparation package worth €350:
access to online mountaineering webinars;
online pre-trip preparatory briefing;
winter mountaineering training day before the trip*;
Summer trial trip/training before the trip*.
*Held once a year in Estonia — participation depends on the time of registration.
Price does not include
Flight tickets (e.g. to Geneva or Zurich; prices with checked baggage from €350)
Transport from the airport to Zinal and at the end of the trip from Visp to the airport
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 other overnight equipment at the campsite
Food containers and personal cooking equipment at the campsite
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 prepayment (20%) must be paid within 3 working days of receiving the confirmation and invoice by e-mail. 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.
NB! We recommend taking out travel disruption insurance immediately after paying the advance invoice so that longer-term health problems are also covered!
Schedule and activities
Day 1 (16.07) - Let the trip begin!
Everyone arrives in Zinal at their own time and in their own way. The easiest way to get there is as follows:
Flights to Geneva
You take the SBB train from Geneva Airport to Sierre.
You travel from Sierre to Zinal by the yellow Post bus.
Destination in Zinal: Tzoucdana campsite on the southern edge of town. This will be our base camp for the first half of the trip (until 20.07). Please be at the campsite no later than 6:00 PM. - we will brief you about the upcoming trip and get to know each other.
Zinal is a tiny village at 1700 m altitude with a few restaurants, one grocery store and two hiking equipment shops. The village is not particularly touristy, but a quiet and pleasant place between the high mountains.
The driver's recommendation: if possible, arrive a day early so that you have time to deal with delayed luggage (this sometimes happens when flying to Geneva) or look for missing equipment. And otherwise, it's also nice to explore around. It's a beautiful area!
Day 2 (17.07) - acclimatization begins
In the morning we start the hike towards our first hut (we will leave the tents at the campsite for now). The path is long, but nothing technical - a nice trail between alpine meadows and rocky outcrops. The end point is the modern Tracuit hut, which will be our home for 2 nights.
A refreshing three-course dinner awaits us in the hut and a sleeping area with bunk beds, which have blankets and pillows, but no bed linen - for this everyone brings their own sleeping bag liner.
You can buy snacks and drinks at the hut and pay for your purchases by card.
meters of ascent: 1580
hike duration: 5 hours
Day 3 (18.07) - acclimatization to the altitude
The main goal for today is to get used to the altitude. Since we have come quite high up quite quickly, we will not do too many active activities - otherwise we will overload ourselves.
The second important goal of the day is glacier training - we will remind you of important knots, rope movement, and the use of crampons.
If the weather is great and the skills learned are clear, we will take a 1-2 hour glacier hike around the hut.
ascent meters: max 400
hike duration: 1-2 hours
Day 4 (19.07) - the first four thousandth
It's time for a summit day! We rise in the darkness of night and set off towards the Bishorn peak (4151 m). To do this, we hike for 3 hours over the glacier and we are at the top! However, the journey should not be underestimated - although the trail is technically easy, the high altitudes can already make themselves felt through headaches or nausea.
From the summit we descend the same way we came to the hut, pick up the things we left behind for our summit assault, and hike back to Zinal. Since the descent is very long, we make running stops along the way to restore our overheated knees.
meters of ascent: 900
descent meters: 2400
hike duration: 8-9 hours
Day 5 (20.07) - rest day
Today we take it easy - in the morning we pack up our camp in Zinal and drive to Visp. It takes us 2 hours by bus and train. Visp is a slightly larger town at an altitude of 600 m, with a few more shops and other nice objects that point to civilization.
The daily schedule is completely free - everyone fills it as they wish. In the evening we discuss the plan for the following days and pack our summit bags to be ready for new peaks the next day.
Day 6 (21.07) - Hello, Zermatt!
Early in the morning we take an hour-long train ride with very scenic views to Zermatt - Switzerland's most popular mountain town. Walking through the town we reach the gondola, which takes us to the Klein Matterhorn gondola station at 3800 m. As soon as we step out of the house we are immediately on the glacier and 2 hours later at the westernmost peak of Breithorn.
From there, it's half an hour of hiking along the snowy ridge to the middle peak of Breithorn - isn't that convenient?! After that, we descend to the Guide della Valle d'Ayas hut. It's a cozy Italian hut at an altitude of 3420 m. We rest, eat and impress, so that we can climb the peaks again the next day!
meters of ascent: 400
descent meters: 800
hike duration: 6-7 hours
Hut altitude: 3420 m
Day 7 (22.07) - last peaks
We wake up early again and head back up the same path we came yesterday towards the heights. The first goal of the day is Roccia Nera (4075 m) - the name refers to the black peak, but the journey there is still snowy.
Having reached the summit, we descend to the familiar plateau and hike back towards the gondola station. As the last peak, we also climb the eastern peak of Breithorn (4138 m). Similar in difficulty to Roccia Nera - snowy slopes, but the final part is a bit steeper.
Upon arriving at the gondola station, we can spend some time in the town of Zermatt if we wish. There are plenty of restaurants, hiking and climbing equipment shops to explore. In the evening, we take the train back to Visp.
meters of ascent: 1000
descent meters: 700
hike duration: 8 hours
DAY 8 (23.07) - Reserve day
This is a backup day in case the weather doesn't allow us to summit on the right day. However, we are still expected to summit within the planned schedule and won't need to use the backup day.
In this case, everyone can spend the day in a way that suits them - relax in the pool, explore Visp, drive back to Zermatt, or, if skills and equipment allow, go rock climbing.
In the evening we celebrate the end of the trip at a local restaurant.
Day 9 (24.07) - back home
We pack up at camp and head home. Or to the next adventures - who knows? Anyway, one thing is clear: we will all go home richer with unforgettable memories and powerful experiences!
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!
I've never been to the mountains before. Is this trip for me?
This trip is for you! No previous mountaineering experience is required. However, it is important that you have previous hiking and/or endurance sports experience. You can definitely do this trip if you have never been to the mountains before, but are an active, sporty person with a healthy lifestyle.
How physically fit do I need to be to reach the peak?
Due to the individual characteristics and sports preferences of people, it is difficult to provide common indicators for assessing good physical fitness. To give some examples, a person in good physical shape can run a half-marathon in under 2,5 hours, a marathon in under 6 hours. Or ride a bike for 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 at a high heart rate for several hours in a row and your leg muscles can push you up a hill several hundred meters. Mental endurance during long, intense activities (self-motivation, dividing the journey into segments, walking in silence with your thoughts) is at least as important.
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. NB! Take out insurance immediately after registering for the trip to ensure that you can get back any expenses incurred (for example, any advance payment) in the event of an unexpected event..
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.
Contact
RESIDENTIAL LOCOMOTIVES:
Phone : 5901 8970
Email: kelli@elamuspluss.ee
E-mail: hendrik@elamuspluss.ee