Two giants with one strike!
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A real gem for the experienced mountaineer! This trip is for those who already have a few higher mountains or technical routes on their CV and would like to do something especially awesome and technical in the new year.
The Mischabel mountain range seen from a side valley. The highest of them is Dom.
Dom (4545 m) is the 7th highest peak in the Alps, rising proudly between Saas-Fee and Zermatt. The Dom itself is a rocky peak, but the journey to it is mostly along a glacier. Although the normal route is rated as “not very technical” (PD), the climb to the top is actually long in terms of distance and elevation gain. So it is a physically intensive effort.
From left: Nordend (back), Dufour (rocky dome), Zumsteinspitze.
Dufourspitze (also known as Monte Rosa) is the second highest mountain in the European Union with its 4634 m peak (if you count Mont Blanc and its Italian counterpart, located 50 m away, as one mountain). There is no higher mountain in Switzerland — this fact makes Dufourspitze a rather sought-after destination for those who enjoy the challenge of standing on the roofs of as many countries as possible. However, Dufourspitze is not as popular as Mont Blanc, which is 170 m higher; so if you don't want to queue up in the mountains, this trip is for you!
The difficulty level of Dufourspitze is PD+, which means that it is a technically easy route, but there are some slightly more technical parts. In the case of Dufourspitze, this manifests itself as a steep rocky summit ridge, where you have to turn with a firm step and use your hands in a couple of places. Unfortunately for the climber, altitude and fatigue also come into play, as you have been on the route for quite a few hours by this time.
PD - The summit climb is long in both distance and elevation gain, the snow slopes do not exceed 45 degrees. The glaciers are more complex, the climbing and ascent may require some belaying, and the descent may require a support rope. -Wikipedia
Between the mountains, we are located in the lovely town of Zermatt, which is a popular ski resort and hiking Mecca in Switzerland. The town also offers a breathtaking view of the famous Matterhorn (the Toblerone mountain). What makes Zermatt special is that cars cannot enter the town, so our activities are not disturbed by car noise or exhaust fumes, and the town is only for alpinists and hikers like us. In addition, of course, Zermatt is full of tourists who travel from different parts of the world to see the mountains (read: Matterhorn) from the foothills. However, you have the opportunity to look down on the Matterhorn from above, because Dufour is 200 m higher than the Matterhorn.
Since both mountains are very high, in order for our bodies to get used to the thin air after coming from sea level, we will also plan a two-day acclimatization hike to an altitude of up to 3300 m. During this time, we will also review rope climbing and self-braking techniques with a pickaxe.
NB! As this is a quite challenging adventure both mentally and physically, the following conditions must be met to participate in this trip:
good physical shape*
previous experience at an altitude of at least 4000 m (without severe mountain sickness)
previous experience of moving on glaciers and rock routes
previous skill in moving on a rope with cats and a pickaxe
* Due to the individual characteristics and sports preferences of people, it is difficult to provide uniform 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 continuously for 130-150 km. Or complete the main distance of the Tartu Marathon in February. It is important that your body can work with a high pulse for several hours in a row and your leg muscles can push you up a hill several hundred meters.
Overview - short & sweet
Goal: to climb to the summit of two Swiss giants, Dom and Dufourspitze
Dates: 16.-26.08.2025
Activity: mountain climbing, mountain hiking
Adventure guide: Kaarel Kuslap, assistant guide Kelli Kuslap
Technical difficulty level: 3/5 (previous experience required)
Physical difficulty: 3/5 (requires good physical fitness)
Group size: 10 (including 2 locomotives)
Early bird (until 30.01.2025) — €1890
Late Registration (from 01.02.2025) — €2079
Please note: For community members discount of -5% applies (1799 € / 1975 €)
👉 SEE EQUIPMENT LIST HERE 👈
Travel cost
Price includes
Travel arrangements and on-site guidance
Two Dufouspitze with experience Elamus+ adventure locomotive (with EKR3 mountaineering trainer certificate)
All overnight stays during the trip (mountain huts, camping fees)
Breakfast and dinner in mountain huts
Local public transportation (gondola, buses, trains)
Special climbing equipment for the group (ropes, ice augers, 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-Geneva-Tallinn (~350 €)
Train tickets from Geneva to Zermatt and back (~100 €)
Insurance (travel insurance and MANDATORY sports insurance suitable for mountain hiking)
Personal hiking and climbing equipment (can also be rented if needed) Elamus Pluss)
Personal hygiene products and medications
Drinks and snacks (i.e. 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 in Switzerland
Hiking enthusiasts will take a morning flight to Geneva Airport, from where the magnificent Swiss trains will take you to Randa - one of the last towns accessible by car before car-free Zermatt. NB! Prepare for jaw pain from holding your mouth open, because the views are simply AMAZING.
When you arrive at the beach, the adventure locomotives Kaarel and Kelli will be waiting for you. In the evening at 19.00:XNUMX PM, there will be a joint dinner with a briefing about the acclimatization hike that will begin.
Day 2 - We begin acclimatization
After packing up camp, the first serious effort begins — we begin acclimatization. We hike up the slope to the Europa hut. The journey there takes us over a steep suspension bridge, which will definitely make the legs of a hiker with weaker nerves tremble. At the hut, we enjoy the slightly thinner air, socialize, and in the evening we are treated to a classic three-course dinner.
Ascent meters: 900
Distance: 5 km
Duration of the hike: 3-5 hours
Overnight altitude: 2220 m
Day 3 - We rise even higher
We move a little closer to the summit and settle in at Dom's hut. The day is short so that we don't overexert ourselves before the big climb to the summit. If the weather is nice, we can of course wander around the hut a bit and get a glimpse of the next day's journey.
Ascent meters: 700
Distance: 2 km
Duration of the hike: 3-4 hours
Overnight altitude: 2937 m
Day 4 - First summit
With a mountaineering start and a not-so-refreshing hut breakfast, we begin the journey to the top of Dom. It will be a long one, going over rocks and glaciers. Since the journey down is extremely long, we will stop at the hut again for one night on the way down from the top.
Ascent meters: 1600
Distance: 10 km
Duration of the hike: approx. 12-15 hours
Overnight altitude: 2937 m
Day 5 - Back in the middle of greenery
After a restful night's sleep, we hike back down to Randa, pack our things, and head to Zermatt.
Zermatt is a Swiss mountaineering mecca located at an altitude of 1400 m, which attracts not only mountaineers but also many ordinary tourists. In fact, they are attracted by the magnificent Matterhorn, which towers over the city and whose image you have probably seen on a box of Toblerone. We set up our camp in Zermatt's only camping site, where we leave our tents until the end of the trip.
Day 6 - Rest day
We give our bodies a break and explore Zermatt. There are many options: visit local spas, shop in dozens of sports and hiking stores, visit the Matterhorn Museum, or simply camp and soak up the sun.
In the evening we will have a briefing about the upcoming summit climb.
Day 7 - Back to the thin air
We pack our bags and take the train to the Rotenboden train station at 2815 m. From there we hike for a few hours along hiking and glacier trails until we reach a UFO-like silver egg… this is the Monte Rosa hut, which will be our place to stay for the next two nights. After a three-course dinner, we fall asleep quite early in our comfortable bunk beds.
Ascent meters: 800
Distance: 14 km
Duration of the hike: 4-5 hours
Overnight altitude: 2815 m
Day 8 - Swiss Rooftop
In the early hours of the day, we throw on our summit packs and set off, accompanied by headlamps. Once again, it is a long and difficult summit journey, the twists and turns of which only become apparent at the end. The hike to the summit is not that technically difficult, but the journey there and back is quite long — usually about 12 hours. The trail runs mostly along the glacier, only the last 300 m require the climber to have stronger nerves and firmer feet, because the path leading to the summit runs along a rocky ridge. At times, in addition to your legs, you also have to use your hands to help. But the wonderful views and the immense sense of pride in such a great achievement are well worth all the effort! After hugs and a photo session for successfully reaching the summit, we descend back to the hut.
Ascent meters: 1800
Distance: 12 km
Duration of the hike: 13-16 hours
Overnight altitude: 2815 m
Day 9 - goodbye, peaks!
In the morning we head back to the train station the way we came from the hut and from there down to the Zermatt campsite. The rest of the schedule is free and will be filled with plans depending on the wishes of our traveling companions, their motivation level, and the weather.
Day 10 - Backup Day
A backup day in case the peak day needs to be postponed due to bad weather. If not needed, it can be used for sightseeing, day hiking, or, for example, via ferrata.
Day 11 - Going home
We pack up at the camp and say goodbye to the guides, who continue their adventures in the Alps. The rest of the party will find their way home either with the help of trains and planes travelling along the already familiar route, or they will embark on another adventure. In any case, one thing is clear - everyone will 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!
My altitude record is Munamägi. Can I still do it?!
Not really. These are technical peaks: the journey is long and you need to use both your legs and your hands. Take this challenge seriously, the endurance hikes in Estonia will definitely help, where you can test your physical and mental endurance in a safe environment while moving for 10+ hours straight.
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 clothing you have - for example, a ski jacket is also very good for the mountain. The more resourceful can manage with almost no additional expenses.
I've heard that Switzerland must be terribly expensive!
Depending on what and where you buy, Switzerland can be very expensive. This opinion can actually be misleading... when shopping, you just have to make sure you buy local goods, which are sometimes cheaper than equivalent Estonian products. Switzerland has imposed such high taxes on imported goods that foreign goods are 3-4 times more expensive. Eating in a restaurant is also expensive - the cost of dinner should be around 30-50 €/person.
NB! In Switzerland, payments are made in Swiss francs (1 CHF = 1,03 €), but many businesses also accept euros. However, card payment options are so widespread in the country that cash is unlikely to be needed during this trip.
But can I make an Insta story from the top of the mountain?
When going to Switzerland, you have to consider that it is not a member state of the European Union and mobile data with an Estonian package is extremely expensive. To upload videos taken during the day, you just have to use the free WIFI at the campsites in the evening. If someone really needs to be constantly connected to the internet, then please note that local calling cards can only be purchased for Swiss francs, not euros.
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 that into account, but at the same time, you could get hit by a bus walking across the street tomorrow. 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?
We also recommend participating in preparatory events - it's part of the fun. We organize preparatory hiking training, give advice on suitable insurance and equipment, where to rent cheaply, what to train for, etc. The guides will share important information with you both by email and in a joint Facebook group chat - be in the picture and ask all the questions that arise when preparing for the trip.
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.
