UKH

Hi can anyone recommend a locally based guide for the Matterhorn. My husband and I are planning on going to do it next summer for his 50th during a 2 week trip to the Alps. We have plenty of UK scrambling and general mountain walking experience and a little bit of climbing experience mostly around VDiff stuff. We have heard bad things about the local Swiss guides so ideally looking for someone who is going to be a little more chilled. Fitness is not a problem as we are both competent fell runners, but we would like to the time on the route to get some photos without being unduly rushed. Thanks.

https://www.mccunemountaineering.co.uk/

John's very laid-back and guides the Matterhorn regularly.

I think I am right in saying the Matterhorn is guided on a 1:1 ratio by all guides.

Paul Swail is amazing so is Matt Stygall guys really know their stuff.

NutRack or NutJob? Whatever, you didn't last long.

Spot on Si, it is guided at 1:1. So you will need 2 guides and likely be apart on the way up and down.

Don't think for a minute you won't be rushed, there is a bun fight in the hut before you put a foot on snow for position, it is always Swiss guides first, then other guides, then mountaineers doing it unguided.

Any guide will put you under a lot of pressure to move constantly. I seen people being rescued on day 1 from the hut, day 2 on the way up and also down.

Perhaps your best bet will be a Go Pro you can stick your helmet, which can take stills for you and a few pictures with a camera or phone at the summit. This is a serious mountain and you are very naive if you think you can stop as you please to take pictures. 

I didn't even get to stop at the Solvay hut, only twice at the shoulder to put on and take off crampons. 

If you are lucky enough to get good weather and summit, you'll see and remember the rockfall on the way down and experience first hand why the guides want you up and down.

Also there is a lot of competition to push past people and then issue of when you descend past those ascending with the rope being secured around pigtails or you being lowered from a bolt or going down the sections of fixed ropes.

I also recommend you take a 'soft' water bottle and small pocket size bits of food, (definitely nothing dry like nuts) that you can cram into your mouth on the very moments between waiting at sections of the fixed ropes or whilst the guide is moving on. You won't get to take your rucksack off until you put your crampons on.

That's exactly what I was thinking

HONESTLY, when I first read the OP for this thread, I thought right away "Here we go again......"

The proliferation is getting really tiring and boring

No no no.  The OPs are a couple and as such they have Nuts and a Rack and will be taking a trestle table and shooting sticks for tiffin and photography at a time and place that suits them in the relaxed style of yesteryear.

Whats the craic with nut job for folk who don't know!?!?!

There's been lots of brand new posters - one post on a climbing topic, then some bonkers COVID denial, anti vaccs bollocks.

He was 'restricted from posting' for a reason. It was so quick and far-reaching that it happened before I could see what that reason was. I'll bet that it wasn't for promoting mask wearing and getting a covid booster.

Matt Stygall is a great guy .. 

If you climb it unguided you can stop for pics at your leisure and set off when you like and not after guided parties. I’d recommend a recce the afternoon before, as the start is the trickiest for routefinding and it’s climbed in the dark. No real technicalities but it’s exposed and the stone fall can be bad on the return as you go onto the E face for a little while. It’s not called the most noble rubble heap in Europe without good reason.

Dave Rudkin 

Do you mean "tiffin" as referred to in "Carry on up the Khyber"?