Launched in 2015, the Mont Blanc Challenge program was the first personal development program in Romania based on altitude climbing and the first mountain training program backed by a multidisciplinary team.

Since then, more than 20 mountain enthusiasts, with little or no climbing experience, have trained physically, technically and mentally and have reached the highest peak of the Alps.

Naturally, the most motivated of them went on and wished more. Thus, they reached the Doufurspitze (4634m), the second peak of the Alps, or Matterhorn (4475m), certainly the most desirable peak in Europe.

Thus, the Mont Blanc Challenge has evolved into the ALPS Challenge, but has retained its spirit: a comprehensive training program with specific features dedicated to each of the three main objectives, Mont Blanc, Monte Rosa, Matterhorn, but also a 360-degree experience regarding the deep culture of the Alps civilization: local culinary experiences or visits to the history of the famous Alps and Himalayas climbs.

What is included in the ALPS Challenge

  • advice on purchasing the equipment
  • rental of technical equipment
  • physical anaerobic training
  • specific mountain training
  • technical mountain training
  • life coaching (on request)
  • nutrition counseling in sustained exercise

team

Costin Miu
Mountain Guide

My guide philosophy is “Safety. Fun. Summit “and is inspired by Ed Viesturs, one of the world’s greatest climbers and guides.
In my view, safety is the most important thing on the mountain. The purpose of a mountain guide is to bring people back home healthy and in one piece, not to take them to the top at any cost.

Marius, partener Alps Challenge

Marius Ioana
Mountain Guide

I chose Marius to be my colleague in the Mont Blanc Challenge because we are as good friends as we are mountain partners. I have full confidence in him, I’m in a string with him convinced he would do for me everything I would do myself. And, the most important thing, we share the same guiding philosophy: safety is first.

“Guiding people towards the top of a high mountain is a great responsibility, but I have the experience of a few expeditions on high mountains (Aconcagua, Killimanjaro, Mont Blanc, Jebel Toubkal) and many other years on the mountain. I said “towards the top” because, from my point of view, the journey is more important than conquering the peak itself. All that goes up to the top is, in fact, the experience of discovering yourself and overcoming your limits. “Fighting” is not with the mountain or the teammates you are teaming with, but with yourself. You, today, need to be better than you, yesterday. I’m teaming with Costin since 2013, but as if I’m living with him, there are times when we think and do the same things without talking; this means trust, security, right decisions for us and the people we guide. “

Paul Dicu, partener Alps Challenge

Paul Dicu
Physical Trainer

To maximize your chances of success, I think physical training for climbing a high mountain should be heavier than ascending itself. That’s why I chose a trainer as one of the best physical training specialists. Paul Dicu is an ultra-marathonist and martial arts instructor, and our anaerobic training will be done after a program designed by him.

“I do not believe in motivational messages, I believe only in discipline. You do not get better just because someone – that you listen to because you paid for it – told you that you can be better. NO, to be better, you need to do better. Physical training is an extremely important part of a person’s personal development. If we talk about climbing a mountain, leaving the comfort zone and overcoming the limits goes well before it reaches the foot of the mountain and that’s only because of the physical training sessions “