ABOUT

Tobias Granath has a background as a professional hockeyplayer, and has been living in the Alps since year 2000. He lives with his family in Engelberg, Switzerland and work as a mountain guide all year round.

Granath Mountain Guiding is a guide company founded year 2011 in Chamonix, France. All guides in the team of Granath Mountain Guiding are qualified IFMGA/UIAGM guides or Aspirant guides.

 

BACKGROUND

I came to Chamonix year 2000 as a freeride skier. Since then, inspired by Chamonix alpine culture, I have dedicated my life to backcountry skiing and mountaineering. I just love to be out there. A blend of fresh air and silence, workout and beautiful mountains. Between 2004-09 I played professional ice-hockey for Chamonix Hockey Club and HC Mont Blanc l’Avalanche. Hockey is a fantastic team-sport, physical, tactical, lots of adrenaline. I wouldn’t be where I am today without my hockeycareer. The best game on earth.

Today I work as a professional guide and instructor. Taking clients into wild alpine enviroment and show them my secret spots as well as discover new places inspires me. To give the clients the best mountain experience possible is not only my work, it is my passion.

EDUCATION

I’m a certified UIAA climbing instructor and UIAGM mountain guide. Safety always come first and I like to take care of my clients so they feel confident and comfortable. I have teached hundreds of clients in basic and advanced rock climbing skills.

DIPLOMAS/WORK
  • IFMGA/UIAGM/IVBV Mountain Guide
  • Certified UIAA Rock Climbing Instructor
  • Certified Mountain Leader
  • Swedish Army’s Parachute Ranger Training School in Karlsborg, Sweden (Fallskärmsjägarskolan FJS)
  • Sport Science, Mid University Östersund
  • Academic Certified Personal Trainer, Mid University Östersund
  • High Mountain Mentor, Skiers Accredited
LANGUAGE

Swedish, English, French, German.

FACTS

AGE
HOME
SPONSORS
FAMILY

44 years
Engelberg, Switzerland
Elevenate, Fischer, Icebreaker, Tripoint
Wife and four kids, Malin, Louis, Ella, Ville, Ted

GUIDING HIGHLIGHTS

Expert guide around Engelberg & Chamonix
39 times Mont Blanc
10 times Matterhorn
5 times Aiguille Verte
Guided on all Swiss 4000m peaks

STEEPSKIING HIGHLIGHTS

Mont Blanc – West face direct
Pain du Sucre – North face
Aiguille du Plan – North face
Aiguille du Midi – Mallory
Aiguille du Midi – Eugster Diagonal
Mont Blanc du Tacul – Gervasutti Couloir
Mont Blanc du Tacul – Diable Couloir
Mont Blanc du Tacul – Jager Couloir
Col du plan – North face
Les Courtes – South face
Tour Ronde – North face
Aiguille du Chardonnet – South Couloir
Aiguille Verte – Couloir Whymper
+ more than 50 steep ski-mountaineering descents in the Alps and Scandinavia

ULTRA TRAIL

UTMB – Finisher 2006

IFMGA/UIAGM/IVBV

UIAGM/IFMGA/IVBV is an international association with qualified member countries from all over the world. Sweden is member in IFMGA with the organization SBO – Svenska Bergsguide Organisationen (Swedish Mountainguide Association). It takes about four years with structural training to become a certified mountain guide.

As a mountain guide you are internationally qualified to guide mountaineering, alpine offpist skiing, through glacier terrain, rock climbing, ice climbing, and backcountry ski touring. A mountain guide is capable to take any person in a secure, responsible and autonomous manner for activities specific to the profession.

Jakob Edholm

Q&A

  • HOW DO I PREPARE FOR A MOUNTAINEERING WEEK?

    This is a big question! A simple answer is that you have to do long training sessions, more than 3hours. Preferable a couple of times per week. Mix your training time with both strength training and cardio training. Focus on legs and core muscles for classic mountaineering. Hill hiking is also very recommended. Contact us for more info and help with you training and preparation.

    HOW DIFFICULT IS THE CLASSIC SKI-TOUR HAUTE ROUTE BETWEEN CHAMONIX AND ZERMATT?

    The traverse between Chamonix and Zermatt is a long ski-tour at high altitude so very good fitness is required for this ski-tour. You also need to be able to ski in different snow conditions and steep slopes. Previous experience of ski-touring is required. We ski in small groups. The reason of keeping the group small is to increase security on steeper ground.

    DO I NEED ANY ACCLIMATION BEFORE A HIGH ALTITUDE CLIMB OR HIGH MOUNTAIN SKI-TOUR?

    Acclimatization is a very important part of the preparation for any activity on high altitude. Everyone need accustom the body to the “thin air” that is at high altitude. The best way to be acclimatized is to stay a couple of nights on altitude(minimum 2500m) and get some climbing or hiking done at higher altitude. Contact us if you need tips for how you can acclimate before your trip with us.

    I DON'T HAVE THE RIGHT EQUIPMENT FOR THE ACTIVITY, CAN I RENT SPECIAL EQUIPMENT?

    You can rent all kind of skiing and ski-touring equipment, just inform us before your trip of what you need. Technical climbing equipment such as harness, helmet, crampons and ice-axe can be borrowed.

    WHICH PERIOD OF THE YEAR IS THE BEST TO GO ICE CLIMBING?

    We need cold temperatures for a while to get frozen ice. From beginning of December it can be possible to go ice-climbing. The season for waterfall ice-climbing is short. In end of January it can be over. The alpine ice is often in good shape from Oktober to beginning of June.

    WHICH PERIOD OF THE YEAR IS THE BEST TO CLIMB MATTERHORN?

    Climb Matterhorn by the normal route is possible when there’s not to much fresh snow on the mountain. Usually, the period with less snow is in mid July to end of August. A good tip is to look at the live webcam. If the Matterhorn is white, you probably have to wait or go climb a other mountain that is less sensitive for snow.

  • WHICH PERIOD OF THE YEAR IS THE BEST TO CLIMB MONT BLANC?

    Mont Blanc can be in good conditions to climb at any time of the year but the most common period is between June and September. Best conditions is when it’s cold and not too much fresh snow and off course clear weather and not too much wind.

Read more Q&A