Shimmying up a frozen waterfall sounds like something out of a James Bond movie; in fact, it's one of several adventure activities offered by Mountaingirl, a new women-only climbing company.

According to a recent survey by the British Mountaineering Council, the number of female climbers has grown by over 50% in the last six years.

Riding on this wave of popularity, Mountaingirl has launched a series of climbing courses in Chamonix this winter, including ice climbing, alpine rock climbing and mountaineering, for all levels. Experienced female guides take small groups for what founder Louise Alexander describes as "lots of fun in beautiful surrounds".

A one-day Rock Debutantes course costs £95pp (based on a group of three), while three-day introduction to ice climbing (which includes the frozen waterfall climb) start from £330. The company can arrange flights and accommodation. A 10% discount is available to participants who volunteer to work for a day or more on one of the projects that Mountaingirl supports (such as path maintenance in Scotland and recycling in Chamonix).

mountaingirl.eu, 020-7729 9977.