Climbing in an alpine environment is a fantastic combination of physical challenge and nature experience. It requires skill in navigation, route selection and climbing skills. Alpine climbing involves climbing on rock, snow and ice, sometimes all at the same time.
Approaches and descents often take place on glaciers, this requires knowledge of glaciers. This is the continuation course to climbing in an alpine environment and aims to give you a greater understanding of different types of alpine climbing to be able to do tours on your own.
The course begins with a repetition of the most important things from the basic course and then continues to cover things you don't learn during it, such as planning tours, route finding and route selection, how to think when leading a tour and different securing techniques on both snow, ice and rock for alpine climbing.
Course content
• Rehearsal of basic rope team work, basic knowledge of crampons and alpine ice ax and techniques for using them
• Rope work, knots, anchors and securing techniques on glaciers and cliffs in an alpine environment
• Basic climbing and securing techniques on snow and ice (snow anchors, ice screws, Abalakovs)
• Planning of alpine tours
• Map, compass, altimeter and alpine guidebooks
• Glacier knowledge and route selection on a glacier
• Comrade rescue, system to help someone out of a crevasse
• Route finding and how to think when leading a tour
• Possibility to ask your guide questions
• Lots of, and nice, climbing in a magnificent alpine environment!
Course objectives
To gain increased knowledge about climbing in an alpine environment to be able to do tours on your own.
Previous knowledge
You must have taken our basic course in alpine climbing or have equivalent knowledge, have done a couple of alpine tours together with guides or partners and have a red card. This is not a course for beginners but for those with some experience.
Place
Chamonix is our base, from here we reach a lot of climbing in the Chamonix Valley and the surrounding area. We meet at 08:00 on the first day of the course. The course is five days and the first day is the date you sign up for.
Equipment
Loan of necessary climbing equipment is included in the price. The following equipment is assigned to you by your mountain guide at the beginning of the course.
• Alpine ice axe
• Crampons
• Helmet
• Harness
• Screw carabiner
Personal equipment
You need to have the following personal equipment with you, this is not included in the course fee. There is time to arrange the final details such as completing equipment on Monday morning, but it is an advantage if you have everything ready by Sunday.
• Boots to which crampons can be attached (eg Sportiva Nepal or Trango Tech). If you are unsure whether your boots are sturdy enough, you can of course ask us before you go. There are boots to rent in Chamonix, the best place to rent is Snell Sport in Chamonix. Price list for rental equipment at Snell Sport can be found here: http://www.cham3s.com/snell-rental-prices.html
• Backpack, 35-45 litres
• Warm hat (which fits under a helmet)
• Underwear, shirt and pants (synthetic or wool, not cotton)
• Thinner fleece sweater
• Thicker fleece sweater or thin down jacket
• Wind and waterproof jacket (preferably shell jacket without lining)
• Wind and waterproof trousers (preferably shell trousers without lining)
• Thick gloves
• Thin mittens, gloves
• Snow locks (gaiters)
• Headlamp
• Sunglasses
• Ski goggles
• Water bottle
• Sun protection
The following are good to have but not a must:
• Poles (telescopes that can be folded and attached to a backpack)
• Sun hat or cap
• Handkerchief (slightly larger can serve as sun protection for the neck/head)
• Camera (compact)
Included in the price
• Training and guiding by an authorized mountain guide for 5 days
• All climbing equipment
Not included
• Travel to and from Chamonix
• Accommodation in Chamonix
• Lift card to get up to climbing faster
• Clothing / personal equipment, see the list above
