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Intro mountaineering - rock climbing experience required
Our Alpine Skills Week course is 7 days of mountaineering skills for those that have solid experience rock climbing outdoors. You will start with the same skills covered in Complete Mountaineering, except that your previous rock climbing background will allow you to progress further and learn more technical mountaineering techniques. More time is spent in the alpine learning and applying technical skills for mountaineering - snow and glacier travel, ice climbing, alpine rock climbing, crevasse rescue, map and compass, mountain navigation, route planning, weather evaluation and hazard assessment.
Details for Alpine Skills Week
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May *29, 2-8, 2008
June *19, 23-29, 2008
July *10, 14-20, 2008
August *7, 11-17, 2008
August *28, September 1-7, 2008
All dates marked with an asterisk (*) are evening seminars held in Vancouver. If you cannot attend these sessions, please notify our office in order to make alternate arrangements to cover the required pre-trip material, including logistics.
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Includes pre-trip planning session, 7 days of mountaineering instruction by ACMG-Certified Guides; all specialized climbing equipment (ropes, harnesses, helmets, ice-axes, etc); course materials and handouts; emergency equipment including satellite phone; all organization; and, Park Permits.
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Prerequisites
Participants on this course should have experience backpacking with a multi-day pack, as well as Outdoor rock climbing ability to 5.8, including familiarity with rope management basics (knot-tying, belaying and rappelling). Good physical fitness is also required.
Participants should be comfortable with spending a week in the mountains in any conditions, though previous mountaineering experience is not required. Previous rope skills and climbing experience can be gained through indoor climbing, though outdoor climbing experience is preferable.
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Location
The first day of this course is usually spent in Squamish, BC to cover rock skills, rope techniques and introduce rescue basics.
The actual location of the Alpine portion of this course will be decided at the Pre-trip evening session as there are many variables that need to be considered, including weather, snow conditions, previous experience of the group, and road conditions. Typical locations include the Joffre Range about 1 hour northeast of Whistler, BC; the Spearhead Range, directly to the east of Whistler, BC; and, occasionally we will arrange to fly into the Tantalus Range above Squamish, BC (Flight costs are extra with this option).
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Guides and Instructors
All the Guides and Instructors on our Mountaineering programs are Certified through the Association of Canadian Mountain Guides and are among many of the top Climbing instructors and guides in British Columbia. We ensure that you are being taught and guided by the best! For more details on the specific guides for your program, contact our office.
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Objectives
The Alpine Skills Week course is the ideal course for anyone who has a solid understanding of rope skills and rock climbing. The emphasis of this program is to teach mountaineering skills and techniques to climbers who already have a rock climbing background. This course is very similar to Complete Mountaineering, though there will be more time spent learning and practicing Alpine-specific skills on this course as participants will already have the basic rope management skills such as knot-tying, belaying and rappelling
At the conclusion of this course, students will have been taught:
methods for planning and preparing for a multi-day mountaineering objective
how to recognize mountain hazards, and methods of avoiding or minimizing those hazards
navigation techniques using a map, compass and altimeter
rope management skills related to rock, snow and ice climbing
glacier travel techniques
climbing and movement skills for rock, snow and ice
alpine travel skills for moderately technical terrain and glaciers
crevasse rescue fundamentals with a three person rope-team
Minimum Environmental Impact camping and travel practices
methods to practice and refine each set of skills taught on the course, on their own time
Course Outline
The following is a brief possible schedule for the Canada West Mountain School 7-day Alpine Skills Week. Many different variables (such as weather, snow conditions, group experience levels, etc) influence the actual day-to-day schedule and the order in which topics are presented, so the following should be considered a general outline only.
Evening session
Introductory classroom session (3 hours)
Skills covered: defining course objectives, trip planning and preparation, equipment needs, food and menu planning, logistics
Day 1
Meet in Squamish - Preparation and tone setting (1/2 hour) Skills covered: communication, safety awareness, logistics planning
Rock climbing and rope skills review (7 hours)
Skills covered: rope management review, rope rescue, anchor building
Day 2
Approach to Alpine region base camp (approx. 2-3 hours )
Skills covered: Navigation, map reading, pacing, group management, route finding, hazard awareness
Camp set up (2 hours)
Skills covered: Camp selection, hazard awareness, sanitation, environmental awareness, food storage, water, campcraft tips
Introductory snow travel session (3-4 hours)
Skills covered: Hazard awareness, navigation, off-trail travel, basic ice ax use, walking on snow, self-arrests
Evening debrief (1 hour)
Skills covered: overview of day, tomorrow's objectives, pre-planning, sort and pack gear for next morning, weather
Day 3
Backcountry travel skills (2 hour)
Skills covered: Navigation, pacing, group management, route finding, hazard awareness
Snow travel skills (6 hours)
Skills covered: Review of day 1, self arrests of all sorts, roping for steep snow, climbing and belaying on snow, anchors team travel, team arrests
Lunch time options: Navigation, route planning, glacier study, napping
Evening debrief (1 hour)
Skills covered: overview of day, next day's objectives, pre-planning, sort and pack gear for next morning, weather
Optional skills: Demo and discuss crevasse rescue basics
Day 4
Steep snow and alpine travel skills (8-10 hours)
Skills covered: Steep snow climbing, navigation and route finding, possible summit climb
Day 5
Approach to site for glacier travel instruction (2 hours)
Skills covered: Navigation, pacing, group management, route finding, hazard awareness, glacier study
Introduction to travel on ice (1 - 2 hours):
Skills covered: Crampon technique, ice screw placement, walking on ice, hazard assessment, anchor building, step cutting
Glacier travel and rescue skills (4 - 6 hours):
Skills covered: Rope skills for glacier travel, route finding on glaciers, travel techniques for "dry" glacier and for snow covered glacier, crevasse rescues, general glacier travel
Possible extra skills: Summit climb, serac or ice climbing if conditions allow
Day 6
Peak objective/travel day (10 - 12 hours)
Skills covered: Application of all of above plus what ever comes up. Focus on hazard assessment and use of skills/tools to achieve objectives. This is the "put it all together" day
Day 7
Wrap up of loose ends (4 - 6 hours)
Skills covered: Finishing off main objectives, ascending ropes, rappelling, more rescue, serac climbing, orienteering, whatever the instructors and/or students feel they need
Break camp/hike out (3 hours)
Skills covered: Navigation, map reading, pacing, group management, route finding, hazard awareness.
Wrap up and student assessments (1 - 2 hours)
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Equipment list for Alpine Skills Week
To view or download a printer friendly .PDF file of the Mountaineering equipment list, click here. Adobe Acrobat Reader is required.
- Boots - full-leather or plastic mountaineering boots. If leather, they should be well broken-in and waterproofed
- Backpack - 60-80 liters capacity, big enough to hold all gear for the trip plus some extra communal gear
- Sleeping bag - good to approx. -5 or -10 degrees celsius
- Sleeping pad - therma-rest style or closed-cell foam
- Day-pack - 30-40 liters capacity (optional, your backpack can also work as a daypack)
- Light weight hiking shoes or runners (1 pair optional for around camp)
- Outer layer jacket with hood - Gore-Tex style
- Outer layer waterproof pants or bibs, full-zip legs are ideal - Gore-Tex style
- Lightweight thermal layers - top & bottom, Polypro, Capilene, etc.
- Climbing/hiking pants - nylon, fleece, Schoeller, etc. (1 pr)
- Gaiters (1 pr)
- Gloves (medium weight) - wool or poly-pro (2 pr)
- Waterproof gloves or mitts w/removable liners (gloves work best for rope handling and ice axe use) (2 pr)
- Warm parka/jacket - down, synthetic, fleece or pile (1)
- Sweater or vest - wool, synthetic, fleece or down (1)
- Socks - wool or synthetic blend (2-3 prs)
- Toque/warm hat - wool or fleece (1)
- Sunglasses - 1005 UV block and with side shields (1pr)
- Ski goggles (optional)
- Headlamp with extra set of batteries and extra bulb
- Personal eating utensils - cup, bowl, spoon, etc
- Personal 1st aid (blister kit, toothbrush, blister kit, toilet paper, medications, etc.)
- Misc. personal items (camera, journal, etc.)
- Sunscreen - minimum 30 spf
- Water bottles/hydration system - minimum 1 litres
- Small "thermos" for hot drinks (optional)
- Knife - Swiss army style
- Insect repellant
- Walking pole(s) - Optional but helpful for the approach/descent to your base camp
- Compass and map (map #'s to be detailed at pre-trip session)
- Crampons - adjusted to your boots (1 pr)
- 2 x 5 meter lengths of 7mm accessory climbing cord
- 1 x 1.75 meter length of 7mm accessory climbing cord
- 1 x double shoulder sling, full strength - sewn or non-sewn
- 2 or 3 person tents (as necessary)
- Single burner stoves and fuel (1 stove per 2-3 people)
- Cooking sets (2 pots per 3 people)
Technical equipment:
(required by participants)
Communal equipment required:
(this may be shared among the group participants)
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Technical equipment:
- Ice ax and technical climbing tools
- Climbing harness - seat harness only
- Helmet
- 3 locking carabiners
- 1 belay device
(supplied by CWMS if required)
In addition, Canada West Mountain School supplies all other technical and safety gear, including ropes, carabiners, protection, etc.
Here are a few stores in the lower mainland region that supply good service and quality outdoor equipment. If you need to purchase or rent equipment, please contact the store well in advance of the course to ensure that what you require is available!
Altus Mountain Gear
137 West Broadway, Vancouver 604-876-5255 (rentals available)
Climb On Equipment
Squamish 604-892-2243
Coast Mountain Sports
2201 West 4th Avenue, Vancouver 604-731-6181
Park Royal store - West Vancouver 604 926-6126
Mountain Equipment Co-op www.mec.ca
130 West Broadway, Vancouver 604-872-7858 (rentals available)
1341 Main St, N. Vancouver 604-990-4417 (rentals available) Valhalla Pure
Station Square, Squamish 604-892-9092 (rentals available)
3 Vets
2200 Yukon Street, Vancouver 604-872-5475
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Logistics and transportation
The first day of this course is held in Squamish, BC. Squamish is a 1 hour drive north of Vancouver. This portion of the course consists of a day session only, so participants are responsible for their own accommodation during the first evening. Many people return to Vancouver, or alternately there is a good selection of hostels, hotels, motels and campgrounds in Squamish. The final six days are spent camping in an alpine region base-camp, with the trailhead within 2-3 hours drive of Vancouver.
All participants are required to supply or arrange their own transportation on this course. Usually ride sharing can be arranged with other participants. Bus transportation into Squamish from Vancouver is also an option for Day-1, contact Greyhound Canada at www.greyhound.ca for schedule and fare information.
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Related Programs
Complete Mountaineering
Guided Adventures
Ice Climbing Essentials
Intro to Winter Mountaineering
Please contact the Canada West Mountain School office by phone or email directly for more details.
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