Alpine Guides

Online Brochure

Important Info

Conditions Pages

Advice Articles

Bookings

Ski Website

  
 
 
  rock climbing alpine mountaineering ice climbing scottish winter mountaineering contact us alpine guides blog  
 

Intro Alpine Mountaineering Course

"The perfect alpine mountaineering course for UK hill goers seeking bigger challenges. This full 5 day program has been carefully designed to teach you all the skills needed to climb safely in glaciated terrain. Throughout the week the emphasis is on equipping you with the skills to go alpine climbing and alpine mountaineering independently in the future, or tackle bigger objectives on one our more technical courses."
  
5 days
Introductory
4:1
Dates: 18 Jun - 07 Sept  
   
Price: £575
Fitness: 2
Experience: General UK mountain experience. Scrambling or rock climbing experience is also desirable if you want to progress onto more technical terrain.
Included: Guiding Fees and Expenses.
Other Costs: Accommodation, food, travel and uplift ~ £400
Book Online Here
 
Summary
The course covers all the skills needed to make successful snow, ice and rock ascents on glaciated alpine terrain.
Important areas covered include snow and ice skills, glacier travel, moving together, crevasse rescue, route choice and planning, navigation, weather and hazard evaluation.
Recent Trip Reports - Alpine Intro Course, Alpine Training
 
Course Base
We base ourselves for the week in the famous French resort of Chamonix, in the shadow of Mont Blanc. We specifically base this course in Chamonix in order to make use of the excellent uplift facilities here - so you get to spend more time actually climbing and less time doing approach walks than at other venues. Part of the week will also involve an overnight stay in a mountain hut to maximise climbing opportunities.
 
Training Notes
Our accompaning booklet 'Alpine Introductory Course - Advice Notes' is available to download when you book on this course. This is a practical guide to getting started in alpine climbing, once you've completed the course.
 
Sample Itinerary
Subject to weather and conditions, we follow the general format below:
alpine mountaineering course itinerary
Day 0 - Sun PM, meet in Chamonix - discuss plans, sort equipment and overnight in valley.
Day 1 - Mon
Acclimatisation Climb in the Aiguilles Rouges: eg the Crochues Traverse.  Rope skills, rock climbing and moving together.
Day 2 - Tue
Ecole de Glace. Essential snow and ice training, including crampon and ice axe skills and glacier travel - taught during the approach to an alpine hut.
Days 3 - 5 Wed - Fri

Further Climbing Days. Ascents of classic climbs in the French or Swiss Alps with 2 nights spent in alpine huts. See notes on alpine climbing grades.

During this time we teach all the alpine climbing skills needed to make successful ascents on snow and ice, rock, ridge climbs etc. in addition to covering:
  • crevasse rescue techniques
  • route choice
  • planning for alpine routes
  • navigation
  • weather
  • hazard evaluation.

Where appropriate, we encourage those who want to take the lead on the rope or climb independantly alongside the guide for sections of the day, in order to develop sound judgement and decision making skills in real alpine terrain.
Further Information
- ecole de glace
- glacier travel
- moving together
- crevasse rescue
- alpine advice article
Possible Climbs
- crochues traverse
- aiguille du tour
- moiry summits
- petit aiguille verte
- tete blanche

Fri PM - course debrief and advice for the future.

Mont Blanc? - if you would like to Climb Mont Blanc after a weeks training, then check out our Mont Blanc Course.

4000m Peaks Course? - if you would like learn alpine skills with a focus on climbing 4000m peaks, then check out our 4000m Peak Climbing Course.

alpine mountaineering course
 
Food and Accommodation
We run all of our courses on a guiding & instruction only basis. Food and accommodation must be paid for seperately. Our recommended accommodation in the Chamonix valley is Ice and Orange - Chalet Tissières, who we will happily put you in touch with if you'd like to reserve a room. You are however free to make other accommodation arrangements if you choose (for a full hotel service, Hotel Les Lanchers in Chamonix Les Praz is another good option - Chamonix has numerous other hotels and rental apartments available at a wide variety of prices - click on 'reservation' at the Chamonix website for more details).
 
Travel
Chamonix is easily reached by flights to Geneva and an airport transfer, both of which are bookable online.
 
Ability and Experience
You need good general fitness and experience in UK mountains (summer or winter). Some scrambling or rock climbing experience is also desirable if you want to progress onto more technical terrain. Alpine mountaineering requires good levels of fitness & stamina (see fitness level 2) so we advise you to prepare well in advance with days out in the UK hills, or other regular exercise.
 
Equipment
We will supply you with a full kit list. All communal safety equipment (ropes etc) is provided by us. You are expected to come equiped with personal clothing and climbing equipment. For the more technical items (ice axe, crampons, harness, helmet, boots etc) local equipment hire is also available.
 
     
 
 
 
         
  © 2010 Alpine Guides Ltd Site Map Contact