Mountain School – Intro Alpine Mountaineering Course
The focus of this course is to provide a superb basic introduction and/or refresher of alpine mountaineering skills. During this intensive and hands-on eight-day course we will be mainly staying in the Fairy Meadows Hut in the Adamant Range where we can take advantage of a warm dry environment for conducting lectures and drying gear. Once we have attained and practiced new skills we will then have ample opportunity to test ourselves on peaks such as Pioneer Peak (3290m), the highest peak in the range, offering the thrill of a first peak and the confidence that comes with experience. This course is for the person who wants a good solid foundation for mountaineering.
Course Skill Goals:
- Self-arrest techniques
- Crampon technique
- Rope / belay techniques
- Snow anchors
- Rappelling
- Crevasse rescue
- Glacier travel and safety
- Route-finding and navigation
- Acclimatization and physical self-awareness
- Mountain decision-making
Course Itinerary:
This is the typical schedule. Exact routes and objectives will change to meet students’ needs and will depend on conditions. Your guide will plan your course to maximize the opportunities as they exist while you are in the field.
Day 1 – Check out of Hotel. Meet at BAI office
in Canmore 7:30 AM for gear check and briefing.
Travel to Golden, British
Columbia, arrive at Heliport by 11:00 AM, helicopter briefing, fly to Fairy
Meadows (weather permitting). Once settled into the hut we will go for
a hike to take in the surrounding beauty of where we are. Practice rope
handling, knot tying and other related subjects or start with snow school.
Day 2 – Snow School (walking techniques on snow, proper use of ice axe, self arrest techniques, snow anchors and other related subjects)
Day 3 – Basic crevasse rescue and glacier travel techniques.
Day 4 – Climb Sentinel or similar peak (learn about route finding and safe climbing)
Day 5 – We will climb other peaks in the Adamant Range such as Pionner Peak, Outpost, Quadrant, Echo and Colossal.
Day 6 – Morning is open to participants needs, review and wrap-up, and possibly climb a small summit. Weather permitting fly out by 12:00, and return to Canmore by approximately 4:00 PM.