Mountaineering is a high-stakes sport, where having the right skills is critical. Fortunately, there are climbing courses all around the world. The post Here’s Where to Take a Mountaineering Course appeared first on Explore Unbound.
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Here's Where to Take a Mountaineering Course
Mountaineering is a high-stakes sport, where having the right skills and experience for your objective is critical. Plenty of fit people can climb Mont Blanc or Mount Whitney in good conditions. But add some hazards and storms to the mix, and things can quickly turn dangerous for untrained climbers. That’s why, more than most recreational sports, it can be valuable for mountaineers to take a formal training course, even if they have years of informal experience. Course are also a great way to break into the sport if you are new to it. Putting on crampons for the first time can be intimidating, but it is less so if you are in a group with others trying it for the first time as well, being coached through it by a certified mountain guide. Fortunately, there are climbing courses all around the world that cater to the full range of skill-sets.
Rocky Mountains climbing courses are an excellent way for early career climbers to get started. The diversity of terrain and mountain guides in the Rockies is unmatched anywhere else in the world. You can explore plenty of the Rockies on your own by climbing some of the easy Colorado Fourteeners, but if you want to learn more technical skills, there are a variety of courses available. In the lower Rockies, Colorado Mountain School offers a great range of courses, while Yamnuska Mountain Adventure is a top choice for climbers in the Canadian Rockies.
If you’re a more experienced mountaineer, the Rockies are also an excellent spot to try new sports, like ski mountaineering and ice climbing. Exum Mountain Guides, based in Jackson Hole and operating largely in Grand Teton National Park, offers some of the greatest ski mountaineering courses in North America. It is also the oldest guide service provider in the area. For ice climbing, San Juan Mountain Guides is a fantastic option for classes in and around Ouray – an ice climbing mecca – as well as other activities such as rock climbing and backcountry skiing.
You might think that only skilled mountaineers climb in Nepal, but even advanced beginners can find a place to play in the formidable Himalayas. Nepal has a number of peaks over 20,000 feet that require only basic climbing abilities, such as using crampons and traveling in rope teams. If you still need to practice these fundamentals, many guides will provide some training time at the beginning of the course. Then you’ll get a chance to put your new skills to the test on summits like Island Peak (20,305 ft), Mera Peak (21,245 ft), and Yala Peak (18,806 ft), where the terrain is simple and low-risk enough to make guided trips suitable for early-stage mountaineers.
To make the most of your acclimatization, many treks span over a month and connect several peaks through high-altitude passes. This also allows you to evaluate how your body reacts to spending extended periods of time at altitude, which is necessary before tackling higher, less forgiving peaks. If you have a flexible work schedule, another option is to enroll in a 40-day course with the Nepal Mountaineering Association (NMA). NMA provides excellent climbing instruction at a fraction of the cost of multinational operators. Although there are only two course start dates each year, one for the basic course in June and one for the advanced course in December, it is worthwhile to rearrange your schedule to participate in this program.
Alaska is the perfect place to improve your mountaineering skills and get ready for a big expedition. It has beautiful scenery and a well-developed guide network that caters to all experience levels. If you’re new to mountaineering, you can take an introductory course that will teach you the basics of glacier travel, crevasse rescue, self-arrest techniques, and more. If you’re an experienced mountaineer, you can add on new techniques – like ski mountaineering and sled travel – or refine your existing skill set with the help of top-notch guides.
Many people take mountaineering courses in Alaska to prepare for Denali (20,310 ft), the highest mountain in North America. Courses in other regions – like the Cascades, Rockies, and Andes – can also be useful, but learning in the same region as your objective has its benefits. You’ll gain a better sense of weather and avalanche conditions in the area, as well as get to know local guides and climbers, who know Denali and the surrounding mountains better than anyone else. Although getting to the mountains in Alaska may be a challenge, often requiring a flight in a ski-equipped plane, it makes the adventure even better.
The Swiss Alps are full of enjoyable, accessible mountaineering objectives that will help you enhance your climbing skills in a breathtaking setting. Taking a mountaineering course can be a terrific way for those who have never climbed in Switzerland to reach some of the region’s most interesting peaks without having to spend months researching routes. Plus, because the region is so famous among adventurers, there are small group courses available for climbers of all ability levels. This is a terrific opportunity to split guide costs, while meeting other climbers with similar goals.
The Matterhorn (14,697 ft), Breithorn (13,661 ft), the Eiger (13,025 ft), Weissmies (13,179 ft), and Monte Rosa (15,203 ft) are just a handful of the mountains that figure prominently in Swiss mountaineering courses. The capstone goal for advanced courses will be to reach the summits of one or more of these prominent mountains, while more basic courses will stay on their slopes or summit neighboring peaks. However, it’s preferable to focus on the abilities you want to learn, rather than the peaks you want to climb, because most guides will surprise you with routes and connections that far surpass what you could plan on your own.
The Cascades have many great guide services for climbers, with the American Alpine Institute (AAI) and Mountain Madness being two of the best, both in the region and in the world. Throughout the season, there are many fixed departure mountaineering courses to choose from. This makes it easy to find a trip that fits your training needs and timing, without having to organize a group or hire a private guide. As a bonus, many courses stop by charming mountain towns, like Leavenworth, Winthrop, and Twisp.
The Cascades are a mountaineering mecca, with terrain that includes glaciated peaks, multi-pitch climbing routes, and steep scrambles. This range is perfect for those looking to round out their mountaineering skills, as you can practice ice climbing, rock climbing, crevasse rescue, glacier travel, avalanche risk awareness, and ski mountaineering all in one epic outdoor playground. The region’s relatively low altitude also makes it ideal for skill development without the mental challenges of operating on low oxygen.
Mount Baker (10,781 ft) is an ideal mountain for training because it features massive glaciers that can be reached in a few hours from the Heliotrope Ridge Trailhead. Other popular mountains in the Cascade Range, which are frequently used for mountaineering courses, include Mount Rainier (14,410 ft), Glacier Peak (10,541 ft), Mount Shuksan (9,131 ft), and Eldorado Peak (8,868 ft).
Taking a multi-day climbing course in the Ecuadorian Andes is a great opportunity to improve your skills, while also climbing some demanding peaks. Over a 10-day adventure in Ecuador, intermediate climbers with fundamental skills and glacier travel experience can practice technical mountaineering at altitude on Illiniza Sur (17,267 ft) and Antisana (18,714 ft). Mountaineering courses in Ecuador are not only cheaper than similar programs in North America and Europe, but they also have the advantage of being in the Southern Hemisphere. When the Rockies and Alps close for the season, you can continue your training in the Andes.
You’re in good company with the rest of the mountaineering world if you’ve never heard of Illiniza Sur. It’s a lesser-climbed peak, owing to visitors’ preference for nearby Cotopaxi, which is higher in elevation and more distinct. But Illiniza Sur is a hidden gem worth noting. It’s a well-defined summit with 35- to 40-degree pitches on hard snow and ice, providing excellent training for short, technical peaks. Antisana is a good match for Illiniza Sur, since it has a lot of snow and allows you to traverse enormous, active glaciers. The combination of the two will help you level-up your skills, while having one of the most unique climbing experiences in the world, high above the clouds, right on the brink of the Amazon.
The post Here’s Where to Take a Mountaineering Course appeared first on Explore Unbound.
