Snow and Ice Weekend Course
Learn basic mountaineering skills such as ice climbing, crampon technique, snow anchors and crevasse rescue. This mountaineering course combines 2 days of instruction with a guided ascent of Mount Kemmel 3120m (10237ft). It will provide the beginner with mountaineering skills to continue on to bigger mountains such as the Lyell Peaks or Mount Forbes.
You will be based in the comfortable Icefall Lodge, which includes double rooms, shower and sauna.
Skills covered include:- Snow climbing, self arrest and snow anchors
- Ice climbing, crampon use, ice anchors
- Glacier travel, roping up, route finding
- Crevasse rescue, prussicking, self rescue, pulley systems
- Navigation, map and compass use, whiteout navigation
Dates: June- September
Price: $875 + HST
Meeting Place: Icefall Lodge
- Guiding
- Dinner and breakfast
- Accommodation at Icefall Lodge
- Technical climbing equipment; rope
- Transportation to Golden
- Personal equipment; pack clothing mountaineering boots.
- Cancellation or rescue insurance.
- Lunches and snacks
Requirements: No previous climbing or mountaineering experience is required. Good physical condition is required. It is recommended that you do some hiking before hand if you are not in shape. It is also good to wear your mountaineering boots on these hikes to make sure you don't get blisters.
Course Agenda:
Day 1: Meet in the evening at Icefall Lodge, for directions see Hiking Trail to Icefall Lodge. Guiding is not included
for the hike up, but can be arranged separately. Introduction an go over
equipment for the following days.
Day 2: Snow school; go over techniques for climbing snow. These include setting steps, ice axe use on snow, self arrest, snow anchors, roping up for glacier travel, and an introduction to crevasse rescue. These are practiced a short distance from the lodge. Evening in the lodge will be spent discussing route planning, whiteout navigation, and map reading.
Day 3: Ice school; ice techniques covered include crampon use, French technique, front pointing, ice anchors, ice axe use, and more crevasse rescue practice. Evening is spent discussing and planning the next day's ascent of Mount Kemmel.
Day 4: Ascent of Mount Kemmel. This will be the biggest day with 1200m (4000ft) of elevation gain. Your mountain guide will demonstrate how to put all the skills learned in the previous day to use on the climb of a big mountain. The summit provides a 360 degree panorama of the surrounding mountains. Mount Lyell, Mount Forbes, Mount Columbia, Mount Sir Sanford, and Rostrum Peak are some of the summits that you will see. Descend to the lodge and hike out.