Step 3: Advanced alpine course

Climbing in an alpine environment is a fantastic combination of physical challenge and nature experience. It requires skill in navigation, route selection and climbing skills. Alpine climbing involves climbing on rock, snow and ice, sometimes all at the same time.

Approaches and descents often take place on glaciers, this requires knowledge of glaciers. This is the continuation course to climbing in an alpine environment and aims to give you a greater understanding of different types of alpine climbing to be able to do tours on your own.

This is the course for those who want to learn to climb independently in an alpine environment. You have attended our foundation course & continuation course or have equivalent experience.

This course is guided 1:2 so you get a lot of guidance from your guide.
 

Course content
• Lead climbing in an alpine environment
• Place equipment and what equipment you should use when and where
• Short rope techniques
• Rope work, knots, anchors and securing techniques on glaciers and cliffs in an alpine environment
• Planning of alpine tours

• Map, compass, altimeter and alpine guidebooks

• Glacier knowledge and route selection on a glacier
• Route finding and how to think when leading a tour
• Possibility to ask your guide questions
• Lots of, and nice, climbing in a magnificent alpine environment!
 

Course objectives
To gain increased knowledge about climbing in an alpine environment to be able to do tours on your own.


Previous knowledge
You must have taken our basic course in alpine climbing and continuation course or have equivalent knowledge, have done several alpine tours together with guides or partners and have a red card. This is not a course for beginners but for those who are ready to lead alpine tours on their own.
 
Place
Chamonix is our base, from here we reach a lot of climbing in the Chamonix Valley and the surrounding area. We meet at 08:30 on the first day of the course. The course is three days and the first day is the date you sign up for.
 
Equipment
Loan of necessary climbing equipment is included in the price. The following equipment is assigned to you by your mountain guide at the beginning of the course.
• Alpine ice axe
• Crampons
• Helmet
• Harness
• Screw carabiner

 

Personal equipment

You need to have the following personal equipment with you, this is not included in the course fee. There is time to arrange the final details such as completing equipment on Monday morning, but it is an advantage if you have everything ready by Sunday.



• Boots to which crampons can be attached (eg La Sportiva Trango Tech or Scarpa Ribelle). If you are unsure whether your boots are sturdy enough, you can of course ask us before you go. There are boots to rent in Chamonix, best place to rent is Snell Sport in Chamonix. Price list for rental equipment at Snell Sport can be found here: http://www.cham3s.com/snell-rental-prices.html
• Backpack, 35-45 litres
• Warm hat (which fits under a helmet)
• Underwear, shirt and pants (synthetic or wool, not cotton)
• Thinner fleece sweater
• Thicker fleece sweater or thin down jacket
• Wind and waterproof jacket (preferably shell jacket without lining)
• Wind and waterproof trousers (preferably shell trousers without lining)
• Hiking pants
• Thick gloves
• Thin mittens, gloves
• Snow locks (gaiters)
• Headlamp
• Sunglasses
• Ski goggles
• Water bottle
• Sun protection

 

The following are good to have but not a must:
• Poles (telescopes that can be folded and attached to a backpack)
• Sun hat or cap
• Handkerchief (slightly larger can serve as sun protection for the neck/head)
• Camera (compact)

 

Included in the price
• Training and guiding by an authorized mountain guide for 3 days
• All climbing equipment
 
Not included
• Travel to and from Chamonix
• Accommodation in Chamonix
• Lift card to get up to climbing faster
• Personal equipment, see the list above

Please use the form if you have any questions or want us to contact you.