ASI - Sierra Climbing Courses - Alpine Mountaineering Camp

Technical Difficulty (Class):

Mountain Skill Rating:

Physical Condition:

Client/Guide Ratio: 4:1

Includes:
Group camping equipment, 3 group dinners, ice axe, crampons, harness and helmet.

Operating under Special Use Permit, Inyo National Forest.

Alpine Mountaineering Camp 4 Day
The most thorough mountaineering short course anywhere!

This course is designed for those interested in becoming versatile, well-rounded alpine climbers. From our basecamp near our vehicles at Tioga Pass we'll make day-trips to practice skills, then tackle a multi-day climb utilizing a high camp we'll establish on a nearby crest peak. During rock school we will cover climbing Class 4 and 5 terrain and learn anchoring, belaying and rappeling skills.

On the nearby snowfields we'll practice important snow climbing skills, including self-belay, self-arrest and belaying others utilizing innovative snow anchors. For the final two days we'll choose the most appropriate route to provide an interesting and fulfilling Sierra climbing experience.

Cost: $775

Dates:

July 17-20, 2017 (Mon-Thurs)
Aug 31- Sept 3, 2017 (Fri-Mon)

Skills covered will include:

Basecamp technique
Off-trail mountain walking technique, class 2
Rock scrambling, class 2-3
Basic rock belay, class 3-4
Rock climbing and rapelling, class 5
Ice axe, self-belay, self-arrest
Rope belayed snow climbing and anchoring
Variety of crampon techniques for firm snow
Multi-pitch mixed snow and rock climbing
High camp bivouac technique
Route planning, map reading and navigation technique
Emergency preparedness and response
Principles of Leave No Trace

Itinerary:
Day 1 - After meeting at Tioga Pass Resort, we'll drop gear at our car campsite nearby and shuttle to our rock training area near Ellery Lake. The day will be spent with high mountain, alpine rock climbing skills including climbing harness, roped climbing, belaying and rappelling techniques in the high alpine environment. Back to camp for dinner.

Day 2 - Hike to nearby snow slopes and chutes for snow school. Lesson/practice with ice axe, crampons, harness and rope with state-of-the-art, refined techniques. Dinner back at camp.

Day 3 - Hike to high camp in Glacier Canyon approaching Mt. Dana, practicing skills en-route. Planning and preparation, equipment selection and packing technique for sophisticated "High & Light" travel and bivouac techniques, route finding, navigation and emergency planning, high camp selection and camp construction, high mountain meal planning and preparation.

Day 4 - Glacier travel and multi-pitch mixed climb including snow, ice and rock to Mt. Dana Summit, descent, course recap and close.

Preparation:
Cardiovascular conditioning: prepare with at least 3-4, 40 min+ aerobic workouts per week including hill running, biking, or hard-hill hiking with a pack and ski poles. Pre-climb acclimatization recommended to include hiking and sleeping at 8,000'-10,000' at least 1 day before the climb.

Prerequisites:

Previous mountain hiking experience (5 miles+, some off-trail)
Familiar with modern, light-weight overnight equipment found on our Equipment List
Very Good physical condition, prepared for full days of climbing at elevations 10,000' to 13,000'.

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