Summer Mountaineering BasicsSM

Students Per Instructor: 1, 2 or 3
Course Length: 2 Days (approx. 8 hours per day)
Seasons Offered: Spring, Summer, Fall
Alpine Mastery Method: Mountaineering Mastery Method
Prerequisites: None

Course Summary: This course will teach you the basics of how to plan and execute an off-trail mountain adventure in conditions that do not involve snow or ice. You will also learn techniques for moving efficiently and safely on open rock slides.

Reservations

Course Description:
Summit views are always spectacular, but they are especially appreciated after an exhilarating and exposed ascent, without the aid of marked trails. We begin this course with an introduction to equipment and clothing for warm weather adventures and the essentials of trip planning and navigation.

After this introduction, we’re off to a nearby small peak, where we’ll practice using map, compass, and altimeter to find our way, off-trail, to the base of an open slide. Without getting into the complexities of technical rock climbing, we’ll introduce techniques that permit an efficient and safe ascent. As we climb, we’ll work on your movement technique and we’ll show you how a rope can be employed to protect you on the more exposed sections.

When heavy rains saturate the thin soils of steep mountainsides massive landslides are occasionally triggered, exposing long sections of clean rock, perfectly suited for climbing. Slashing their way down forested slopes, sometimes for thousands of feet, these open rock slides provide a direct route to the summit. One of these major Adirondack slides, leading to a summit, will be our second day’s objective. Climbed by their easiest routes, many slides are often done without a rope, but we don't think the easiest way is always the best way so we'll carry a rope for occasional use.

During the approach, and on the climb, we’ll make sure you have an opportunity to practice routefinding skills and we’ll spend some time unraveling the area’s fascinating natural history.

Approach hikes of at least three miles are required to reach all major slides in the Adirondacks and, combined with the effort required to climb to a summit, this necessitates good fitness.

Although we carry and use a rope occasionally, this course is not intended to provide an introduction to technical climbing. If you are interested in technical climbing, please visit the Rock Climbing section of this web site.