Mountaineering Refresher

• Description

  This one-day practical Mountaineering Skills refresher course will help you to review and refine your essential mountaineering skills before the summer mountaineering season begins.

  Skills and techniques covered in this practical, hands-on training day include:
  • steep snow climbing
  • crevasse rescue systems
  • self arrests
  • snow, rock and ice Anchor construction
  • rope management for snow and glacier travel

• Location

  The Mountaineering Refresher course is held in one of a few different locations. These locations are preferred for the ease of access to good training sites with alpine-style conditions:
  • Mt Seymour above North Vancouver
  • Garibaldi Park behind Whistler/Blackcomb
  • Sky Pilot region above Squamish

  The specific course site/location will be decided a few days prior to the course date, based on current conditions and weather. Due to the Sky Pilot and Whistler/Blackcomb locations requiring added fees for lift access, Mt Seymour is the usual training location.

• Guides/Instructors

  Each of our Alpine and Mountaineering programs are taught by some of the best climbers and Guides in Canada. All are certified by the Association of Canadian Mountain Guides (ACMG) and each one has a passion for teaching that will inspire you in your climbing pursuits.

  Visit Guides and Instructors Page for complete details and background on each of our Guide Team.

• Itinerary

  The Mountaineering Refresher course is a 1-day program. The course will begin at 8 am at the pre-arranged location and will finish at approximately 5 pm.

  Your course will start with a brief morning meeting for introductions, to discuss Objectives, review gear, and plan the day's activities. After this pre-trip session, you will hike to the alpine training site and spend the day learning, reviewing, and practicing a variety of mountaineering skills and techniques including:

  • Steep snow climbing
  • Crevasse rescue systems
  • Self arrests
  • Snow, Rock, and Ice Anchor construction
  • Rope management for snow and glacier travel

• Equipment

  Here is a link to the Gear List - Mountaineering day-trip Gear List

  Footwear:
  You will be working in and on snow, so it is important to have proper boots suitable for snow travel. Boots also must be appropriate for use with general mountaineering-style crampons.

  You should always plan for the worst which includes temperatures of close to freezing or slightly below at night, and possible precipitation of rain and/or wet snow each day. Please ensure your clothing and gear is suitable for these conditions.

  Technical gear is listed on the Gear list. Students are asked to supply their own basic slings and cords, as these items may experience wear on each course. These items are available at outdoor stores such as MEC. All other technical gear can be supplied if requested in advance (with the exception of Crampons).

• FAQ's

  Questions about the Mountaineering Refresher course

  What are the best boots for my Mountaineering Course?

  This is one of the most common questions we get, here are some suggestions to help you:

  Your first goal is to determine what you will be using your boots for after the course, where you will get the most use of them. If you will use them for a lot of backpacking trips, a boot with a more flexible sole is ideal. Be aware that this is a trade-off for better security while kicking steps and travelling on steeper snow, where a rigid boot performs better.

  You will next want to consider the type of "welt" (the lip on the toe and heel of the boot). This will determine the style of crampon used for that boot. For general snow use, a “strap on” style of crampon is fine and can go onto any boot, regardless of welt. Another very popular crampon system is a “Hybrid strap-on”, that uses a step-in style for the heel and a strap-on style for the toe. This Hybrid style only requires a heel welt, and is one of the most popular systems for general mountaineering and on our Mountaineering courses. If you are looking at more technical mountaineering and ice climbing, a boot with a heel and toe welt is a good idea as it will allow a technical “step-in” style of crampon attachment, much simpler and more secure for technical climbing (though these boots are often more rigid and less comfortable for extended walking).

  After you determine the general style of boot, you will need to try a lot of different boots on, and go with the one that has the best fit. A boot that fits well is more important than almost any other factor, as long as it is a decently built boot suitable for the activity. Avoid sales and cheaper boots unless they fit great!

  For Canada West Mountaineering courses, any boot that accepts crampons and is designed for mountaineering or light mountaineering will be fine. Even many sturdier backpacking boots are fine as long as they are reasonably stiff and can accept a crampon.

  Lastly, please make sure that you spend enough time in the boots to break them in before your course or trip!

  Do I need to bring special gear?

  Canada West Mountain School will supply all specialised technical climbing safety equipment (with the exception of Crampons). If you do have any gear, though, please bring it so you can practice with your own equipment.

  You will need to supply your own personal clothing, boots and crampons.

  What happens if the weather is not good?

  Weather conditions in the mountains are constantly changing and are one of the many facets of Alpine climbing that mountaineers need to contend with. All the skills on our mountaineering courses can be taught in virtually any conditions, without compromising the safety or integrity of the course.

  The best way to ensure that weather does not take away from your course is to be well prepared with good quality gear.

  Where is the Mountaineering Refresher course conducted?

  Our Mountaineering Refresher course is conducted on Mt Seymour above North Vancouver; behind Whistler/Blackcomb in Garibaldi Park; or, in the Sky Pilot region above Squamish. Specific locations will be chosen close to the course date, based on current conditions and weather forecasts.

  How long are the days?

  A typical day on our Mountaineering Refresher course begins at 8 am and finishes around 5 pm.

• Links, Documents and Paperwork

  Complete the required Waiver and Medical disclosure form in advance of the field session. Click on the link and navigate to your specific course and date:
  • Canada West Mountain School Waiver and Medical disclosure form

   

  Review the CWMS cancelation and transfer policy:
  • Canada West Mountain School Refund/transfer Policy