Our comprehensive winter mountaineering program comes in 3 parts:

• Water Ice Climbing (2 days)
• Winter Mountaineering (Core Curriculum (4 days)
• Backcountry Skiing (2 days)

You can take the parts independently because each functions as a unit and covers specific sets of skills, or you can combine them in an eight-day program to gain comprehensive training in all the skills of the winter and expeditionary environments. Upon completion of the core curriculum and the ice climbing segment of this course, you should be well prepared for winter ascents as well as for expeditions of moderate or intermediate technical challenge on Denali, in the Andes, and in the Himalaya.

In this program our goals are to help backpackers and mountaineers with little or no winter experience become well versed in a complete repertoire of winter backcountry and climbing skills and prepared to apply those skills in an expeditionary context, such as on Denali. We cover the challenges of cold weather camping; the complexity of backcountry travel (including both route finding and hazard evaluation); winter climbing, protective systems, and rope handling skills; and either snowshoeing or skiing technique.

Upon completion of this program, you should be capable of gaining safe access to the backcountry and high alpine peaks, and you should be able to camp and climb comfortably in a variety of conditions. The training should allow you to become a proficient rope team member, capable of making alpine ascents of intermediate technical difficulty. The curriculum is also designed to prepare you for Arctic climbing as well as non-Arctic high altitude climbing which commonly involves winter-like conditions.

Winter mountaineering encompasses one of the most aesthetic and rewarding aspects of the varied sport of climbing. Like all forms of the sport, winter mountaineering has as much to do with mental challenge as it does with physical endurance and the successful application of technical skills. In addition to applying a range of climbing skills, as a winter climber you must also understand and evaluate snowpack stability, avalanche hazard, and mountain weather; do route finding under sometimes difficult conditions; maintain suitable shelters in cold and wind; and attend precisely to the details of climbing technique and protective systems.

This program can most easily be conducted while using snowshoes, and previous snowshoeing experience is not required. It can also be done using telemark or randonnee gear, but to elect this option, you must be an advanced-intermediate skier on ungroomed terrain. All participants must use either snowshoes or skis in each program. Course fees vary according to the client-to-guide ratio (the maximum ratio is 4:1).

The Physics & Physiology of Cold Weather

• an introduction to human physiology in cold weather;
• equipment, clothing & shelter for the winter & expedition climber;
• internal maintenance: food & drink in a cold environment;
• avalanche hazard evaluation techniques & avalanche release mechanisms;
• avalanche rescue procedures.

Winter & Expeditionary Climbing & Protective Systems Skills

• selection & use of ropes, knots & harnesses;
• design concept, selection & use of ice axe & second hand tools;
• proper choice & application of the primary ice axe positions: piolet canne, panne, manche, poignard, ancre, & traction;
• French, German, & American cramponing techniques;
• selection & placement of snow pickets & flukes for protection and belay anchors;
• selection & placement of ice screws for protection and belays;
• simulation of glacier travel & practice of crevasse rescue skills;
• winter rock climbing skills (Sierra Nevada only);
• establishment & maintenance of fixed lines & the use of ascenders.

Skills for Winter Travel

• techniques for skiing or snowshoeing varied, backcountry snow conditions;
• techniques for skiing or snowshoeing gentle or steep terrain with a full pack;
• principles of roped glacier skiing;
• navigation & route finding in both good & poor visibility;
• Leave No Trace climbing, camping, & travel skills.

Sierra Nevada, California

The dramatic crest and complex eastern slopes of the Sierra Nevada serve as one site for this course. With altitudes from 6000 to 14,000 feet and fairly consistent cold and clear weather, along with Ouray, Colorado, this region is considered the best winter climbing ground in North America. It offers dependable water ice, excellent skiing, and an unusual opportunity to make a winter ascent of a 13,000 or 14,000-foot peak.

The program begins with one or two days of technical water ice climbing at June Lake or Lee Vining Canyon. Following that training in climbing technique and protective systems, we move on to a day of mixed climbing on moderately technical, snow covered rock. For the first two nights we return to a cabin or lodge, but for the remainder of the program we make an expedition into the backcountry.

During the four-day, expeditionary phase of this program we work on route finding techniques, hazard evaluation, and additional climbing and skiing skills. Conditions permitting, we also ascend a major Sierra peak. With its beautiful setting, carefully crafted curriculum, problem solving challenges, and high peak ascent, this comprehensive winter climbing program is as enjoyable for its aesthetic rewards as it is for the enhancement of skills that it provides.

San Juan Mountains, Colorado

The San Juan Mountains near Ouray in southwestern Colorado enjoy some of the finest snow conditions in North America; coupled with a varied geography that includes attractive peaks, high mountain valleys, and an abundance of water ice, those conditions create one of the finest winter sports areas on the continent. A weather pattern that typically brings cold, clear days helps create especially good climbing and skiing opportunities.

Dylan Taylor

We begin this program with either two or three days of climbing instruction and practice on waterfall ice. Building from skills in cramponing, ice axe technique, and use of a second hand tool, we gradually progress to application of those techniques to more challenging ground at a pace appropriate to each climber. Thoroughly covering rope management and protective systems, the instructors work to develop both good technique and good judgment in each climber.

During the backcountry segment, we travel into the high country where we establish a base camp that puts us in good position to work on a variety of skills. Following training in ski technique and avalanche hazard evaluation, conditions allowing, we may make a scenic and rewarding ascent during which participants combine and apply all the skills they have been working on during their San Juan week.

Tuition includes the use of group climbing equipment. It does not include transportation, lodging, food costs, or personal equipment. As part of the expedition training, we will be camping during the backcountry portion of the course. While you can camp during the waterfall ice portion of the course, we highly recommend staying in a cabin or a lodge to maximize the time and energy that can be devoted to climbing. The cost of the cabin or lodge is not included in the program cost.

We offer three additional Denali Prep programs in different locations. See the 6-day Expedition Training Program as well as the 7-day Denali Prep Course, both held in Washington's North Cascades. Additionally, see the 7-day Alaska Mountaineering - Denali Prep held in Alaska.