The mountains, as we all know, are in a constant state of flux. Conditions change from season to season, and from year to year. A well rounded mountaineer will be able to safely and successfully climb in all seasons and under a variety of conditions. Mountaineering in the winter time is very different than traveling on glaciers and on seasonal snowpack in typical summer conditions.

AAI teaches this course in two locations, the High Sierra of California (this page), and the Rocky Mountains of Colorado. If you are considering a winter mountaineering curriculum, you might also be interested in our winter Cascades Denali Prep program.

In our winter 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.

This winter mountaineering course can be combined with our waterfall ice program and our backcountry skiing program. When taken together or pieced together over a season or two, these programs together make up our "winter comprehensive curriculum." Here are the links other other two program in this progression:

1. Waterfall Ice Climbing (Sierra, CA)
2. Backcountry Skiing (Sierra, CA)

Mount Whitney, the tallest peak in the Lower 48, is unique in that it is climbable in any month of the year. The conditions on Mount Whitney change from season to season, but unlike make of it's glaciated 14,000-foot partners in the Northwest, the weather is quite a bit better throughout the various season and the snowpack is usually excellent for climbing during the winter months.

Heading back to camp in the Eastern Sierra. Dylan Taylor

One of our main goals in this program is to make an ascent of Mount Whitney via the Mountaineer's Route. In mid-summer, the Mountaineer's Route is a class three scramble. In the winter, it can range from a rock scrambled lightly dusted in snow, to a full-on snow and ice climb with sections up to about 40-degree in steepness.

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

Evaluating the snowpack's stability with a compression test.

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 randonnée 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).

An AAI group low on the Mountaineer's Route. Ben Reichardt

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.