Intro to Alpine Climbing Course

Description

Intro to Alpine Climbing Course in the Snowy Range near Laramie, Wyoming

Learn the fundamentals of alpine climbing in Wyoming!

Our Intro to Alpine Climbing Course teaches you how to be a safer and more sustainable climber in the mountains!  This intensive course focuses on improving your planning and preparation, technical systems, climbing skills, and decision making for alpine rock climbing and summer snow climbing.  We also focus on how to apply LNT and Beyond LNT best practices while alpine climbing.  We are fortunate to teach this course in an incredible alpine classroom – the Snowy Range near Laramie, Wyoming – where we can access both alpine rock and snow climbs with minimal approaches throughout the summer.  If you want to learn how to enhance your safety and reduce your environmental impact as you venture into alpine terrain, this is the course for you!

Intro to Alpine Climbing Course location

The alpine rock faces and steep snow couloirs of the Snowy Range are excellent terrain for teaching the foundational skills of alpine rock climbing and summer snow climbing.  Moderate grades, good conditions, accessible climbs close to the road, and safe means of egress make the Snowies an ideal alpine classroom.

Lessons

Our Intro to Alpine Climbing Course curriculum focuses primarily on the following topics:

• Planning and preparation for alpine climbing
• Technical systems including rock and snow protection, anchors, belaying, rappelling, and self-rescue
• Alpine rock climbing techniques
• Snow climbing techniques
• Risk mitigation
• Decision-making
• Reducing environmental impacts

For more information about specific lessons please refer to a sample Alpine Climbing Course Guide.

Prerequisities

This course requires a significant climbing background in addition to familiarity with traditional climbing systems and crack climbing techniques.  As such we strongly suggest taking our Trad Climbing Course and Multipitch Climbing Course beforehand.  This physically demanding course also requires a solid base of general strength and aerobic fitness.  Please inquire via email if you have any questions about your readiness for this course.

Course options and rates:

Our rates reflect the extremely labor intensive nature of these trips for our guides, including extensive planning, physical labor, and risk management.  Rates include all technical climbing equipment – no hidden fees.

• 2 Day Itinerary

Cost: $400/day; 2 people – $625/day

Our 2 day Intro to Alpine Climbing Course is a great option if you only have two days to work on your alpine climbing skills but you want to make the most of it!  Your guide will work with you to select objectives that are appropriate for your group size, suit your learning goals, and feature fun, high quality climbing in a beautiful setting.  Each day of the course will typically last 8 hours but can be customized to fit your schedule.  The first day of the course is focused on learning skills on smaller terrain and the second day is focused on applying those skills and climbing larger objectives.

• 3 Day Itinerary

Cost: $350/day; 2 people – $575/day

Our 3 Day Intro to Alpine Climbing Course is a great option if you want to challenge yourself and take your multipitch climbing to new heights!   The first day of the course is focused on learning skills on smaller terrain, the second day is focused on applying those skills and climbing a longer objective, and then the third day provides an opportunity for clients to plan their own alpine climb and receive feedback from the guide.  Your guide will work with you to select appropriate venues for this course.  Each day of the course will typically last 8 hours but can be customized to fit your schedule. 

Availability

We offer this course throughout the summer and early fall, from late May to October (weather and snow conditions dependent of course). Courses are available on a first-come, first-serve basis and tend to book very quickly, so sign up soon!

Booking:

Please reach out to us via email (contact form below) to confirm guide availability for your preferred dates.  Once guide availability is confirmed we will send you a detailed email with the signup form, liability release agreement, and invoice.  Note that we require a 25% deposit to finalize your booking.  This deposit is non-refundable in case of cancellation within two weeks of the booking but is transferable to other dates and courses.

Contact Us:

Interested in taking an Intro to Alpine Climbing Course?  Please send us an email with your name, contact info, and a brief description of when and where you’d like to take the course. Feel free to ask us any questions you might have about the course!