Ice Climbing Courses (Winter)

•Program & Dates •Price List •Norway Icefalls •Ice Blaster Long Weekend •Technical Alpine Icefalls •Classic Alpine Icefalls •Canadian Icefalls •Personal Guiding & Custom Courses (Winter) •Favourite Climbing Venues

ISM ice climbing courses are designed to give guaranteed, top quality ice climbing and ice climbing instruction . We operate in some of the world's finest ice climbing venues, giving continuous expert instruction throughout each course.

Britain's maritime climate produces very fickle winter conditions, while in the Alps, Norway and Canada temperatures typically remain low and relatively stable throughout the winter - giving great conditions for ice climbing! The weather in the Alps is also more favourable than that which prevails in the UK. Even during the remarkably mild winter of 06/07 our alpine ice courses ran very successfully, thanks to the huge experience of our guiding team and the fact that we are always prepared to travel to where the ice is best.

Each winter without fail, dramatic icefalls form in alpine valleys, the fjords of Norway and the Canadian Rockies, providing much of the best and most reliable ice-climbing to be found worldwide.

We avoid 'honey pot' areas (such as certain venues in the Chamonix valley) where you may have to cope with the hazards and problems of sharing the ice with many other parties (such as falling chunks of ice from other climbing teams). Our courses run in quiet, 'wilderness' locations which offer more of a true mountaineering experience and a real sense of adventure.

Each course gives a full 6 days ice climbing (with 7 nights accommodation) and our programme caters for the full range of ability/experience (provided people are fit and equipped for the demands of the winter environment - see Equipment page and note below). It is our intention that every course should be great fun, full of adventure and a rewarding learning experience, with top class instruction blended into a challenging programme of the best ice climbing in our chosen venues.

Classic Alpine Icefalls is suited to people wanting a thorough grounding in ice climbing technique and to progress as far as possible in the space of a week, as well as those who just want to enjoy great ice climbs at the 'classic' grades of III and IV (with a chance to climb grade V for people who are climbing confidently). The course is perfect for 'improvers' who will benefit from expert tuition to climb more efficiently and work up confidently to harder ice climbs.

Technical Alpine Icefalls will suit the experienced ice-climber who wants a challenging alpine ice climbing course on routes of grades IV and V (i.e. with some sustained vertical sections requiring good technique and upper body strength) with a chance to try grade VI for the more ambitious. It offers a full 6 days ice climbing at two or more of the fantastic icefall climbing venues in the Swiss and Italian Alps. No two courses cover the same ground, and people who joined our Alpine Icefalls course previously can be assured of climbing fresh routes in new areas.

If you can’t take a full week’s holiday for alpine icefall climbing this winter, we offer our Ice-Blaster Long Weekend - an intensive three days of building skills and climbing great ice routes, using private cars for rapid transport to the venues offering the best conditions. Climbers of any ability are welcome and we provide a blend of climbing and instruction according to individual needs.

Our first venture in 2007 is the Norway Icefalls week at the beginning of January. With an ambience and culture quite unlike the Alps, the spectacular, ice-encrusted valleys of Hemsedal and Valdres are now becoming ice climbing destinations to compare with any in the world. Later in the season we are offering two dates for our Canadian Icefalls week in the majestic Canadian Rockies. These may be combined to give the ultimate two-week ice climbing holiday.

Our full week alpine ice climbing courses convene in Leysin, and onward transport is by private car provided by ISM. Leysin is easy to reach from Geneva Airport and centrally positioned to access a wide variety of icefall climbing areas, a crucial factor in achieving as much as we possibly can on our courses. Our Ice Blaster Long Weekends convene in the little village of Le Chable, also easy to reach and again perfectly located for ice climbing. As always, we want to make the most of your precious winter holiday time.

Away from Leysin we stay in mountain resorts using comfortable hotels, which are most welcome after a day on the ice. An Information Sheet on hotel accommodation, equipment hire, meeting point etc. is available on the website and sent out to clients well before course starting dates.