Technical Alpinism

2008 DATES Click Dates To Book.... Week 25: 14 Jun - 21 Jun Week 26: 21 Jun - 28 Jun FULL Week 27: 28 Jun - 5 Jul Week 28: 5 Jul - 12 Jul Week 29: 12 Jul - 19 Jul Week 30: 19 Jul - 26 Jul Week 31: 26 Jul - 2 Aug Week 32: 2 Aug - 9 Aug Week 33: 9 Aug - 16 Aug Week 34: 16 Aug - 23 Aug Week 35: 23 Aug - 30 Aug Week 36: 30 Aug - 6 Sep Week 37: 6 Sep - 13 Sep Full Summer Programme Click Here COURSE DURATION 6 days, 7 nights ALL INCLUSIVE PRICE £1085 Your course price covers: • Guiding + guides expenses • Full board + accommodation • All picnic lunches/snack food • All course transportation • All mechanical uplift • Loan of technical equipment Click here for Full Details RATIO 3:1 COURSE GRADE Difficulty: 3 Fitness: 3 Click Here for Grading Details

ISM’s longest--running and very highly regarded training course, teaching the skills to prepare you for more technically difficult mountain terrain (whether encountered in the Alps or on mountains elsewhere in the world). The format of the course enables our guides use their teaching skills to pass on the advanced techniques (and practices gained from years of experience) which make them such competent and safe mountaineers.

The aim of the course is to develop your existing skills (such as those gained on our Summits & Skills weeks) and then to give you the opportunity to apply them (with coaching and supervision from our guides) on more technical alpine terrain which involves pitched climbing. Depending on participants’ level of ability and experience, this takes place on multi-pitched routes on snow, ice and rock, with grades ranging from PD to D. Our teaching on this course is very personalised and we take great pride in adapting both the level that we teach at, and the climbs that we tackle, to individual need. We do our best to give you a week that will extend you to the full on a variety of very enjoyable alpine routes, and take your existing climbing experience and knowledge to a new level.

An important aspect of the course is that participants practise techniques for themselves and lead the climbing rope themselves on suitable terrain (alongside the guide who will give teaching and coaching at every stage of the climb). The emphasis is very much on teaching the skills for participants to operate independently and safely in the alpine environment. To this end, we also refresh basic skills such as safe glacier travel and crevasse rescue.

The course is also excellent preparation for our ‘Technical’ range of climbing courses and for those with specific ascents in mind with a guide.

Who the course will suit

This course has been designed for participants with previous alpine experience and for those who have a solid background in rock climbing and/or winter climbing experience. The actual grade climbed is not critical since the itinerary, and the routes we climb, can be adapted to suit individual climbing standards. Participants should have a knowledge of rope work and technical rock climbing – although these skills will be reviewed and refreshed. This course builds on the skills taught on our Summits and Skills and Summits and Skills 4000m courses, and is an ideal follow on for those courses, offering more intensive coaching in the full range of alpine climbing techniques required for steeper ground.

What the course covers

This course will build on your existing skills and apply them in the alpine environment. Subjects covered include:

• Improving your movement and climbing technique on both rock and ice.
• Effective placement of the full range of protection devices and rope management on the lead.
• Efficient belay set-ups and belaying on multi-pitch routes.
• Improving overall efficiency and speed on alpine length climbs.
• Use of technical axes and good front point technique on steeper ice pitches.
• Ice screw and Abalakov belays for multi-pitch ice routes and descents.
• Appropriate route selection for prevailing conditions and abilities.
• Multiple abseil descents.
• Moving together with the rope on different types of alpine terrain.
• Safe glacier travel and crevasse rescue.
• Navigation and use of maps and guidebook.
• Interpretation of alpine conditions and weather.

Note on Equipment: Your Guide / ISM will supply all ropes and climbing hardware, however people taking this course are requested to bring a small rack (eg. 1 set of nuts, Friends 2 & 3, 6 quickdraws and 4-5 ice screws) if they already own them.

Typical course programme

Saturday evening.

The course starts with participants and guides meeting at 7.00pm at Le Grand Chalet hotel in Leysin. This is the chance for the guides to give you a thorough briefing on the details of the course, to sort out any particular personal equipment requirements and for you to ask any questions that you may have!

Sunday.

The limestone cliffs of the Leysin Tours provide a beautiful venue for us to start with a review of rock climbing skills (belay techniques and setups, rope work and movement) within the context of an enjoyable climbing day. It gives the guide a chance to find out exactly ‘where you are’ with your climbing! We move on to cover technical aspects of multi-pitch climbs and descents, lead climbing skills, and to coach your movement on the rock as appropriate. We try to relate crag climbing techniques and rope work to the longer climbs of the Alps and the need for speed and efficiency. As we do throughout this course, we adapt the level we teach each of these things to your level of experience. We return to the Grand Chalet in Leysin in the evening.

Monday.

The objective of the day is for participants to climb an alpine length rock route with instruction and feedback from the guides on the best and most efficient techniques to use on different types of ground. This could be the traverse of ‘Gais Alpin’, which involves sections of pitched climbing as well as sections where we move together with the rope. There is also an abseil descent from a pinnacle along the ridge. This combination of different types of terrain and technique make for an excellent training route and participants will have the chance to lead the rope as appropriate. For those with more experience we may choose a climb on the magnificent ‘Miroir d’Argentine’ – a classic alpine outing to a beautiful summit and a long time favourite with the ISM team. Both of these climbs are done as a ‘long day out’ from Leysin and we return to the Grand Chalet in the evening.

Tuesday.

In the morning, we head off to a high alpine hut, where we will spend the rest of the week. This is normally in the Orny/Trient region (the Swiss side of the Mt Blanc massif) as it provides the ideal venue having a very wide range of suitable climbs for the next days. A short drive to Champex and a chair lift take us up to Le Breya from where a couple of hours walking gets us to the Orny glacier. We will stop on the glacier for a session reviewing basic crampon and ice axe techniques and roped glacier travel. We demonstrate and coach your ice climbing technique with some ‘ice bouldering’ and look at the use of ice screw and Ablakov belays, before continuing up to the Orny hut.

Wednesday.

This is an intensive instructional day on ice climbing and glacier skills. We start by setting top ropes on some longer pitches of ice, using these to coach your technique as much as possible. An efficient technique that does not waste energy is essential for longer alpine ice routes! We move on to steeper pitches as your technique improves and give you a chance to place ice screws and set up ice belays on steep ice, with advice and feedback from the guides. In the afternoon, we head further up the Orny glacier onto the Trient plateau where there is an excellent spot for us to practice a realistic crevasse rescue. We look at the best practical hoisting systems as well as self-rescue by prussiking and its limitations. We give you a chance to practice holding a realistic crevasse fall, set up a snow belay and operate an efficient hoisting system. We stay the night at the Trient hut, which has one of the best views of any in the Alps, looking out over the huge expanse of the Trient plateau and the cirque of peaks that we have come to climb!

Thursday.

We make an alpine start before dawn, as it is essential to climb the snow and ice routes here before they soften too much during the day. Our objective could well be the North face of the Tête Blanche (3421m), which gives around 5 pitches of snow and ice climbing using ice screw belays and is an ideal introduction to this type of alpine route. From the summit, we can also easily climb another nearby peak, the Petite Fourche (3512m), which is easier but good for practicing short rope technique on mixed ground. We descend by abseiling over the cornice from Col Blanc between these two peaks or by the North West ridge, which also involves some abseiling. We return across the plateau later in the day and spend another night at the Trient hut.

Friday

Having climbed a snow and ice route on Thursday we would probably choose a rock route such as the south ridge of the Aiguille Purtscheller (3475m) as our objective for today. This route gives classic alpine ridge climbing on perfect granite – all in a fantastic setting! The climbing is all in pitches (up to grade IV alpine) with a daunting chimney to finish and a narrow rock summit. We descend with several abseils down the mixed ground on the North East side of the peak back onto the Trient plateau. After crossing the Trient plateau and descending the Orny glacier we descend to the valley and return to the Grand Chalet hotel in Leysin on the Friday afternoon. All ISM courses meet back here on Friday, and after a more formal course debrief and dinner there is generally quite a get together at the Yeti bar, with guides and clients alike recounting the weeks adventures - and planning the ones to come!

Depending on the previous experience and abilities of course participants, there are many other peaks and climbs to choose from in this area. Other possible climbs that we attempt on this course are:

• Couloir Copt and Tête Biselx, fantastic ice climbing in an enclosed couloir, then mixed pitches up to the summit, AD+ to D.
• Aiguille d’Orny, South Ridge, rock, PD or AD.
• Aiguilles Dorées, a long and classic traverse that can be shortened if necessary by abseiling down from couloir Copt, mixed, D.
• Aiguille de Tour, traverse of the peak over the North and South summits (mixed and rock, PD).
• Aiguille de Tour by the classic Table de Roc ridge (PD), a snow couloir to a superb jagged granite ridge, over the famous 'rock table'.
• Tête Blanche, North West ridge, an excellent alternative to the North face if the latter is too icy (snow and ice, PD+).
• Aiguille Sans Nom, another beautiful rock route up the south ridge, AD+

Saturday morning.

Breakfast at the hotel is included before departure.

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