Join Me in the Adventure
Instructional
Courses
Alpine Preparation - Skills & Training For Alpinism
Alpine preparation courses can run with one person or two people booking together.
Course duration of one or two days.
The ropework skills we use in the Alps are not so easy to learn by yourself here in the UK. Whilst I cannot replicate glaciers, crevasses and snow anchors here in the Lakes on a summer alpine preparation course, I can provide you with skillset training to help you get the big picture and feel more confident about going alpine mountaineering.
This is a popular programme and people attend for different reasons. You might want to learn the ropework skills for glaciers and mountaineering so that you can start your alpine journey feeling more prepared for independent mountaineering. Or you could be joining a guided mountaineering programme and want to check out your aptitude, ability and fitness levels before committing to the costly investment.
Whilst on the course, in addition to the hard skills, you will get top tips on kit choice and purchase, what to carry, where to go, where to find weather and current information and much more.
On the intensive skills day, you will cover and practise all the salient learning points of the Scrambling Skills & Thrills programme so do take a look at this. The big difference on this course is that we will be looking at deploying these skills with more adeptness and urgency appropriate to the scale and commitment of alpine climbing. Above all, you will have thorough and comprehensive coaching and instruction of ropework systems and equipment for glacier travel and crevasse rescue.
Course Duration
Lakeland Mountaineering will advise you as to whether a one or two day booking will meet your requirements at the point of enquiry to help you formulate the best programme for you.
- On a one day programme, we can focus either on intensive skills coverage working in a suitable location or embark on a fast and light alpine training journey. This is ideal if you are just after a skills day or only want to check out your fitness on the alpine training journey.
- On a two day programme, the intensive skills day will be followed by a fast and light alpine training journey day putting all the learning together.
On the fast and light journey day, the guide will work in and out of the rope system depending on client ability and as is most appropriate for learning and group safety. Any questions, just get in touch.
Scrambling Skills & Thrills
Scrambling courses can run with one person or two people booking together.
Comprehensive skills training for scrambling enthusiasts.
Scrambling is a great way of getting off the beaten track and enjoying continuous and efficient movement over rocky and exposed mountain terrain. This activity can incorporate a wide range of difficulty from easy ridge scrambles, not requiring any technical climbing skills – just steady footwork and a head for heights, to undertakings requiring good route-finding ability, dynamic risk assessment and solid personal climbing skills when moving over slippery, exposed and consequental terrain. Even more so when unroped.
At the point where we introduce climbing equipment and ropes, we cross the blurred overlap with rock climbing itself. Scrambling guide books also frequently include easier graded rock climbs where a basic apprenticeship in traditional rock climbing is essential. Mountaineering judgement is also required and this is only gained by time spent in the mountains.
Also, the ropework skills for scrambling are often more dynamic and on the go, allowing us to move more quickly and efficiently using techniques that differ from traditional rock climbing where the climbers move one at a time; leader then second, between stances to which they anchor and alternately belay each other. In comparison to scrambling, this “pitched” climbing is quite static and controlled. Scrambling requires us to have a repertoire of skills, traditional pitched rock climbing skills and more dynamic ropework techniques similar to the techniques alpine mountaineers use.
Lakeland Mountaineering tailors the coaching programme to dovetail with your current experience and aspirational level. You will complete the course with a new tool bag of skills and learning points that will make your scrambling far more enjoyable, flowing and above all safer. Here are a few examples of what you will cover, this list is far from exhaustive!
- Guidebook interpretation, grading systems and route choice – learn to identify and select appropriate itineraries.
- Dynamic risk assessment and mountaineering judgement – learn to read the terrain and interpret conditions, be objective and realistic about your ability and avoid heuristic traps.
- Learn movement techniques for ascent, descent and traversing over exposed ground.
- Technical equipment and rope choice – advice on selecting the most appropriate equipment.
- Footwear choice – mountaineering boots or sticky soled approach shoes, when and why – the pros and cons.
- Rock climbing – learn the necessary techniques relevant to you and your current skill- set.
- Alpine ropework – learn a repertoire of new rope skills (taking coils for example) relevant to your current skill-set for moving with time-saving efficiency and appropriate management of risk on easier terrain.
- Transition skills – learn when and how to change efficiently from controlled “pitched” climbing techniques to faster paced alpine ropework techniques.
- Down climbing – learn skills to negotiate tricky descents using the rope for protection.
- Abseil retreats and escape routes – learn how to extricate yourself as safely as possible.
If you do not wish to learn ropework skills but simply experience the thrill of scrambling, take a look at our Reet Grand Days Out Int Lakes. These are essentially guided days but we will never miss the opportunity to input learning and skills as appropriate.
If you are already a rock climber or confident on technical roped-up scrambles, but want to move up a gear for bigger UK undertakings such as the Skye Ridge Traverse or a trip to the Alps take a look at our Alpine Preparation programme. All course delivery is bespoke to meet your specific requirements, your technical ability and aspirational level.
