3-Day Alpine Skills Course

The 3-Day Alpine Skills Course is designed for climbers, skiers, and backcountry travelers who want to take their mountain travel to the next level. This program builds a strong foundation of technical skills, movement efficiency, and mountain decision-making the key ingredients for safe and confident alpine climbing.

Over three immersive days in the high Sierra, participants learn hands-on techniques for snow and rock travel, rope systems, anchors, navigation, and hazard management. Whether you’re preparing for your first major peak, transitioning from hiking to mountaineering, or building skills for bigger expeditions, this course gives you the competence and confidence to move independently in alpine terrain.

Our certified guides emphasize clarity, repetition, and real-world practice helping you progress beyond basic instruction to truly understand how to think and operate like a mountaineer.

Price: $750.00

Dates:

  • Goals

    • Learn essential alpine travel techniques

    • Understand basic snow and glacier movement skills

    • Build competence with crampons, ice axe, and rope systems

    • Develop safe decision-making in alpine terrain

    Outcomes

    • Move confidently on snow, ice, and mixed terrain

    • Perform basic rope work, knots, and belay systems

    • Use crampons and an ice axe effectively

    • Apply simple navigation and hazard-management skills

    • Feel prepared for beginner-level alpine objectives

  • Day 1

    • Morning: Introduction to alpine gear and equipment; basic knots and rope management

    • Afternoon: Movement, efficiency, self-arrest practice on snow slopes

    • Evening: Route planning and hazard assessment discussion

    Day 2

    • Morning: Snow/Rock Anchors

    • Afternoon: Ice axe and crampon use; travel on mixed terrain

    • Evening: Navigation skills with map and compass

    Day 3

    • Morning: Team travel dynamics; belaying & rappelling basics

    • Afternoon: Course wrap up & hike back to trailhead

    • Endurance: Mountaineering involves long ascents over varied terrain. A good cardiovascular base is crucial.

    • Strength: A focus on leg strength, core stability, and overall muscle conditioning will help you navigate uneven slopes with the weight of a mountaineering pack on.

    • Fitness Level: Participants should have a solid fitness foundation and prior hiking experience in mountainous terrain.

    • Team work & Communication Skills: Joining a guided trip is an excellent way to gain the necessary communication skills so you are held accountable for pulling your own weight by contributing to the teams decision making.

    • Friendly AMGA trained guides.

    • Applicable recreation and/or forest service permits.

    • Group rescue gear, first aid, GPS.

    • Waste Disposal Bags in compliance with “Leave No Trace” principles.

    • Tents

    • Ropes

    • Stoves

    • Fuel

    • Pots & pans

    • Water storage & treatment

    Not Included:

    • Mountaineering boots, ice axe, crampons, helmets, harness, carabiners.

    • Food/Snacks/Meals

    • Transportation

    • Guide Gratuities

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Day 2 – Technical Systems & Terrain Management

Location: Mixed snow and rock terrain

Morning:

  • Rope management and knots for alpine climbing

  • Belay techniques: hip belay, terrain belay, and transitions

  • Building rock and snow anchors in alpine conditions

Afternoon:

  • Short-roping and short-pitching techniques

  • Transitions between snow and rock

  • Efficiency and communication in the alpine environment

Evening (optional camp session):

  • Introduction to crevasse rescue concepts

  • Case studies and discussion: mountain decision-making under pressure

Focus: Applying technical systems to real alpine scenarios.

Day 3 – Alpine Objective & Practical Application

Morning:

  • Pre-dawn start and alpine ascent planning

  • Route navigation, rope management, pacing, and group leadership

  • Anchor transitions and protection placement on the go

Afternoon:

  • Summit push or simulated objective

  • Descent and self-reliant travel practice

  • Debrief: personal progression and next-step planning

Focus: Applying everything learned to a real alpine route — teamwork, movement, and decision-making.

Day 1 – Fundamentals of Alpine Movement & Safety

Morning:

  • Orientation, gear review, and packing systems

  • Footwork and movement on snow: step kicking, plunge stepping, and edging

  • Ice axe use and self-arrest practice

  • Crampon technique and movement efficiency

Afternoon:

  • Introduction to rope systems and team travel

  • Snow anchors: pickets, buried tools, and bollards

  • Building awareness of mountain hazards: weather, timing, terrain traps

Evening (optional camp session):

  • Navigation fundamentals (map, compass, terrain reading)

  • Alpine trip planning and risk management discussion

Focus: Foundation of movement, safety, and mindset for alpine travel.