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Mountaineering/Alpine Climbing: How to gain more experience?

Original Post
John Ribes · · Asheville · Joined Sep 2013 · Points: 15

This might sound like a dumb question but I thought ya'll would be the best people to ask. I'm looking to get more experience in mountaineering and alpine climbing. I realize that I could pay CMS or another guide program for a trip but I would much rather find a partner with more experience than me to show me more than just what a guide would.

I do have intermediate experience with mountaineering and alpine climbing. I've done an ascent in Mayflower Gulch, and other places throughout the Elk Mountain range. I would say I have an advanced climbing experience. I have a PCIA Base Management certification as well as multiple years taking personal trips and leading student groups. Because of jobs I've had, I'm not coming into this blind by any means.

I would say that I understand the skills involved in Mountaineering and alpine climbing but that I have little experience using them in a real life context or something outside of reading Freedom of the Hills. My only concern about guiding services is that I would choose one and end up already knowing the skills being taught, just not having the amount of experience with them. In that case I would much rather get that experience with a friend or partner so I could help plan the entire process. I have looked at AMGA courses but honestly I'm young and too poor to commit to a guide track right now.

Does anyone have any advice on getting more experience? How to find people looking for partners? Even guide services that would specifically do technical skills courses as 1:1?

Just to add another personal nugget, I moved to CO in May 2014 after graduating from school in NC.

Thanks ya'll!

Kip Kasper · · Bozeman, MT · Joined Feb 2010 · Points: 200

The best way to gain experience is to go out and do alpine climbs. If you're in the front range go and grovel around RMNP. You'll suck at first and probably take half a day to climb a single pitch before bailing, due to taking forever on the approach because you brought snowshoes instead of skis, but you'll get there eventually as long as you stick with it.

As long as you enjoy being in the mountains and keep an open mind you'll find yourself smiling while getting pummeled by spindrift, or squealing with anxious delight when the entire slope that your smack dab in the middle of settles and a crack shoots to either side of you.

sean o · · Northern, NM · Joined Oct 2012 · Points: 48

If you want to get more experience, make the time to get out a lot. If you want to get out a lot, plan to do so by yourself. Start with what you know, and gradually take on longer and harder routes. Don't do anything drastic. Learn to measure the risks you take. Be willing to accept them when you feel comfortable, and retreat when you don't.

Eliot Augusto · · Lafayette, CO · Joined Dec 2013 · Points: 60

Do a few 4th class trips of varying lengths with alpine starts to gauge your readiness. If that sounds easy to you find a short multi pitch and go for it. 2-4 pitches of 5.7 or 5.6. You sound plenty at home outside so I'm sure you know how to look after yourself above treeline. So the worst that could happen is you leave some nuts or webbing to bail from. What is a couple of bucks in metal for an adventure?

My. Neva is a good intro to alpine climbing. 4th of July trailhead with 3 miles to the Arapahoe pass saddle, south a mile or so. Then 4 pitches of easy alpine. Or you can do the northwest ridge I think it is. Pretty awesome 4th class, if you can get there by sunrise the view is majestic. 2-3 hour approach to base depending on the snowpack.

Beean · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Feb 2014 · Points: 0

If you don't have one already, take an AST course or equivalent. Avalanches aren't something to mess around with, they do kill people every year.

The recommendation to do 4th class trips is a good one, you'll get good at moving over that sort of terrain and picking appropriate routes.

Braden Downey · · Bishop, CA · Joined Feb 2007 · Points: 110

THis may be more specific than you were looking for, but I promise you will get DIALED fast with minimal amount of money and dangerous hard-knocks involved. I recommend achieving the following milestones in this order:

First off, spend 1 Summer in the Sierras because...
- Dangerous weather is not a factor in the Sierras, which is important because you will probably be moving slow while gaining experience with snowy approaches, loose rock, altitude, and tricky route finding for the first time.
- Use the supertopo guidebook to guide your progression from moderate to more advanced climbs
- Hire a guide service to teach you a 1/2 day snow travel course in the spring.
- Finish off the season with a fall ascent of the North Couloir on North Peak - This will be a perfect intro to mellow alpine ice. Hire a guide and tell them exactly what you want.

Get winter experience:
- take an ice and beginner mixed climbing clinic at the Bozeman Ice Fest
- You'll learn how to dress for the cold, manage pump on steep ice, and get some mileage.
- Don't rush into leading! In fact, I wouldn't even try to lead anything this season if you haven't already climbed a fair bit of WI already.
- Climbing hooked-out gang-banged ice is only for novices (like the toproping areas in Ouray ice park). Get experience with knocking big chunks of virgin ice down in order to get good sticks - that's what actually make ice climbing challenging and scary.

There's a good amount of ice and mixed climbing all over Colorado, Montana (hyalite), Wyoming (Cody) to cut your teeth in the winter realm. Eventually you can start climbing alpine routes that demand all of the experience you have learned. If you wanna head to Patagonia or the Karakoram someday, get big wall experience in Yosemite and glacier milage in the Cascades **check out the american alpine institute**

Only push your experience in 1 way at a time to have the best chance of survival. As mark twight so eloquently put it (paraphrased from my memory), "When alpine climbing, the consequences of not being equal to the challenge are severe"

Sorry about the data-dump. That's as concise as I could put it, effectively. Hope that helps.

Braden Downey · · Bishop, CA · Joined Feb 2007 · Points: 110

Also, buy these books:
- alpine climbing - techniques to take you higher
- will gaad's book on ice climbing

there may be updated books, but those are what my bibles were. I was never really fond of Freedom Of The HIlls. - I thought my copy was poorly illustrated and old-school (gasp!).

Eliot Augusto · · Lafayette, CO · Joined Dec 2013 · Points: 60

Freedom of the Hills I think is a good source to get a general overview of most things mountainy. It explains snow and rock climbing and some mountaineering. It doesn't go in depth and shouldn't be used as an exclusive source of information.

In the summer when the snow has mostly melted is a great time to play around above treeline in RMNP. You can get used to how quickly the weather changes up there. You don't even have to climb, but backpacking alone or camping or hiking will all help. The more exposure to altitude you get, the better.

A hike up Geneva Basin is pretty awesome, to squaretop. It's a 13.5, abandoned ski area. There isn't a trail, but the ski runs are overrun with foliage. Nature is taking back the mountainside . Its across the way from Mt. Evans, so you could camp up there and hit 3 14ers(ish) in two days. Guanella Pass is hands down my favorite mountain spot in CO, and there is so much there. Easy walking trails to 5th class climbs.

John Ribes · · Asheville · Joined Sep 2013 · Points: 15

All this advice is awesome and appreciated. Thank you so much.

Braden Downey · · Bishop, CA · Joined Feb 2007 · Points: 110

I understand i'm kind of preaching now, but one more thing...

People often progress rapidly onto big routes in the mountains their first couple years of alpine climbing. This isn't necessarily a bad thing, but most people have no idea how fucked they would be if a rock knocked their buddy out 1300' up a cliff and they needed to rappel with him... and the wind is starting to get cold.

When you find your alpine climbing partner some day, make sure you both spend time practicing rescue scenarios on a regular basis. There are some great books on self-rescue but they seem to be getting thicker and more complicated than necessary as new editions come out. Once you have the fundamentals down, hiring a guide might prove to be worth it some day to help simplify/refine your methods.

Sam Bedell · · Bend, OR · Joined Sep 2012 · Points: 442

I agree with basically everything said already. I would also add that you should prioritize climbing multi-pitch rock routes over cragging or bouldering on days you can't get out in the mountains. Your profile says you lead 11d sport. You are in no need of improving your technical ability if that is the case, but climbing multi-pitch rock, even just 2-3 pitches will help you dial your systems for alpine climbing on rock or ice.

Good luck finding a partner/mentor, I agree with your idea that such a person will be more valuable than a day with a guide. They are around, they just might not be out at the sport crag or gym.

Soloing 4th class and moderate neve is a great way to gain mileage and experience without needing a partner. +1

Eliot Augusto · · Lafayette, CO · Joined Dec 2013 · Points: 60
SamandHam wrote:Soloing 4th class and moderate neve is a great way to gain mileage and experience without needing a partner. +1
There are a number of 5.6s that barely have that grade. Maybe 10 ft of it on the 4th pitch. Bring a rope if you need to rap out or bail though.
Guideline #1: Don't be a jerk.

Colorado
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