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Mountaineering School in New Hampshire

Bill Kirby · · Keene New York · Joined Jul 2012 · Points: 480
Ongsomwang wrote: I'd still take experience climbing in the Cascades over NH any day. Not sure how the Cascades or Rockies is more "benign" compared to one tiny peak on the east coast.

While I agree benign might not be the right word Mt Washington is a real objective that can be compared to many mountains twice it's height. Go ahead and underestimate the experience from your armchair. I did the same about five years ago. I dismissed Mt Washington until the afternoon of the second day. It went from 28 sunny with 10 mph winds to really cold and really windy. That was one of the only times I was scared hiking! Haha..
Seraphim · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Jul 2014 · Points: 0
Bill Kirby wrote: While I agree benign might not be the right word Mt Washington is a real objective that can be compared to many mountains twice it's height. Go ahead and underestimate the experience from your armchair. I did the same about five years ago. I dismissed Mt Washington until the afternoon of the second day. It went from 28 sunny with 10 mph winds to really cold and really windy. That was one of the only times I was scared hiking! Haha..
I am not dismissing Mt. Washington. Just saying, that one mountain in New Hampshire is not better experience than actually going to a glaciated range if you want to learn mountaienering skills and get good at it.

Especially in terms of the size, and diveristy of peaks you can climb. Again Mt. Washington has some impressive things (such as its weather), but that is about it.
Kenneth Cole · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Mar 2011 · Points: 40

Kel Rossiter is an AMGA guide in New England that does a ton of alpine, ice and rock programs. Has as doctorates degree in outdoor education. His out fit is Adventure Spirit Guides. He can put together a custom program and great rates. He's currently in WA with RMI for the season on Rainier (guides there and Alaska most summers when not in the northeast. I've done education with him in the Washington mountains and North Cascades, WA. His cell is (802) 535-1498. Best wishes!

Reggie Pawle · · Boston, MA · Joined Nov 2010 · Points: 5

this all depends on your goals and where you're at in your experience level. if you've never been out in the winter, it's a great idea. when you're at the beginner level I don't think there's much of a difference in terms of learning what you need to learn right now compared with anywhere else. you'll learn how to move, how to keep yourself dry, how to camp in winter, etc. I think it's important to learn those fundamentals before moving on to glacier travel, technical ice, or any of a myriad skills you have yet to learn.

everyone is saying "but there are no glaciers in new england." who cares, you can take another weekend to learn that, and you'll learn 80% of what you need to know. one thing at a time.

one thing I'd recommend is not to spend too long learning the fundamentals before getting after it for real. once you feel like you know enough not to kill yourself, your time is best spent trying real routes on real mountains.

Mark R · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Feb 2014 · Points: 65

Just wanted to note that I've taken two 2-day glacier travel and CR courses, one through IMCS at ice fest and one elsewhere in a glaciated range and I actually learned more from the course in NH. It all depends on the instructors, whether they know and offer up tips or just teach the basics, where they decide to teach the course, etc...

In NH we used a small ice covered cliff to simulate a crevasse rescue with full body weight whereas in the glaciated range course we just used a dip in the glacier and had the victim lean back on the rope as there weren't any easily accessible people-sized crevasses.

My course at ice fest in NH had three expert guides offering tips from their decades of experience and my glaciated range course had one guide teaching the bare minimum.

In my experience the guide is more important than the location but YMMV.

Russ Keane · · Salt Lake · Joined Feb 2013 · Points: 392

New Hampshire has excellent ice climbing opportunities. I would imagine vertical ice skills, as well as the many low-angle gully multi-pitch winter climbs in NH, would be a great background to what's needed for mountaineering.

Plus it's about as fun as anything. I love ice climbing.

Guideline #1: Don't be a jerk.

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