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x3prodigy4x
Mar 18, 2007, 5:10 PM
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Registered: Mar 18, 2007
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Hello All!
This summer, I would like to learn how to mountaineer. Not necessarily just alpine and ice, but rather just a general sense of all around mountaineering. So my question is how did all you guys get started? I was thinking about taking a class by mountain madness... What would be the best way to start out?
Thanks,
Robert
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kane_schutzman
Mar 18, 2007, 5:34 PM
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Registered: May 14, 2005
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I ll tell you this,
I spent alot of time accessing each class from each different company offering them. Don't do that or your going to end up even more confused. There are so many different choices. Anyways, I found a course at Alpine Ascents International that teaches everything. They have a 6 day and 13 day course. Look at the AAI schools
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alexmac
Mar 24, 2007, 2:26 PM
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Registered: May 23, 2005
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x3prodigy4x wrote: Hello All! This summer, I would like to learn how to mountaineer. Not necessarily just alpine and ice, but rather just a general sense of all around mountaineering. So my question is how did all you guys get started? I was thinking about taking a class by mountain madness... What would be the best way to start out? Thanks, Robert
I'd join the American Alpine Club and take begineer trips with them. In Canada they have the Canadian Alpine Club and they have lots of begineer / moderate trips and in addition have what they call GMC (general mountaineering camps) that last a week.
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kixx
Mar 25, 2007, 11:30 PM
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Registered: Nov 23, 2005
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Where are you from? What's your background? Why do you want to be a mountaineer?
These questions will help you get started, and if you can give the answers it will help others help you get started.
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x3prodigy4x
Mar 26, 2007, 5:12 AM
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Registered: Mar 18, 2007
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I'm currently living in San Diego right now. I love the outdoors and I've been rockclimbing off and on for a few years. Mountaineering seems like it mixes in rockclimbing, iceclimbing, camping, and navigation all into one which really interests me. Also, I really like to challenge myself and this seems like it could definately do that. Also, in the future I want to become a firefighter mainly w/ search and rescue so I would love to have mountaineering under my belt.[
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kixx
Mar 26, 2007, 4:27 PM
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Registered: Nov 23, 2005
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Most people progress form either backpacking/camping or roadside crag climbing (rock or ice) into general mountaineering. General mountaineering is non technical steep hiking to high altitude mountains like Rainier, Denali, Everest and the Seven Summits. This type of mountaineering is generally expedition oriented, and guide services like Mountain Madness offer schools that will teach this type of regimented climbing. The reason it is regimented is that is usually involves groups with little experience who just want to get few big summits or may have an eye on Everest or something similar, and there are certain protocols toward group climbs that need to be followed.
Another option is to get into it yourself through relationships you can build in the mountaineering world by joining clubs or finding somebody in your area that is interested in the same things you are. Also, you may be able to find local folks with experience and a willingness to work with you to help you get started. The hard part is that these folks usually have objectives that are beyond your ability - so a trip out with a personal guide may be the best option if you want to avoid the general mountaineering crowd.
I got started by doing a lot of winter backpacking which led to an interest in Rainier and Alaska, so I learned technical crevasse ropework, which led to an interest in ice and rock climbing which then led to my current pursuit - Alpinism As my interests have evolved so have my climbing partners, it's important that your goals are aligned with your climbing buddies and sometimes you need to move on because somebody just doesn't have the same ambitions as you. The classes and clubs are the best places to meet folks who would be at the same level as you are. You can also find folks on the partner pages at online forums.
Read List: (it's best to get your information from several points of view so I've listed as many good ones as I can here)
Mountaineering: Freedom of the Hills (FOTH)
Mountaineering Handbook by Craig Connally
Glaciers! by Micheal Strong - a Falcon Guide
Climbing: Training for Peak Performance by Clyde Soles
Extreme Alpinism: Climbing Light, Fast, and High by Mark F. Twight and Don Graydon
Accidents in North American Mountaineering by Jed Williamson (read as many of these as you can find - there is a new addition every year)
There are many more books that will help you but they are for specialty parts of mountaineering and you should get them as you become more involved
Also there is some good stuff on the web you should be reading:
http://www.psychovertical.com/?theartofnotsuffering - best article ever on mountain clothing
http://www.psychovertical.com/ - read the rest of this website as time allows
http://www.cascadeclimbers.com/forum/ubbthreads.php/ubb/cfrm - read all the trip reports you can and keep up with discussions that interest you
http://forum.alpinist.com/ - same thing as above
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