Advanced Mountaineering Course

Alaska Mountaineering School
Talkeetna, AK, United States

Course Format: Classroom | E-learning | Virtual Class | Online | On-site | Blended | Self-paced

Course Description:

'' AMS’ mission is to seek excellence in safe and responsible mountaineering and wilderness travel while teaching and guiding others. Our core curriculum emphasizes safety and judgment, leadership and team work, mountaineering skills, Leave No Trace practices, and fun. The Advanced Mountaineering Course provides experienced climbers the opportunity to learn and apply new skills in a challenging mountaineering environment. Focus is placed on the decision-making involved and skills necessary for choosing and making successful peak ascents. We will be evaluating terrain, identifying hazards, and attempting climbs. The advanced nature of this course requires students to: have a minimum of 2 years of roped climbing experience, be comfortable in exposed locations, have belayed, built anchors, and rappelled. Prior experience winter camping is also necessary.
Features of This Course

1:3 instructor/student ratio
Mountaineering skills progression review: protection, anchors, belaying, self-arrest, snow, ice, and/or rock climbing
Peak ascents progression
Glacier travel and crevasse rescue techniques
Snow camping: walls, caves, igloos, quinzees, trenches
Avalanche curriculum: mechanics, transceiver searches, snow morphology
Rescue scenarios and techniques to reach a fallen climber
First aid classes: frostbite, hypothermia, altitude-related illnesses
Travel on the glacier with skis, downhill and uphill progression

Expedition Style & Remoteness
Mountaineering courses are self-reliant expeditions that travel in remote mountain ranges of Alaska. Throughout the course, students live in the outdoors, learn to prepare their own meals, and care for themselves. The course format emphasizes hands-on learning and the application of new skills in a variety of terrain. From these areas, evacuation to modern medical facilities can be difficult and take days if the weather is unflyable.

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Environment
Mountaineering courses fly into Denali National Park & Preserve, home to North America’s biggest and wildest mountains. AMS scouts new areas in the Park each year to teach courses. These areas are chosen based on accessibility and fulfilling course objectives. The exact location depends on landing conditions and instructor preference. Each of these areas, with their variety of mountains, beauty and isolation are challenging and demand respect. Course routes are classic for a mountaineering expedition in Alaska. Expect to be on snow for the duration of your course. Weather of all varieties is to be expected: wind, snow, rain, and beautiful days.

The First Day
We will meet for gear check at AMS’ headquarters in downtown Talkeetna at 9:00 a.m. on the starting day of your course. Many students choose to arrive the day before the course. Please be on time so instructors can start checking equipment. After checking equipment and issuing any items you need, we will have a course orientation. At 1 pm, lunch at AMS is provided. After lunch, we pack and dress, practice fixed-line ascension and fly onto the glacier in ski-equipped fixed wing airplanes. The 30-45 minute flight into Denali Park is spectacular and a memorable highlight to the course; it’s the quickest way to access the snowy peaks. This is a busy day, so please take care of all personal business beforehand.

Course Progression

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The goal of this course is to advance students’ mountain skills and judgment through applied classes and peak ascents. The first couple days will focus on skills necessary to live and travel safely in a glaciated environment. Some skills will be review and covered expediently. Whenever possible, old ways will be challenged and new and advanced techniques will be introduced. The course format includes climbing routes which often require the group to split up into smaller climbing teams. Student-lead peak ascents are also a possibility. The course breaks camp and moves to new locations to explore and climb in a variety of terrain. At certain intervals, classes are taught on altitude and cold related injuries, rescue scenarios, and avalanche curricula. Leadership and expedition behavior discussions are also held. Students receive verbal and written evaluations at the end of the course.

Course Objectives
Mountaineering courses vary in length, route and environmental conditions. Working with these variables, instructors strive for the following goals for each student:


Safety & Judgment
AMS teaches mountaineering skills, which promote the health and safety of all expedition members. Each graduate is expected to:
demonstrate knowledge of the hazards in a glaciated mountain environment
participate in making sound decisions affecting the health and safety of the expedition
display knowledge of personal limitations, and the judgment to stay within them

Leadership & Teamwork
Students are exposed to theory and practice of outdoor leadership, teamwork and expedition behavior. Each graduate is expected to:
work effectively as a team member
demonstrate sound expedition behavior: commitment to the group, a positive attitude, and cooperation to achieve group goals
effectively communicate ideas and concerns with individuals and within a group
show initiative in teaching and leading peers
employ leadership styles appropriate to the situation; support others in the leadership role
use decision-making and planning skills to participate fully in a safe, environmentally sound expedition

Environmental Ethics
An important part of every course is to teach and practice Leave-No-Trace camping and traveling techniques. Each graduate is expected to:
perform minimum impact living and traveling skills appropriate to a glaciated environment
show respect for pristine wilderness and fostering respect in others

Winter Camping & Glacier Travel
AMS courses focus on teaching and practicing efficient and responsible back country skills. Each graduate is expected to:
live comfortably and efficiently in a glaciated mountain environment, camping, cooking, and dressing for a variety of conditions
travel competently using safe and efficient navigation and route-finding techniques to reduce and avoid hazards
demonstrate roped glacier travel techniques using skis or snow shoes and lead rope a team
take responsibility for the organization, maintenance and repair of group and personal equipment

Mountaineering Skills
The course goal is to advance all students’ climbing ability and make them well-rounded mountaineers. Each graduate is expected to:
master knots and various rope handling techniques
demonstrate proficient crampon and ice ax techniques for snow, ice and/or mixed terrain
demonstrate belay skills: fixed line, running belays, glacier travel
protection placement and anchor building techniques
competently set up a rope system for glacier travel
lead climbing theory and application
consistently perform techniques to reduce and avoid hazards
recognize and avoid avalanche terrain
demonstrate the ability to remain composed and thoughtful in difficult and exposed terrain
competently lead a rope team on a glacier
establish a skill base to successfully climb a mountain like Denali ...''

Phone:(907)733-1016

School Address:

Alaska Mountaineering School
PO BOX 566, 3rd Street, Talkeetna, AK 99676, United States
phone: (907)733-1016
fax: (907)733-1362
email: info@climbalaska.org

Jobs & Resumes: Talkeetna
Houses & Roommates: Talkeetna

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