UKC

Hello is anybody interested in joining me and my mate Jim in the Pyrenees for 7 day Alpine skills course 11-17 January 2009 which includes snow shoeing. The guide fee is E300 per day and we need 2 more people to make it affordable. If 4 of us it will be E700 for the week each approx £550.
The skills course is very much intended for people aiming to get their IML hence includes snow shoeing and is run through www.360-expeditions.com
Full details below contact me on Stuart on 07968560661 or stuart_adams06@tiscali.co.uk
Alpine skills development course.



A course designed for those starting off in the mountain climbing game or those wanting to hone their established skills.



IDEAL FOR 360 EXPEDIONISTS READY TO HIT THE HIGH PEAKS!



Day one.



Nutrition: A trip to the super market to buy 3 – 4 days worth of food. Weight and optimum nutritional value will be the only considerations.

Equipment: Discussion as to what will be required for a particular program.

Snow shoe or ski into the venue. Discussion of Alpine hazards and back country travel techniques fully explained. Pyrenean venues include: The Benesque Valley (Aneto). The Vignemale area or the Hospice de France.

Basic snowshoe or backcountry skiing introduction and in-depth snow analysis along the route. Snow stability and avalanche risk assessment.

Arrive at venue and settle into hut or snow hole. Introduction to Alpine hut etiquette.



Day two:



Entire day of essential Alpine skill development. Skills covered will be: Mountain equipment familiarisation. Snow/ice anchors. Self- arresting techniques. Walking and moving on snow and ice. Avalanche risk assessment and rescue. . Emergency snow shelters. Crevacce/glacier travel and rescue. Living in and out of the hut or snow hole.



Day three



On the move: A day of developing all the skills taught the day before. Consideration will be given to an ascent of a peak but the priority will be give to skill development. Clients will be expected to navigate over varied terrain and to make their own decisions in regards to risk assessment, anchors and best lines of ascent/descent etc for themselves. They will be under total supervision for the day but the focus will be on their own decision-making processes. Today we will try to push the clients beyond their normal level of operation in order to in-still a broader level of confidence (i.e. by ascending a short route a grade or two harder than they have previously climbed.)



Day four:



Continuous development of Alpine skills. Fine-tune those areas that need attention and by the days end walk or ski out to road-head. Further snow assessment and discussion of conditions en-route. Afternoon may be spend abseiling and rock climbing on a local crag. (Prussiking for those not familiar with this technique).



Day five:

Half day rock-climbing: Sport and trad climbing. Anchor building/equalising. Placing of protection. Top-roping. Moving over rock: technique and style. Leading and seconding. Climbing safety. Afternoon ..drive direction Aneto in the afternoon. we will head to the renclusa hut (2 hours drive..) we will walk into the hut and and then set off early the next day. The cost of the refuge is E33 approx, this will included a 3 course meal in the evening.

(night in refuge)



Day six

climb Aneto....highest pyrenean mountain.



We will climb up the initial vegetated slopes of the sharp ridge that divides the Maldetta range from the Aneto summit.

After 2 hours we reach the ridge and follow its rocky back for a while until we reach a feature known as the keyhole
from where it is possible to look across the glacier and to see the summit for the first time. A short descent puts us
into a vast boulder field and an intense boulder hopping session begins. After an hour we reach the ice and begin
a lesson in crampon technique and basic glacier travel rules. Then we rope up and begin the exciting part of glacier
travel and traversing on steep ice to the summit that looms closer with each step. Eventually we reach the steep
rocky northern flank of the mountain and climb up to the low summit of Aneto. This broad summit is 10 meters lower
than the true summit but separating the two lays in the famous Mohammed step. This feature is a 40m long and
1 foot wide rock ridge that has immense drops on either side. We rope up and you will be guided across this
challenging feature. After a nerve racking moment or two we stand on top of Aneto.

The ascent complete, we are rewarded with un-beatable views and a fantastic sense of achievement. We descend
via a different route once we have re-crossed the Mohammed ridge. The descent takes us directly into the picturesque
alpine valley of Venesque and from there past several waterfalls and gorges to the vehicle. Total walk time 10 - 12 hours. Lunch included. Dinner at Benesque village or in Luchon. 2 hour drive back to Luchon.

Night in Papilio Guest house or Panoramic Hotel Luchon

Day seven

Bad weather day!

Day eight

head home or...

Please see ski touring program on www.360-expeditions.com if this is something you are interested in.

In reply to greensurfmonkey:

Nutrition: A trip to the super market to buy 3 – 4 days worth of food. Weight and optimum nutritional value will be the only considerations.

Day eight

head home or..

Something doesnt add up here.

In reply to eirenutter: You seem to have not read the 7 days in between?

In reply to greensurfmonkey: ahhh quite right! Food or no food its sounds like a fun time

In reply to greensurfmonkey:

Looks like fun.. are you and your mate both aiming for IML qual. then?

In reply to Neil Kazimierz Sheridan: Yes and this seeems to cover the basics to get us started which the Scottish UK ones do not, also we both know the guide who is a top bloke (everyone says that) but good laugh.