UKC

I would like to do some more Ice climbing.
I have done a course, some sessions at Ice Factor and a weekend in Arolla.

What is the most affordable way to get some more climbing in?

Weeks or weekends with a guide in the Alps are bl**dy expensive.

Any advice appreciated.

Charlie

In reply to charliehl:

Hi Charlie,

Although still not cheap, you should find UK instructors are less expensive than their alpine colleagues, and well worth the investment to get the best out of your days on the hill. Especially if you can share the cost with a friend making a climbing pair.

Just make sure you use a qualified instructor, which for Winter climbing means an MIC (Mountaineering Instructor Certificate). You can find one here www.ami.org.uk

Good luck

Ian

In reply to charliehl:

Join a club and go with some experienced climbers. Depending on where you live going abroad could work out better than Scotland. I live in the South and can get to the Alps as quickly as I can get to Scotland and the conditions are usually more reliable. It may work out more expensive but not as expensive as driving to Scotland when the conditions seem good only for it all to disappear the next day. I've lost track of the number of times that's happened to me but I've never had a wasted journey to the Alps.

In reply to GridNorth:

Great advice, thank you.

Can any one recommend a club in SE London?

Charlie

In reply to charliehl:

If you fancy Rjukan with a small team with MIC instructors then check out www.alienmountain.co.uk - we are going late Feb 2014

In reply to charliehl:

There should be plenty of options in the UK in a month or two with North Wales, the Lakes and Scotland.

You could also attach yourself to a trip by posting on here - that's what I did last year with my first trip to Rjukan, this year I'm going to Cogne with the same folk.

In reply to charliehl:


List of BMC affiliated clubs here: https://www.thebmc.co.uk/map

But I don't have any personal experience of them.

In reply to GridNorth:

Rockhoppers mountaineering club are good, social meet ups are in central London.

In reply to charliehl:

We've got a spare place for Rjukan 19-26 jan. Car and accom work out about £275 then food and fuel on top. I climb around grade 4 European, Cliff and Ben climb up past 6.

In reply to charliehl:

The climbers club have a yearly 10 day meet in Rjukan. Smiler Cuthberson organises it and is a qualified guide/instructor or whatever. He will be able to get you started, then the rest of the meet is your own. That's what I did back in 2010 and have been confidently leading WI4 since then.

Doesn't really qualify you for scotland or the alps though as most of the ice at Rjukan doesn't require a walk in, so most winter skills aren't practiced.
Matt

In reply to mutt:


Is that what the OP wants though? He's only talked about "ice-climbing", maybe he just wants to be a cascade-basher.

In reply to Jamie B:

cascade bashers would do well then with the climbers club rjukan trip.