UKC

I am completely new to mountaineering but have a beginner's mountaineering course booked before the end of the summer. I want to get another winter course booked and am looking at either another mountaineering course in the alps or a Scottish winter climbing course hopefully to get some practice before an alpine route in around a year's time.

I am willing to commit a lot of time to this as am very eager to learn. Any advice on how to find a first route, a team to do it with or training/practice beforehand? Thanks in advance!

In reply to jjone797:Hi, you say you have a course booked at the end of summer,which in my opinion will present you with the opportunity to ask those on the course,im sure they will be able to point you in the right direction.Its good to know your already planning a solid foundation for mountaineering ,by doing a basic course.

In reply to jjone797:

Welcome!

Best thing to do is to look for local clubs. Facebook is extremely useful for this.

But until you do that... buy books and watch videos! I recommend this one... old but good: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Handbook-Climbing-Allen-Fyffe/dp/0720720540

Learn your knots (learn how to rethread a figure of 8 in to your harness to begin with (buy a harness)) but also learn clove hitch (useful to secure yourself quickly), double bowline (useful if you end up doing lots of sport climbing and want a knot that will undo after many falls) and munter hitch (useful if you take to the big mountains and drop your belay plate). And learn how to tie them one handed... (particularly clove, but also a bowline around your waist... this simple skill could save your life one day.)

Look in to the physics of equalising gear. What gear goes best where. The positives and negatives of each type of gear and the circumstances in which a specific piece could be dangerous.

Learn about fall factors and how to inspect your gear both routinely and after an outing involving falls.

Buy some simple kit and start practising building systems for crevasse rescue in your garden. 

Most of all, enjoy it!

As far as Alpine courses go... go for it!!