Introduction to Winter Mountaineering - Ice and Snow Climbing Course

A course designed for those who want to build the fundamental knowledge needed to live in conditions of low temperatures, snow, and ice. It involves camping out, with an intense and very varied schedule.

• Special winter care: cold, sun, wind, nutrition-hydration. Living in the snow
• Snow: types, consistency, metamorphosis. Avalanches
• Technical gear: uses
• Winter camp: setup, general considerations
• First steps: breaking trail, slopes, traversing, ascents-descents, self-arrest
• Personal gear, uses and features: trekking poles, ice axe, crampons
• Safety gear, uses and features: anchors, stakes. Natural snow anchors.
• Safety roping: coiling, glacier rope team.
• Snow and ice climbing: gullies. Mixed climbing

• July 9 to 12  - Las Cuevas, Mendoza. CLICK HERE
• August 1 to 4 - El Bolsón, Rio Negro
• September 2 to 5 - Ushuaia, Tierra del Fuego: CLICK HERE

Day 1: Meet in El Bolsón. Guide introductions, gear check. Transfer to Bosque Tallado. First trek to the Piltriquitrón refuge. Initial talk on snowshoes and poles. Lunch. Round-trip hike with backpack, poles, and/or snowshoes. First steps. Breaking trail. Snow science, orientation, and geography of the area. General considerations. Overnight at the refuge. 

Day 2: Breakfast. Mountain cooking workshop. Lunch. Self-arrest. Snow types, snow profiles, slope analysis: avalanches. Roping practice — coiled and glacier travel, with crevasse rescue. Ice axe technique. Dinner and overnight at the refuge.

Day 3: Breakfast. Crampon practice. Mixed climbing. Snow anchors: stakes, pickets, bollards. Building anchor systems. Lunch. Special techniques with ice axe and crampons. Multi-pitch climbing through gullies and rugged slopes. Summit attempt and return in the late afternoon/evening. Dinner and overnight.

Day 4: Breakfast. Ice climbing (ice-axe technique) on waterfalls if conditions allow, otherwise gullies. Lunch. Review of everything covered in the course. Breaking camp and descent to the trailhead, then final transfer to El Bolsón. Closing talk and end of the course. End of our services.

Considerations

• This is an intense experience in the middle of winter. It's important to know that contact with moisture and cold is constant and significant. Having quality, complete gear is essential.
• You'll need to carry a heavy backpack, with all your personal winter gear plus your share of the group/general equipment.

• Professional guides and instructors
• General equipment: ropes, group technical gear
• Communication: VHF radio
• First aid kit and rescue personnel
• All meals in the mountains (breakfast on day 2 through lunch on day 4)
• group technical gear: ropes, shovels, harnesses, crampons, ice axes, carabiners, slings, etc
• The entire course and its content, across the 4 continuous days. Ask us for the detailed program.
• 1 night at a mountain refuge (hostel-type)
• Pre-trip briefings, audiovisual material, and other guidance.
• Personal accident insurance

• Personal gear
• Travel to Caviahue and lodging/dinner on the day in Caviahue, the night before and/or after

• Special trekking backpack (70 to 90 liters)
• Warm sleeping bag (–15 degrees comfort, e.g. 1000g of good down or synthetic fill). Rental available
• Sleeping pad (10 to 15mm).
• Inflatable sleeping pad (optional)
• Trekking poles with snow baskets (rental available)

• 1 pair high-mountain boots (synthetic or plastic double boots). (rental available)
• 1 pair lightweight trekking shoes (trail-running type), for use on hard snow at camp.

• Changes of underwear.
• Cotton t-shirts (for camp and for sleeping)
• Long-sleeve synthetic t-shirts/shirts
• Polypropylene or similar leggings/pants (not cotton). To wear as warm base-layer pants
• Thin polypropylene or similar gloves (not cotton)
• Fleece beanie
• Pairs of thin synthetic or similar socks (not cotton)
• Buff-type neck gaiter

• Trekking socks (synthetic-thermal)
• Thick mountain socks
• Cotton or wool socks (wool is good for sleeping)
• Long pants to replace the outer shell pants (ski-type)
• Insulating layers (100-weight or 200-weight fleece)
• Thick down/duvet jacket
• Fleece gloves (fingered or mittens)
• Sun hat 

• Waterproof jacket/parka (Gore-Tex or similar)
• Waterproof shell pants (Gore-Tex or similar)
• Third-layer gloves or mittens (waterproof and breathable)
• Ski gloves (as a backup)
• Mountain gaiters

• Crampons (rental available)
• Climbing helmet (rental available)
• Harness + self-belay lanyard + carabiners and belay plate (rental available)
• Mountaineering ice axe (rental available)
• Snowshoes (rental available)

• Passport or national ID.
• Medical insurance, health coverage.
• Completed medical and personal form, authorization.

• Headlamp with batteries (plus spare batteries)
• Sturdy plastic bags to store clothing.

• Sunglasses with UV Category 4 protection
• Backup eyewear (glacier goggles are highly recommended)
• Personal first-aid kit (medication with the relevant prescription)
• High-SPF sunscreen, lip balm
• Soap, shampoo (a small one to share) and a small towel.
• Toilet paper. Tissues. Baby wipes.

• Water containers, for at least 4 liters (2 x 1-liter bottles plus 1 hydration bladder with a 2L hose)
• Small thermos
• Personal dishware: plastic bowl, cup/mug, utensils

• SILVER TAPE, for blisters and repairs
• Mate, bombilla (straw) and yerba.
• Mini sewing kit
• Binoculars, monocular. Camera or video equipment
• Book, notebook, travel journal, pencil, pen.

Camp is set up in a forest, but with wind and in winter, temperatures can drop well below 0 degrees. It is very important to have the right gear, and for it to be good quality.

You also need to protect yourself well from the sun with a hat, neck gaiters, sunscreen, and category 4 mountain sunglasses. And for the night, it's important to have a good sleeping bag and warm layers, since the temperature can drop below 0° Celsius.

Sleeping bags should be rated for at least 0° comfort, so you can rest properly. Goose-down ones are best, but synthetic bags today also use modern, high-performance materials and work better in very humid places. You can rent one from us. 

Fly into Ushuaia. It's the best, most direct, and also the most economical option.

In general these are very mixed groups (all kinds of people). Varied ages and genders, people traveling solo, with a friend, as couples, families, etc. 

In high-mountain tents set up on the snow. 

It's not essential to be a dedicated athlete training 4 times a week. But keep in mind that the better shape you're in, the better the experience will be. The idea of these adventures is for you to enjoy them, not suffer through them. If you don't usually train, go running, cycle, or do other aerobic activity, we recommend joining one of our weekly training sessions geared toward mountain activities. Otherwise, start by walking with a loaded backpack of at least 8 kilograms for several kilometers a week, and also do stairs or slopes in uninterrupted 20-minute sets. 

Mountain training article: CLICK HERE

From age 16, with authorization or accompaniment by an adult.

On this expedition we carry a lot of weight, more than 18 kilos per person. You need to be prepared for these conditions.

On this trip we plan the menu and do the shopping together as a group, so we can be self-sufficient and practice an autonomous system. The company provides stoves and cooking equipment.