Adventure Climbing

This year we again offer an Adventure Climbing course. The main purpose of this course is to be able to safely and efficiently move in vertical alpine terrain. This will allow you to independently climb longer alpine multi pitch routes on your own gear. We will only organize one course week for 6-8 participants.

What will you learn or improve?

  • how to use trad gear
  • how to jam and crack climb (with a full day doing trad single pitches)
  • how to build anchors on trad gear
  • how to efficiently climb on trad gear (mental, techniques, tactiques)
  • how to efficiently belay and manage the rope (storage, drag…) in alpine terrain
  • how to efficiently rappel down and troubleshooting when something goes wrong (e.g.
    a rope ascent on a rappel if necessary or your rope get stuck)
  • how to rescue the lead or second climber
  • how to get through a route when you are stuck (some basic aid climbing)
  • how to hoist a bag properly (some basic hauling techniques)
  • how to read a map and guidebook and plan the day
  • how to approach and descent the route
  • how to take decisions in the field

We will also spend some time on the more theoretical side of trad climbing such as forces in the system and fall factors. Besides that there is time in the course to focus on participants’ individual learning objectives as well.

Location & Date

Date: TBD

Location: Mont-Blanc area (Aiguille Rouges, Aravis, Orny, Val d’Orco…), or eventually in Val di Mello.

Price

€850 under provision. This includes expenses for instructors, half board for the course week and the kick-off day, but without travel expenses and tour food (See here for the general terms and conditions.)

Required skills

  • Active SAC member
  • Have multipitch certificate
  • Being able to easily onsight 6a (contact us if you have any doubt)
  • Optional: trad experience
  • Optional: C1 alpine course

NSAC Instructor : Noël Diepens
Guide : Nicolas Bartalucci

Selection of participants

  1. Pre based on information given during the subscription
    1. Required skills met
    2. Route list
    3. Motivation
    4. Additional experience and skills
  2. Selection day
    1. Condition test (same as for alpine courses)
    2. Multipitch skills
      1. Efficiently be able to multi pitch on bolted routes
      2. Building an anchor on sling and rope on 2 good bolds
      3. Belay first and second
      4. Multi Pitch with single and double rope
    3. Rope management skills
      1. Building a simple system (express flaschenzug) to give aid to the second climber
      2. Prusik up on a rope
    4. Climbing skills
      1. Comfortably lead climbing at least 2 6as onsight
      2. Climb 1 route on your max red point level
    5. Route planning (similar as last year)
      1. Plan a route
      2. Read a topo
      3. Read a map
      4. Discuss chooses pro and con for route options

Register

Registrations open on January 6th 2025!

Registration closes on February 16th 2025 at 23:59.