Any Actual Mountaineers Out There?

“Trying to do some research and am looking for some mountaineers to ask a few questions.

Thanks in advance.”

“What kind of questions?”

“Ahm a mountaineer! (Dueling Banjoes Music) Squeal!!!!”

“I was asking the same question a while back and got some great answers. I wonder if someone can find the thread...”

“Do you want to ask someone who lives in the mountains or someone who climbs or hikes in the mountains? Or a Mountie?”

“Hello, Jed Clampett!”

“Ask Newgirl!”

“I've been tossing the idea of taking a mini-mountaineering course this winter around for a few months. Am wondering if anyone has done one of these and if so, what was the experience like.

Also, curious as to how small the mountaineering world truelly is.”

“Newgirl is a mountaineer???”

“Where's Gremlin?”

“They had a course here at the local college that was kind of what you're talking about. I didn't take it, but it was basic climbing, rope work, knots, asfety, etc. They did some rappelling off the cliffs above campus and took a trip into the Beartooths for a few days and climbed some semi-technical peaks.”

“Newgirl just likes mounting stuff.”

“The word "Mount" repulses her for some reason. It's all geobeet's fault!”

“"Newgirl just likes mounting stuff."
lyra
02:07:03 PM
07/29/03

LOL!!!!”

“A mountaineering course should be fun.

Basic to advanced climbing
Ropes
Knots
First Aid

That stuff is good to have in your head when mountain backpacking.

Rigging ropes can come in handy in places where the river crossings get hairy or when packs must be hauled.”

“You girls stop talkin' that trash now!”

“Yep, that's about ten foot o' mountaineer!”

“Ha Tom!”

“TT,
I took an ice climbing class offered by REI up in Gorham, NH. The class was taught by a guy who had alot of technical experience, but trying to get everything in one day was not enough time (and that was just crampon and some ice axe skills). Seems like they have some decent instructors who have credentials to back up what they're teaching, but it can be costly and you only have enough time to skim over the basics. Practice, practice, practice.... I ascribe to "virtual mountaineering". Learn the basics - ropes, knots, belays, etc... and then practice those skills whenever you can, whether it's top-roping off the side of your garage or practicing knot-tying while sitting in the swimming pool!”

“What's the swimming pool got to do with it?”

“"Virtual Mountaineering"! practicing mountaineering skills wherever you can, even in your mind! Oh, I'm leaving work to go jump in my pool... maybe that was it!!!”

“I did some rock climbing on Mt Baker in a pair of cowboy boots back in the seventies. What do you need to know?”

“She wan't to know how long it takes for a broken neck to heal, Dun.”

“Ha ha!

Under water climbing or something!

I did a two-week course in the Vermont Nat Grd.

I got a welfare check for two weeks of training.

It was summer phase in Sept.
Winter Phase would have been a blast.

Having a weapon for your constant companion got a bit tedious.

And the rucksacks eat $h!t.”

“Check the AMC site occasionally AMC Site

Check or search for "Winter Camping, Mountaineering, and Survival — hone your skills in ice and snow climbing, and build winter shelters."

They do not have anything there yet as it is too early in the year, but start checking about October for Dec / Jan courses.

However be warned they are pretty rigid with both the suggested gear list, and your prior experience.
If you need to rent gear like plastic boots and Crampons, Rock and Snow in New Paltz are really good, and both EMS and IME in North Conway have a pretty good range for rentals.

If either you or your gear cannot keep up with the rest of the group, you will be escorted out by 1 of the instructors.

The only other alternative is out Seattle way where a bunch of companies run stuff in the Cascades. I do not know what is available in Colorado.

This all of course depends on what your concept of 'Mountaineer' is.”

“Mountaineering is much too broad a topic for a weeklong class. Basically you're marrying backpacking, rock climbing, navigation, meteorology, ice climbing, and glacier/crevasse work.

First move, pick up "Mountaineering: Freedom of the Hills" (sixth edition).

You already have been exposed to camping/backpacking, the two big subjects left are rock climbing and glacier/ice/snow. Sign up for a month's membership at a climbing gym to see if you like it well enough to put several years into it.

I think glacier deserves its own course, and I know that snow/avalanche does, maybe more than one. These are good places to pick up the basics, and you can never know too much. An avy got one of the best we had in Alex Lowe, draw your own conclusions.”

“PS - the higher you go, the smaller the circle gets. I'm sure there are unknowns bagging peaks sans permits in the Karakoram and Nepal, not to mention a few other secluded corners of the planet, but unless you have a trust fund, going legit is probably going to require being connected and at that point pretty much everybody seems to know everybody else.”

“Twinkle, your local library can probably help.
It will have or can get from another area library FOTH (Moutaineering Freedom of The Hills) also 2 small quick readers also from library by John Long "How to rock Climb" 208pp and "Climbing Anchors" 112pp my bedside book.

Read the RMI equipment list and use FOTH to understand how each piece of equipment is used.

Buy 10 ft of climbing accessory cord from REI , cut into 2 5ft lengths. Tie 1 into a prussik loop (see FOTH) and carry the other one with you everywhere so you can practice the knots whenever/wherever. RMI says 7mm but I would go with 5 or 6mm as they are strong enough and grip better on todays thinner ropes.

Total cost so far about $5 with shipping.

If you want to leverage the shipping cost get 20Ft of 1 inch tubular webbing and learn to tie into a harness, this will cost an additional $6.

You can practice the moves for self arrest on your carpet at home pretending to hold an axe, basically a roll and 1 hand push up. Do check the moves for feet first vs head first. If you ever need this, you need it fast and you need it right before you are sliding too fast. I have for real twice, Colden in the Daks and Shasta in Ca. Practice for real outside in Winter.”

“Most of the regulars here probably don’t even know what a mountaineer is. I know enough to know I am not one.”

“There is nothing wrong with taking a course, and gaining information and experience any way you can. As has been mentioned, "Freedom of the Hills" remains the bible of mountaineering. Even an older edition (not too old) will have valuable information. Go for it and have fun! See my photos on Phil's photo page for some mountaineering photos.”

“Thanks all.

I have no dreams of actually being a mountaineer. I just thought taking a course and learning some of the skills would compliment the backpacking, especially in the winter.”

“A free way to pick up a good bit of what's in FOTH is to go to www.climbing.com and scroll down to the how-to's in the left margin. They had one for rock and another for ice last time I checked, at least one or two night's worth of reading.”

“some day i might be a mountaineer

i think i'll take a class this year, but that won't make me a moutaineer”

“There is some great rock climbing near New Paltz, NY in the Shawangunks (locally referred to as the "gunks") People come from all over to climb this ledge. EMS has a rock climbing store (very small) that offers classes. Not too bad on weekdays but heavy traffic on the weekends but then it has very large area's to climb.”