Overview:
The Expedition Prep course will help prepare you for climbing larger glaciated peaks like Denali, Rainier and Aconcagua. Each day is spent in beautiful Rocky Mountain National Park. The terrain in RMNP will leave you well prepared for your next big objective.
The major goal for this course is to have individuals walk away with a better understanding and more knowledge of what it takes to climb a mountain in expedition style. This is a perfect course for an individual who has Denali or another of the 7 summits on their to-do list.
All of our courses can be run as custom outings. If you’re interested in a course, but it doesn’t fit into your schedule, please check out our custom guiding options.
Sample Itinerary:
Day 1: This course begins with a lesson on crevasse rescue – preparing you for traveling on glaciated terrain. Learn about equipment, ropework, travel strategies, rescue systems and more. Learn to rescue yourself or a climbing partner from a crevasse.
Day 2: Meet at our location in Estes Park as a team and do a thorough equipment check with your guide. We’ll then head into the backcountry, where we’ll set up basecamp. We discuss proper tent placements, snow shelter, as well as kitchen and bathroom setup.
Day 3: The day’s focus will be on climbing in glacial terrain and specific skills will be customized to the participants’ goals and needs. We can cover a variety of topics such as traveling as a roped team, self-arresting a fall, ascending a fixed line, avalanche awareness and avoidance techniques, or snow climbing. We can also cover ascending and descending while pulling a sled. Spend a second night out in Rocky Mountain National Park, honing winter camping skills.
Day 4: We will utilize all the skills learned and climb a peak as a team. The route we choose will be based on our team and weather. We’ll then head out back to the trailhead.
Meeting location:
Colorado Mountain School
341 Moraine Avenue
Estes Park, CO 80517
Lodging:
If you require lodging at our Estes Park Adventure Hostel, please make your reservations online in advance. Beds are available on a first-come, first-served basis. Our hostel features 16 beds in 3 rooms, bathrooms, showers, a full kitchen with appliances, dishes and utensils, wi-fi, ping-pong table, and a lounge area. Please be considerate of others lodgers during your stay.
Notes:
COVID-19 Contingency:
We believe that your training is best taught by combining theoretical concepts and experiential learning. Some topics are best learned in a comfortable classroom setting and others in the mountains, moving through terrain. You’ll have both.
The first portion of your course will be conducted in a classroom setting. In the interest of health and safety for our students and instructors, classroom format for the 2020/21 season may include e-learning and/or group video discussions in an effort to limit close contact in closed spaces.
The majority of your course will take place in the mountains where we will learn in an open-air environment. You should be prepared, mentally and physically, to stay immersed in the backcountry for up to eight hours. You will be assigned to a small pod consisting of one Instructor and a maximum of six students to allow intimate instruction and physical distancing. The nature of this pandemic requires us to be flexible and adaptable in how we deliver a quality training experience. Rest assured, from the moment you enroll all the way up to your course field day(s) and beyond, our instructors will be a part of your learning progression and will provide you with the tools and resources you need to best prepare for your training. If you’d like to learn more about what we are doing to manage COVID-19 risk for our students and guides, please view our FAQ page.
All Upcoming Dates and Locations:
- March 20, 2021 - March 23, 2021 - Expedition Prep Course - Estes Park, Colorado
- February 14, 2021 - February 17, 2021 - Expedition Prep Course - Estes Park, Colorado
- April 18, 2021 - April 21, 2021 - Expedition Prep Course - Estes Park, Colorado
- May 16, 2021 - May 19, 2021 - Expedition Prep Course - Estes Park, Colorado
- June 13, 2021 - June 16, 2021 - Expedition Prep Course - Estes Park, Colorado
Reviews
There are no reviews yet.