Women's Ski Mountaineering Skills
We'll cover the following topics and skills:
- The Rest Step: the Foundation of Mountaineering and Ski Mountaineering.
- Crampons Types and pros and cons of each How to put them on Techniques: flat footing, duck step, pied a troisieme, front pointing, plunge stepping
- Ice Axes Types of axes and pros and cons of each Anatomy of the axe and how to hold it Ice Axe Arrest: Rope Team Arrest (to stop a partner who has fallen into a crevasse in glaciated terrain) Self Arrest (to stop yourself from falling)
- Rope Travel For glaciated terrain For steep technical terrain with a guide
- Transitions Skinning to Ski Crampons Ski Crampons or skinning to Boot Crampons Climbing/Cramponing to Skiing on steep terrain
This program requires at least 3 participants to run.
Here's the schedule for your course:
- 7:30 am - Meet your guide at the trailhead
- 8:00 am - We'll spend the day demonstrating and coaching while you practice ski mountaineering skills
- 12:00pm - Lunch on the go
- 3:00pm - Course ends
Here are the skills and fitness you'll need for your course:
- This is an introductory program - No ski mountaineering experience is required!
- Advanced Resort Riding skills - Including off-piste terrain in challenging snow conditions
- Basic Fitness - Able to spend an active day outside, moving uphill at 1,000’ per hour for durations of roughly 1 hour between breaks. Participants should be able to hike 3-5 miles and climb 1,000-1,500 vertical feet throughout the course of the day.
- Ski/Split Touring, Avalanche, & Ski Mountaineering Gear - Come prepared with your own gear or rent from us
Here's what's included with your course:
- Experienced AMGA Trained Guide
- Ropes and gear for training
- Group Safety Gear - your guide will be equipped with snow science tools and a first aid kit
- Wag Bags - for human waste disposal in with compliance 'Leave No Trace' principles
- Ski/Splitboard Gear
- Avalanche Gear
- Ice Axe, Crampons, Climbing Harness
- Guide Gratuities
Ski/Split Touring Gear
- Alpine Touring Ski or Splitboard Setup - No snowshoes
- Alpine Touring or Splitboard Boots
- Climbing Skins
- Touring Backpack - with pockets for avalanche gear
- Adjustable Touring Poles
- Avalanche Beacon
- Avalanche Shovel
- Avalanche Probe
- Ice Axe
- Crampons
- Climbing Harness
Know Before you go
Blackbird Mountain Guides offers both scheduled group programs and private programs.
Private programs are simply above and beyond what Blackbird Mountain Guides currently has scheduled. Scheduled courses are not always less expensive. Before booking a trip with Blackbird Mountain Guides, clients are encouraged to review the differences between these types of programs, and to decide what works best for them.
SCHEDULED PROGRAMS
Scheduled Programs have fixed dates, itineraries, objectives, curriculum, and costs. They typically appeal to solo individuals or small groups or who are looking to share the cost of their program with a larger group. Correspondingly, scheduled programs are less expensive for smaller groups (1-2), and they provide the opportunity to meet others with similar interests. If you have a large group (3+), Scheduled programs will often be more expensive. They can fill up quickly, and scheduling flexibility is obviously limited.
Scheduled programs will have advertised dates. All scheduled programs can be run as private programs with private dates/rates as well.
PRIVATE PROGRAMS
Private programs have scheduling freedom. They typically appeal to those who would like some flexibility in planning their own trip or course. In this regard, Itineraries and objectives can be tailored to suit current conditions as well as client goals. Private programs are normally less expensive for larger groups (3+). If you have a small group (1-2) private programs will be more expensive.
7:30 am Meet your guide at the trailhead. This early start time will allow us to take advantage of frozen surface conditions and will help with learning fundamental cramponing skills.
Your guide will conduct a Trailhead Departure Check/Beacon Check then we’ll tour to an appropriate venue with terrain that provides excellent learning opportunities.
8:00 am From start to finish we’ll be explaining, demonstrating and coaching you while you practice the following skills:
- The Rest Step: the Foundation of Mountaineering and Ski Mountaineering.
- Crampons
- Types and pros and cons of each
- How to put them on
- Techniques: flat footing, duck step, pied a troisieme, front pointing, plunge stepping
- Ice Axes
- Types of axes and pros and cons of each
- Anatomy of the axe and how to hold it
- Ice Axe Arrest:
- Rope Team Arrest (to stop a partner who has fallen into a crevasse in glaciated terrain)
- Self Arrest (to stop yourself from falling)
- Rope Travel
- For glaciated terrain
- For steep technical terrain with a guide
- Transitions
- Skinning to Ski Crampons
- Ski Crampons or skinning to Boot Crampons
- Climbing/Cramponing to Skiing on steep terrain
- We’ll leave time to answer questions you may have about ski mountaineering and the various techniques at the end of the program
3:00 pm We will close the program after finishing the learning objectives of the course.
We'll cover the following topics and skills:
- The Rest Step: the Foundation of Mountaineering and Ski Mountaineering.
- Crampons Types and pros and cons of each How to put them on Techniques: flat footing, duck step, pied a troisieme, front pointing, plunge stepping
- Ice Axes Types of axes and pros and cons of each Anatomy of the axe and how to hold it Ice Axe Arrest: Rope Team Arrest (to stop a partner who has fallen into a crevasse in glaciated terrain) Self Arrest (to stop yourself from falling)
- Rope Travel For glaciated terrain For steep technical terrain with a guide
- Transitions Skinning to Ski Crampons Ski Crampons or skinning to Boot Crampons Climbing/Cramponing to Skiing on steep terrain
This program requires at least 3 participants to run.
Here's the schedule for your course:
- 7:30 am - Meet your guide at the trailhead
- 8:00 am - We'll spend the day demonstrating and coaching while you practice ski mountaineering skills
- 12:00pm - Lunch on the go
- 3:00pm - Course ends
Here are the skills and fitness you'll need for your course:
- This is an introductory program - No ski mountaineering experience is required!
- Advanced Resort Riding skills - Including off-piste terrain in challenging snow conditions
- Basic Fitness - Able to spend an active day outside, moving uphill at 1,000’ per hour for durations of roughly 1 hour between breaks. Participants should be able to hike 3-5 miles and climb 1,000-1,500 vertical feet throughout the course of the day.
- Ski/Split Touring, Avalanche, & Ski Mountaineering Gear - Come prepared with your own gear or rent from us
Here's what's included with your course:
- Experienced AMGA Trained Guide
- Ropes and gear for training
- Group Safety Gear - your guide will be equipped with snow science tools and a first aid kit
- Wag Bags - for human waste disposal in with compliance 'Leave No Trace' principles
- Ski/Splitboard Gear
- Avalanche Gear
- Ice Axe, Crampons, Climbing Harness
- Guide Gratuities
Ski/Split Touring Gear
- Alpine Touring Ski or Splitboard Setup - No snowshoes
- Alpine Touring or Splitboard Boots
- Climbing Skins
- Touring Backpack - with pockets for avalanche gear
- Adjustable Touring Poles
- Avalanche Beacon
- Avalanche Shovel
- Avalanche Probe
- Ice Axe
- Crampons
- Climbing Harness
Epic Reviews From Adventurers
- Rated 5 out of 5 starsLearned so much, a really great day!
I had a great day out in the field with Blackbird Mountain Guides. They offer a handful of women's courses, and I love the opportunity to learn new skills in a crew of rad shreddistas. Our guide Ali was simply the best - she was super knowledgeable, pushed us all to practice and develop ownership of the skills we learned, and had a great approach to teaching by asking a lot of questions and encouraging us to think through the different situations. I learned so much in a short time and had a really great day.
Breckie M. - Rated 5 out of 5 starsHighly recommend for Avy Ed & Ski Guiding!
Blackbird guides is awesome! All of their guides are super knowledgeable and approachable. Highly recommend for any type of avalanche education, skills courses, and private guiding days.
Anne R.
the blackbird difference
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