Build the skills you need to accomplish your mountain objectives. Our Private Alpine Skills Course is customized for you and your team. Tell us what experience you have and what your goal is. We'll design a program that helps you build the skills you need to overcome the challenges of your mountaineering dream.
From Avalanche education to Z-Pulley, we've got you covered! Private skills courses are completely tailored to your objective and are single day to week plus in length. We can set up recurring training sessions that span months and don’t stop until you feel comfortable with your skill level.
Requisite Experience
There are no prerequisites: we meet your team where you're at and help you build the skills you need to accomplish your objectives. Custom Skills programs are private programs tailored to your group. You tell us the skills you want to build or the objectives you want to tackle and we’ll deliver the skills you need!
Venues
We offer Custom Skills programs in the following locations:
- North Lake Tahoe, CA
- Eastern Sierra, CA
- North Cascades, WA
- Mount Baker, WA
- International Locations:
- Chile
- Bolivia
- Canada
- Nepal
- Others! Reach out and we can discuss the options we can provide for other venues across the globe.
Skills We Teach
Ski / Splitboard Touring and Mountaineering
Alpine Climbing / Mountaineering
Rock Climbing
Ice Climbing
- Rope Skills
- Tools and Materials Used in Climbing/Ski Mountaineering
- Basic Knots
- Advanced Knots
- Mechanical Advantage Systems
- Rock Rescue
- Escaping the Belay
- Crevasse Rescue
- Belaying
- Rappelling
- Ascending Ropes
- Ascending Fixed Lines
- Rock and Alpine Climbing Skills
- Gym to Crag
- Lead Climbing
- Following Traditional Rock Climbs
- Snow Climbing
- Crampons and Ice Axe Skills
- Glacier Climbing
- Self and Team Arrest
- Ice Climbing
- Anchors (Rock, Snow, Ice, Terrain)
- Alpine Anchors
- Ski Touring and Ski Mountaineering Skills
- Skinning Technique
- Balance and Form
- Transitions (Ski Touring, Ski Mountaineering, Alpine Climbing, Rock Climbing)
- Ski Cramponing
- Skin Track Setting
- Crampon Techniques (Mountaineering or Ski Mountaineering)
- Steep Skiing
- Rappelling (With and Without Skis On)
- Crevasse Rescue for Ski Mountaineers
Dates
Available Dates
Prices
| Winter Price List 2021 | |
| Program | Price Per Person Per Day |
| California Ski Touring/Mountaineering | |
| Skier to Guide Ratio | |
| 1:1 | $495 |
| 2:1 | $295 |
| 3:1 | $235 |
| 4:1 | $199 |
| 5:1 | $199 |
| 6:1 | $199 |
Itinerary
This will be determined based on what your objectives are. Reach out today to build a Custom Skills Program for your group!
Equipment
Gear for this program will be determined based on the skills and venues you select.
Potential gear for your program could include some or all of the following items:
Technical Gear
❏ Climbing Helmet - Petzl Sirocco or Black Diamond Vision
❏ Headlamp - LED headlamp with fresh batteries; Petzl Actik Core
❏ Climbing Harness - Alpine or Rock Climbing Harness; Petzl Altitude, Mammut Zephyr
❏ Two Locking Carabiners - Petzl Attache, etc
❏ Triple Action Locking Carabiner - Edelrid HMS Strike Triple FG Locking Carabiner
❏ Double Length Sling - Sewn Runner; Black Diamond 10mm Dynex Runner
❏ Belay Device - Tube Style Belay Device; BD ATC Guide, Petzl Reverso
❏ Climbing boots - Suitable for the Weather and Mountain; LaSportiva G5 or Nepal Cube,
Scarpa Phantom Tech or Scarpa Mont Blanc
❏ Gaiters - Low Profile, Lightweight Gaiters; OR Flex-Tex II
❏ Crampons - Steel Crampons Compatible with Your Boots; Petzl Vasak
❏ Semi-technical Ice Tool - A Curved Tool with a Pommel for Glacier Walking and Steep
Snow/Ice Climbing; Petzl Sum-Tec, Petzl Quark, CAMP XLight, Black Diamond Venom
❏ Technical Ice Tool - Aggressive Curved Tool for Steep Ice; Petzl Nomic, CAMP X-Dream,
BD Cobra
❏ Trekking Poles - Lightweight, Adjustable Poles with Baskets; BD Alpine FLZ Poles
Backcountry Touring Gear
❏ Alpine Touring Skis or Splitboard - Light to Midweight Setup with “Tech Bindings”
❏ Alpine Touring Boots or Splitboard Compatible Boots; Scarpa F1
❏ Climbing Skins - Mohair Mix is Best; Black Diamond GlideLite Mohair Mix,
❏ Touring Backpack - A Pack with Avalanche Tools Pocket; BD Cirque 35
❏ Ski Poles - Lightweight, Adjustable Poles with Baskets; BD Expedition 3 Poles
❏ Ski Helmet - Lightweight Ski Helmet; Smith Variant
Avalanche Gear
❏ Avalanche Beacon - Digital Avalanche Transceiver; Black Diamond Guide Recon BT
❏ Avalanche Shovel - Collapsible, Aluminum Shovel; Backcountry Access BT2 Shovel
❏ Avalanche Probe - Quickdraw Style Probe; Backcountry Access Stealth 300
Head and Neck Layers
❏ Sun Hat - A Baseball Hat; Blackbird Mountain Guides Logo Hat
❏ Sunglasses - Dark Lens Glasses with Side Coverage; Julbo Shield
❏ Goggles - Ski Goggles with a Storm Lens; Julbo Aerospace Reactive
❏ Warm Hat - Lightweight Warm Hat that Fits Under Your Helmet;
❏ Neck Gaiters - Light to Midweight Neck Gaiters; Buff or your favorite Face Masks
***These Are Required as Covid-19 Face Coverings
Upper Body and Hand Layers
❏ Long Sleeve Base Layer - Lightweight, Synthetic/Wool; Patagonia SunHoody
❏ 2 Insulating Top Layers - Light to Midweight Insulation Layers; Patagonia R1 & Nano Air
❏ Puffy - Midweight Down or Synthetic with Hood; Patagonia Fitzroy or similar
❏ Hardshell Jacket, Hooded - Waterproof, Gore-Tex, NOT insulated; Arc’Teryx Alpha FL
❏ Light Gloves - Light to Mid Weight for Warm Temps; Flylow John Henry Gloves, BD Tour
❏ Midweight Gloves - Mid to Heavy Weight for Cold Conditions; BD Legend
❏ Sports Bra - Wool/Synthetic;
Lower Body and Foot Layers
❏ Socks - Midweight Wool/Synthetic; Darn Tough Via Ferrata
❏ Underwear - Wool/Synthetic
❏ Long Underwear - Wool/Synthetic “Long Johns”; Patagonia Capilene Air
❏ Softshell Ski Pants - Breathable, Weather Resistant for Fair Weather; OR Trailbreaker II
❏ Vented Hardshell Ski Pants - Waterproof Pants for Extreme Weather; Flylow Compound
Food and Water
❏ Nalgene Water Bottle - Hard Sided Bottle; Nalgene 16oz-32oz Wide Mouth Bottle
❏ Soft Water Bottle 1.5L - Flexible Water Bladder; Hydrapak Flux 1.5L
***Please bring at least one hard sided water bottle.
❏ Snacks - Enough Snacks for the Day. There will be no lunch break so snacks must be
convenient and easy to eat.
Other Essentials
❏ Sun Screen (SPF 30 minimum)
❏ Lip Balm (with SPF)
❏ Hand Sanitizer
❏ Toilet Paper
Optional
❏ First Aid/blister Kit
❏ Chemical Hand Warmers
❏ Hydration System - Flexible Water Bladder with Hose; Hydrapak, Camelback, Platypus
Group Gear
Blackbird Mountain Guides will supply all of the group gear for the trip, including:
✓ Guide’s First Aid Kits
✓ Snow Observation Equipment (Snowsaws, Loops, Crystal Cards, Etc)
✓ Slingfin Tents (Designed and Headquartered in Berkeley, CA)
✓ Stoves
✓ Fuel for Stoves
✓ Ropes
✓ Snow Pickets (if required)
✓ Rock Protection (if required)
✓ Guide’s First Aid Kits
✓ Wag Bags (Solid Human Waste Disposal Bags)