Ice Climbing Super Course

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Day one 7:00 orientation meeting at Summit Café Canmore

• Sign waivers, safety discussion and equipment check.
• Drive to GearUp Rentals for equipment fitting and pick-up.
• Lesson 1 Equipment: Adjust crampons, harnesses, helmets and backpack set-ups.
• Drive: Carpooling is recommended when possible.
• Lesson 2 Environment: Leave no trace and wildlife discussion.
• Lesson 3 Onsite safety: Current hazards and safety protocols.
• Lesson 4 Crampons: Learn basic crampon techniques.
• Lesson 5 Ice & tools: All about ice and how and where to swing an ice axe
• Lesson 6  Movement: Basic introduction to MSA 3 Point X-Box technique.
• Lesson 7 Knots: Knots and tying into the rope.
• Lesson 8 Belays and lowers: Basic rope management, commands and safety systems for top rope climbing.
• Lesson 9 Climbing: Application of the MSA 3 Point X-Box technique.
• Perfecting 3 Point X-Box, ice axe swing and crampon placement.

Day two 7:00 meeting at Summit Café Canmore top of page

• Morning meeting: Coffee or tea, review, Q & A session, todays agenda, equipment check.
• Drive to local area
• Lesson 10 Safety reminder: Current hazards and safety protocols for ice climbing
• Lesson 11 Equipment: Adjust crampons, harnesses, helmets and backpack set ups
• Lesson 12 Crampon and Ice Axe: Review basic crampon and ice axe techniques.
• Lesson 13 Belays and Lowers: Review of basic rope management and safety systems.
• Lesson 14 Ice grades explained
• Lesson 15 The Guidebook and choosing a route
• Lesson 16 Climbing: Practice 3 Point X-Box Technique with quality feedback and fine tuning.
• Lesson 17 Anchors: Introduction to ice screws and basic anchor recognition.
• Lesson 18 More climbing: Continuing ice climbing technique refinement with quality feedback and fine tuning.
• Lesson 19 Progression: Introduction and demonstration of the MSA IceXpert Ice Climbing Technique.

Day three 7:00 meeting at Rocky Mountain Bagel Co. Downtown Canmore top of page

• Morning Meeting: Coffee or tea, review, Q & A session, todays agenda, equipment check.
• Lesson 20 How to evaluate Weather & CAA Avalanche Forecast
• Drive to local area.
• Lesson 21 Safety: Current hazards and safety protocols for mixed climbing.
• Lesson 22 Equipment: Intro to mixed climbing specific equipment.
• Lesson 23 Mixed grades explained and the guide book
• Lesson 24 Belaying: special dry tooling considerations.
• Lesson 25 Introduction to Mixed Master Dry Tooling technique: dry tooling placements, rock quality, foot placements and more.
• Lesson 26 Dry tooling demo and practice.
• Lesson 27 Dry tooling practice with quality feedback and fine-tuning.
• Perfecting dry tooling movement, tricks, strategy and the mixed master technique.

Day four 7:00 meeting at Rocky Mountain Bagel downtown Canmore top of page

• Morning Meeting: Coffee or tea, review, Q & A session, todays agenda, equipment check.
• Lesson 28 Evaluate weather & CAA Avalanche Forecast.
• Lesson 29 Choose an appropriate venue: use Parks Canada ATES Scale
• Drive to local area
• Safety reminder: Current hazards and safety protocols for ice climbing.
• Equipment: Adjust crampons, harnesses, helmets and backpack set ups
• Ice climbing warm up
• Lesson 30 Racking & preparation for lead climbing: ice & mixed
• Lesson 31 Demo lead climb
• Lesson 32 Mock leads - practice
• Lesson 33 Actual lead with safety, feedback and fine-tuning
• Perfecting IceXpert Modern Ice Climbing  & Mixed Master techniques.
• Evening homework: Evaluate next days Weather & CAA Avalanche Forecast.

Day Five 7:00 meeting at Rocky Mountain Bagel downtown Canmore top of page

• Morning Meeting: Coffee or tea, review, Q & A session, todays agenda, equipment check.
• Lesson 34 Feedback on appropriate ice climbing route selection using weather & avalanche forecasts and the Parks Canada ATES Scale 
• Drive to local area.
• Lesson 35 Safety: Current hazards and safety protocols, situational awareness for multi-pitch ice.
• Lesson 36 Equipment: Introduction to multi-pitch ice specific equipment.
• Ice climbing warm up - practice iceXpert ice climbing technique.
• Lesson 37 Rappelling technique with back up prussic/fireman belay.
• Lesson 38 Anchor quality and testing v-threads etc.
• Lesson 39 Multi-pitch demo and practice.
• Lesson 40 Mock multi-pitch climb and rappel descent.
• Lesson 41 Mock multi-pitch climb, belay stance, rappel descent testing backing up anchors.
• Lesson 42 Multi-pitch skill evaluation.
• Evening homework: Evaluate next days Weather & CAA Avalanche Forecast.
• Evening homework: Consider the forecast and choose an appropriate route - use Parks Canada ATES Scale

Day Six 7:00 meeting at Beamers Coffee Shop Canmore top of page

• Morning Meeting: Coffee or tea, review, Q & A session, todays agenda, equipment check. 
• Evaluate participants route selection and forecast.  
• Drive to local area.
• Safety: Review current hazards and safety protocols, situational awareness for multi-pitch ice
• Lesson 43 Mentoring day: climbing up and descending a multi-pitch route.
• Day debrief
• Evening homework: Evaluate next days Weather & CAA Avalanche Forecast.
• Evening homework: Consider the forecast and choose an appropriate route - use Parks Canada ATES Scale

Day Seven 7:00 meeting at Beamers Coffee Shop Canmore

• Morning Meeting: Coffee or tea, review, Q & A session, todays agenda, equipment check.
• Evaluate participants route selection and forecast.  
• Drive to local area.
• Safety: Review current hazards and safety protocols, situational awareness on multi-pitch ice
• Lesson 44 Participants either lead up within their comfort level and capability or are lead up a multi-pitch ice route.
• Lesson 45 Participants lead the descent down.
• Course debrief and next step recommendations
• Course closure - certificate of achievement




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Accommodation

It is best for participants to base out of Canmore for this course as we begin early each morning. 

Should you require accommodation in Canmore, we have organized for your convenience excellent value accommodation packages with local providers: economy option at the Alpine Club of Canada Clubhouse $25 per night w/ kitchen facilities, superior option at the Rocky Mountain Ski Lodge $123 per night based on double occupancy and luxury options - prices range on luxury level. These choices are made available during the booking process.

Food

Students are responsible for their own food. Canmore has an excellent choice of supermarkets and restaurants to meet any budget. Many of the accommodation options include a kitchen and/or breakfast.

Transportation

Students are responsible for their own transportation. We encourage carpooling and usually this works out very well. Transport for the week is available for an extra $20.00 per participant.

Equipment

This course includes all the climbing equipment you will need. Though we have harness, helmet, locking carabiner and belay device for your use, we do recommend participants to purchase these items since they are very personal, require specific fitting and used anytime you will go ice or rock climbing. Own your equipment already? We recommend you use it, as it is best to be familiar with your own equipments specific attributes. Organized for your convenience (we make zero profit on this) we also have available packaged equipment deals for purchase with a selection of different products - please inquire.

Clothing

• Warm top and bottom under layers
• Warm socks
• Mid layer fleece top
• Optional soft shell top or thicker fleece
• Hard shell Jacket
• Soft or hard shell pants
• Gaiters- optional
• Warm hat
• Balaclava or neck tube -optional
• 2 pairs of gloves
• Mitts- optional
• Puffy synthetic jacket or goose down parka
• sunglasses and sunscreen/lip balm  
• Hand warmer packs- optional

Equipment

• 35L backpack
• Helmet
• Harness
• Ice climbing boots
• Ice axes
• Crampons
• Ice Screws-Instructor
• Ice quick draws
• Anchor Material- slings ets- Instructor
• Rope- Instructor
• V-Thread Hooker
• 2 locking carabiners
• 1 belay device
• 1 double length sling
• 1 small knife
• Spare carabiners
• Head lamp

Food & Water

Please ensure you have a packed lunch everyday and snacks every day with enough high energy food for the day and lots of fluids.

Other

None