Basic Mountaineering Course

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Enter your start date, end date and number of people and we will check availability and prices for you. The recommended duration for this activity is between 1 and 6 days. However, you can book as many days as suits your requirements. If your group size is more than 3 please contact us for a bespoke quote. Special prices for families and children: please contact us.

Highlights

Location : Ponte di Legno

Ratio : 1:3

Available during : Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr, May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep, Oct, Nov, Dec

We will select the best location based on conditions
Excellent training and attention to detail
Fun and friendly approach
Tailor made courses according to your level and needs

Full Description

In this Basic Mountaineering Course, we can work with groups from one to three people per Guide. We do not have pre-set dates for our courses or trips because we work around the needs and technical level of our clients. You will learn about climbing technique, rope work, knots, mountaineering equipment, belaying and abseiling, crampon technique, ice axe arrest, crevasse rescue. Being custom made, we can focus on your weaknesses and spend more time builidng confidence, for example on fear of exposure.

This course can be a combination of day trips, spending the nights in a village and multiday mountaineering trips where we will stay in rifugi when they are open (mountain huts). These courses can be organised all year round and depending on the time of year, the logistics will change:

In Autumn (approx. 20 September-20 December), when the mountain huts are closed, we will stay in our b&b in Finale Ligure for the rock climbing skills part of the course. For the snow and ice part we can travel to the Mont Blanc range in the Aosta Valley.
In Winter (approx. 20 December-1 March), when the mountain huts are closed, we will stay in our b&b in Ponte di Legno. For the rock climbing skills part of the course we will drive for 1hr to some of the rock climbing crags in Val Camonica. For the snow and ice part we can practice ice climbing and use the lift system of the ski resort to access snowy ridges and slopes.
In Spring (approx.1 March-1 May), the huts are open for ski touring. So if you are a skier, we can use ski touring skis for our mountaineering course, selecting a hut to hut multi day trip. If you are not a skier, the logistics will be the same as Winter (see above).
In the Summer, from mid June to mid September, when the mountain huts are open, see Example Itinerary below.

The program will be custom made according to the participants level, needs and according to the weather forecast / mountain conditions. The following Example Itinerary has it all for mountaineering training: Via Ferrata, rocky and snowy ridges, glaciers, crevasses, hospitable comfortable huts, awesome views, high altitude environment. Each day, together with you Guide, you will plan the itinerary on the map, decide what equipment to use and how, learn how to safely glacier travel and navigate in case of bad weather, build confidence in leading the rope, learn to place protection. All under the watchful eye of your Guide. A total full immersion experience with the combination of glaciers, granite ridges and dolomite rock climbing.

We are based in Ponte di Legno (1 hour drive from Madonna di Campiglio in the Brenta Dolomites). In Ponte di Legno we have a cosy b&b in the centre of town and you you can stay with us while experiencing the various activities of this region like Via Ferrata, rock climbing, mountaineering on glaciers, mountain biking in the Summer. Ski touring and ice climbing in the Winter.

Example Itinerary

It is for you and your guide to decide the exact makeup of your booking however, these itinerary days shown below are an example of how a booking for this activity could be structured.

Arrival day	Transfer from your arrival airport to our b&b in Ponte di Legno.
Day 1 - Transfer to the Brenta Dolomites	Today we transfer (1 hour drive) to Campo Carlo Magno where we take the Gondola to the Graffer Hut in the Brenta Dolomites. This is a great location to learn multi-pitch rock climbing and how to place protection (cams and nuts). Up hill: 100m - Down hill: 100m
Day 2 - Rock climbing skills	Today we will focus on rock climbing skills in one of the crags near the hut. This will include climbing technique, learning how to place protection, abseiling, multi-pitch climbing dynamics.
Day 3 - Multi-pitch climb	According to your progress the previous day, we will select one of the many multi-pitch climbs near the hut. These are typically 5-6 pitches long and start at III UIAA grade. When we finish the climb we will take the gondola back to Passo Campo Carlo Magno and transfer back to our b&b in Ponte di Legno for the night.
Day 4 - Via Ferrata	Today we will start to acclimatise to the altitude and learn how to tackle a Via Ferrata and rocky ridges. We take the gondola to Passo Paradiso (2585 metres). From here we start hiking over the large boulders of the moraine to Passo Castellaccio (2963 metres). Here the Via Ferrata “Sentiero dei Fiori” starts, a spectacular itinerary that runs along an exposed ridge on the Italian First World War front line. From the highest point Corno Lagoscuro (3166 metres), where we find a little bivouac and great views of the Adamello Glacier, the via ferrata continues down to Passo Lagoscuro and onto Cima Payer (3056m) and Passo Pisgana. From here we can descend to the Mandrone Hut (2500m), where one can often spot Ibex and Chamois, for the night and a great dinner. Up hill: 1200m - Down hill: 600m. Difficulty: via ferrata level 1-3
Day 5 - Glacier travel	Today we will learn how to use our crampons, ice axe, glacier travel and crevasse rescue. After breakfast, we head towards the Vedretta del Mandrone, part of the Adamello glacier, the largest in the Italian Alps. The scenery is unique: a desert made of ice, crevasses, icefalls, streams, peaks and ridges surround us for kilometres and kilometres. We continue up hill on the icy terrain towards the Rifugio Caduti all’Adamello lodge (3040 metres) from where one can admire a 360° view of the Adamello mountains. Ascent: 600 metres approx. Descent: 100 metres approx. Average walking time: 4-5 hours. Difficulty: F
Day 6 - Mixed climbing	Today we learn how to combine glacier travel, mixed climbing with crampons on rock and short roping. After breakfast we head to Cresta Croce (3276 metres), along a spectacular rocky ridge, where we can visit the Hippopotamus, a 6 ton 149G Cannon that was positioned here by the Italians during the First World War. We then descend onto the Adamello glacier and head back to Rifugio Mandrone (2500m) and then up to Passo Presena (3000) where we catch the gondola back to Passo Tonale. End of the course and last night in our b&b in Ponte di Legno. Ascent: 900 metres approx. Descent: 900 metres approx. Average walking time: 7-8 hours. Difficulty: F+
Departure day	Transfer from our b&b in Ponte di Legno to your departure airport or to another location.

What's Included

Services of IFMGA Mountain Guide
Liability insurance

What's Not Included

All food  and drinks for clients and guides
Travel, accident and cancellation insurance for clients
Hut costs for clients and Guides
Guides travel expences
Cable cars and ski lifts for clients and guides

Optional Extras

Accommodation (more info)
Transfers (more info)
Mountaineering equipment  (more info)

Prerequisites

You are a keen hill walker and would like to learn the basics about mountaineering. No previous or very little mountaineering experience is required. You should not be afraid of heights. You are in good physical shape, able to walk 1000 metres up and down hill at altitude and for 6-8 hours per day with a 10kg backpack.

Equipment Required

Technical equipment (these items can be rented): harness, helmet, ice axe, crampons, hiking poles, daisy chain, belay device. When needed: Via Ferrata set, rock climbing shoes. In Winter: Avalanche transceiver, shovel, probe.
Personal equipment: mountaineering boots, 30 litre backpack, 1 litre thermos or water bottle, provisions (energy bars, chocolate, dried fruit, sandwiches), first aid kit, sun glasses (protection factor 3 or 4), goggles, gore-tex jacket and overpants, windstopper vest, gaiters, mountain pants, fleece jacket, breathable base layers, lightweight gloves, thick gloves, warm hat, bandana, sun screen factor 50.
For the huts: sleeping bag liner, change of socks, headtorch and spare batteries, mountaineering club membership, toothbrush & toothpaste, small towel, wet wipes

Availability & Prices

This activity is available to be booked for any date/dates within the availablity periods shown below. Because we tailor your booking to suit your exact requirements you can book this activity for as many days as you like. The recommended duration for this activity is between 1 and 6 days. If your group size is more than 3 please contact us for a bespoke quote. Special prices for families and children: please contact us.

Period	Starting	Ending
Availability period	from : 10/01/2023	to : 14/04/2025

Number of people	Price (€)
1 Pax	€350.00 per person per day
2 Pax	€200.00 per person per day
3 Pax	€150.00 per person per day

Basic Mountaineering Course Reviews

Excellent teachers

"I am back in Ireland and already missing Italy! I just wanted to drop you a line to thank you and Matt for a really great week. You were both so patient and excellent teachers. I learned a lot in a few days. We were a mixed bunch with a range of abilities and objectives but we were all well catered for and were all impressed with the high standard of instruction we received. Thank you as well for imparting your passion for and knowledge of the Adamello region and its history, it really made the trip special. Also, the photos are great! Hopefully we'll see you in Italy again some day - you got Noel and myself thinking about ski-touring, would love to try it. Thanks again, as we say here, Míle Buíochas"

Jemima