5-day Mountaineering camp in the Palisades (Sierra Nevada), near Big Pine, CA – Level I

I will guide you on this incredible, amazing, epic and awesome mountaineering course in the Palisades of the Sierra Nevada in California, where over the course of 5 days we will go through all the necessary skills and techniques needed to increase your mountaineering confidence, all while practicing on some of the numerous majestic and breath-taking 14,000 ft. peaks in the area.

The Palisades are a group of mountain peaks nestled within the Sierra Nevada mountain range in California, often containing steep and rugged terrain. It has the highest concentration of 14,000 ft. mountains in the Sierra Nevada, and is considered one of the best alpine climbing spots in California.

We begin our adventure by meeting in the nearby town of Big Pine, and from there we head out to the mountains in earnest.

We will aim to cover all the basic skills and techniques needed to start alpine mountaineering, including how to climb on rock, ice and snow.

Some of the topics covered are route planning and preparation, navigation, route finding, basic mountain medicine, rock climbing techniques, rappelling, crampon techniques and roped team travel.

Once we have covered these, it is then time for the highlight of the trip, putting them in to practice. We have the pick of some of the finest mountains in the state to mountaineer on, with most peaks reaching 13-140,000 ft. high, including North Palisade (14,248 ft.), Mount Sill (14, 159 ft.), Split Mountain (14,064 ft.) and Middle Palisade (14,018 ft.).

The views from each mountain are sublime, with the vast and spectacular California countryside stretching far out in to the distance, with the other peaks of the Sierra Nevada looming large above it all.

After 5 days we will have increased your mountaineering confidence, and hopefully made you want to return to this delightful part of California.

Learn the basics of alpine mountaineering in the most spectacular setting possible – book now to experience!

To challenge yourself further and take your mountaineering to the next level, try our Palisades mountaineering camp, 5 days with 14,000′ summits in the Sierra Nevada, CA – Level II, here!