Mountaineering course for beginners in the Palisades, California (5 days)

I will guide you on this exciting, incredible and memorable mountaineering course for beginners in the magnificent Palisades, California, where over the course of 5 days you will learn the basic skills and techniques needed to undertake alpine mountaineering, before putting these in to practice in the superb surroundings of some of the finest countryside and mountainous terrain that California has to offer.

The Sierra Nevada is a mountain range that mainly lies in California, stretching 640km North to South and 110km East to West. The areas around the mountain range are often sparsely populated, meaning the surrounding landscape and terrain remains pristine, with few effects from the modern world. The Palisades are a group of particularly rugged peaks in the central part of the Sierra Nevada.

We will meet in Big Pine, California, where all relevant safety gear and information will be dispensed.

Over the subsequent 5 days we will cover almost every fundamental skill and technique needed to confidently alpine mountaineer on rock, ice and snow, as we go over route planning, navigation, route finding, hazards evaluation, medicine, rock climbing, belaying, rappelling, crampon technique and snow anchors.

Towards the end of the trip you will have the opportunity to put all these skills in to practice, as we ascend a 13,000 or 14,000-foot peak via a 3rd of 4th class route.

There will be plenty of time to take in and admire the sublime landscape, scenery and terrain around us, with rocky and snowy mountains leading down to the tranquil and peaceful alpine lakes and forests.

After 5 days you will hopefully be fully confident in tackling an alpine mountain ascent and in having the desire to take these newfound skills around the world.

This is one of the most spectacular ways possible to learn about alpine mountaineering – book now!