Learning self arrest/ crampon use?

[climberslacker]

Hey guys,

Im new here, and would like to learn how to do self arrests and crampon use this winter. Ive been climbing since I was 6, and backpacking since I was 12, and just want to add something else to my repatoure. If it has anny effect I am 15, but pretty mature.

Thanks guys!

-Jace

[Hikin_Jim]

Jace:

Mount Baldy is a popular area for people to learn ice axe & crampon use. You might want to head over to the San Gabriel Mountains Discussion Forum and get to know some of the guys there. TacoDelRio, the site admin is pretty heavy into winter climbing, as are several others there.

There is also the Sierra Club's Wilderness Travel Course. They no longer teach ice axe and crampon skills because of liability issues, but they will cover basic snow travel, basic avalanche awarness, and they will take you on a snow shoe backpacking trip. The course covers backcountry travel pretty much from A to Z, including sections on first aid and navigation. They also will make available discounts for gear purchase and discouns for mountaineering courses that do teach ice axe/crampons. It's a really good course; I highly recommend it. If nothing else, you'll make a lot of connections

There are professional courses available. A professional course might be expensive (it will), but people die when they use 'pons & axe and don't know what they're doing. A couple of us here on the forum have personally lost friends/family due to winter ice accidents. Nothing to screw around with.

Kurt Wedberg, who some of us here know or have met, has a school, Sierra Mountaineering International (SMI) that offers Snow Travel courses. An avalanche course might not be such a bad idea either. Kurt has climbed Everest more than once.

HJ

P.S. Hope I don't sound like your mom here. Plenty of people do winter climbing and stuff just fine. Just use your head, and I'm sure you'll be fine.

[climberslacker]

Its fine! I do realize the dangers, and am definatly looking into a professional course, but the only one that I knew of (through SMC) is in May, and im very impatient! I do snowboard, and have gone snowshoeing, i just want to take if further (and eventually do snow creek!)

-Jace

PS

hikin jim

are you the same one who posted (maybe still do) on equipped to survive forums?

[Hikin_Jim]

Its fine! I do realize the dangers, and am definatly looking into a professional course, but the only one that I knew of (through SMC) is in May, and im very impatient! I do snowboard, and have gone snowshoeing, i just want to take if further (and eventually do snow creek!)

-Jace

PS

hikin jim

are you the same one who posted (maybe still do) on equipped to survive forums?

Check around. I would think there would be more classes. At least by March. Post a question on the San Gabriels forum. It's very active.

Yes, I've posted on ETS as well as SummitPost, Whitney Portal Store, Backpacking Light, Wrightwood, and probably some others that I can't remember.

The forums where I'm a regular on are:
San Gabriel Mountains
San Gorgonio Wilderness
San Jacinto Mountains

BTW, I haven't been as active lately; my wife just had a baby.

[bluerail]

...and some day that baby will be fifteen, it will be real interesting to see if she ends up with your depth of knowledge of the outdoors. Lets hope so.

[climberslacker]

wow... i knew ive seen you before... a lot of places actually. Do you have any more places you could recomend for ice axe/ crampon training? I would love not to die! haha

-Jace

[Hikin_Jim]

wow... i knew ive seen you before... a lot of places actually. Do you have any more places you could recomend for ice axe/ crampon training? I would love not to die! haha

-Jace

Jace,

I can list some more schools (see below), but I don't have any first hand experience with any of these.

Again, you might ask around on the San Gabriels Forum (if you haven't already). A lot of those guys have WAY more winter mountaineering experience than I do. I like winter stuff but tend to stay in mild terrain. Some of those guys are hard core and do serious high angle ascents. They might have some class recommendations. They might even be willing to take you out and "show you the ropes" once you get to know them a bit.

HJ

Some schools:
http://www.sierramtnguides.com/courses/ ... alpine.htm
http://aai.cc/
http://www.californiaalpineguides.com/alpine.html
http://www.sierramountaincenter.com/win ... ering.html
http://www.alpinets.com/mountaineering.html
http://www.swsmtns.com/wintermountain.html

[magikwalt]

I'll bet the folks at your local REI also have a list of people to recommend as well.

[climberslacker]

I think Im going to go with SMI, as they have a class that will work with my life (always a good thing) AND they have rentals so I don't have to worry about getting stuff and not liking it!

-Jace