Basic Mountaineering School

SPECIAL NOTES: 

1)  The Northern Colorado Group normally charges a fee for this course.  Because the deadline to secure US Forest Service use permits (required for paid courses on USFS lands) was missed, rather than postpone the course a year, we are offering the course this year tuition-free.  The course is open for CMC members only.

2)  The course ending date shown above is not correct.  It's only done so this posting appears on the Northern Colorado Group's activity calendar.  See below for the actual course schedule which goes through the end of August 2024.

3)  You must fill out the course application and receive permission to register.  Click the "Apply" button on the right to link to the application.  Submit your application to Gordan Thibedeau at gthibedeau@comcast.net

DESCRIPTION:

The course consists of five lectures each followed by a field day where you are able to practice what you learned in the classroom. Subjects taught in the classroom include knots, rope-handling, harnesses, belays, rock climbing techniques, rappelling, mountain first aid, high altitude climbing, basic snow travel, and equipment. Fieldwork includes basic rock techniques, belaying, rappelling, climbing safety, a multi-pitch climb, and a snow day. Students will be assigned to teams with a Senior Instructor and at least one Assistant instructor.  Each team must complete a high peak route-finding/snow climb, and a high peak overnight climb. The lectures will start promptly at 6:00 pm and generally end by 9:00. A knot test and written test will be conducted on the last classroom session. 

COURSE SCHEDULE:

Classroom sessions will be held at the Fort Collins Chamber of Commerce building, 225 S Meldrum St, and field activities will be held in various locations.  The scheduled lecture dates are Apr 4, 11, 18, 25, and May 2.  The scheduled field dates are somewhat weather dependent. While we expect to conduct the fieldwork on the Saturday following the lecture, weather may force a rescheduling to the Sunday. Field dates are April 6, 13, 20, 27, and May 11.  Note here will be a week break between the May 2 lecture and the multi-pitch climb scheduled for May 11.  The two high peak climbs will be scheduled by the senior instructor in coordination with their students for dates in June, July and/or August.  

Regarding any questions concerning field days and/or lectures being missed or arriving late, the Northern Colorado Group’s Basic Mountaineering Course must insist on and enforce a no-absence rule for all lectures and field days.  There is so much information being packed into the course that any one lecture and/or field day missed could have a dramatic effect on your ability to apply such knowledge in the future and especially during the course itself.