i have never put on crampons or used an ice axe
but i cant wait to learn.
getting gear for winter is a lil expensive
so im saving up for gear.
is it possible to just get out there and learn or
is something i need to be taught
wheni have hiked in the winter before it is so much nicer
it is quiet and clean and no people are any where
what are some good practice hills
and is there any kind of mounatineering courses
or safety class closer that going up north
i would like to learn to hike in winter conditions
You should definitely have instruction before using crampons and ice axe. At the very least, from an experienced friend. There are different techniques when climbing with crampons, different uses of the ice axe, and you certainly need to learn, and practice, self arrest.friendowl wrote:i have never put on crampons or used an ice axe
but i cant wait to learn.
getting gear for winter is a lil expensive
so im saving up for gear.
is it possible to just get out there and learn or
is something i need to be taught
wheni have hiked in the winter before it is so much nicer
it is quiet and clean and no people are any where
what are some good practice hills
and is there any kind of mounatineering courses
or safety class closer that going up north
Start with the pertinent chapters in "Freedom of the Hills." But reading a book is no substitute for getting good instruction and then practising. However, I don't know of any local mountaineering courses available.
Even before crampons and ice axe, you need to learn snow travel in hiking boots including kicking steps, etc. And don't forget that snowshoe outings can get you out in winter conditions as well.
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Doug Forbes
- Posts: 20
- Joined: Sun Sep 30, 2007 7:21 pm
I agree with Alan's suggestion of the wonderful area above the Ski Hut! We held our second Sierra Club BMTC ice axe/roped travel practice session there back on March 22 of 1975 (San Gabriel Section). It was a fairly heavy snow year providing great self arrest practice and getting used to holding roped team members with arrest & different ice axe belays (including informal competitions for who could hold the most climbers from a belay - this was before the time of rampant personal injury lawsuits! 
). We held the first practice session at a lower elevation at the base of San Gorgonio on the 8th of that month, but the snow was wet and slushy from the warm temperatures that weekend making for poor sliding conditions. I hope we have enough snow this season to provide good alpine routes on the higher peaks of the Southland! 
Climb hard, Climb safe
Doug F.
). We held the first practice session at a lower elevation at the base of San Gorgonio on the 8th of that month, but the snow was wet and slushy from the warm temperatures that weekend making for poor sliding conditions. I hope we have enough snow this season to provide good alpine routes on the higher peaks of the Southland! Climb hard, Climb safe
Doug F.
WTC (the successor to BMTC) is still being taught by the Sierra Club: http://angeles.sierraclub.org/wtc/
They use Freedom of the Hills as their text. They will not teach ice axe and crampon skills, but they will teach winter travel and backcountry camping techniques and take you on two snow trips (the first, a one day local snowshoe trip and the second, a weekend long snowshoe backpack in the Eastern Sierra including snow cave and igloo training -- very cool).
They will also provide opportunities to take further backcountry training classes at a discounted rate (not taught by the Sierra Club), and it's also a great place for networking. Many of the leaders are pretty serious rock climbers and/or mountaineers.
They use Freedom of the Hills as their text. They will not teach ice axe and crampon skills, but they will teach winter travel and backcountry camping techniques and take you on two snow trips (the first, a one day local snowshoe trip and the second, a weekend long snowshoe backpack in the Eastern Sierra including snow cave and igloo training -- very cool).
They will also provide opportunities to take further backcountry training classes at a discounted rate (not taught by the Sierra Club), and it's also a great place for networking. Many of the leaders are pretty serious rock climbers and/or mountaineers.
Hikin_Jim wrote:WTC (the successor to BMTC) is still being taught by the Sierra Club: http://angeles.sierraclub.org/wtc/
For the price, it's the greatest bargain around in terms of teaching the fundamentals of wilderness travel with a heavy emphasis on map and compass use. It' s 10 week course (once a week 3 hour (?) class sessions plus practice outings on the weekends including trips to Joshua Tree and the Sierra Nevada) so it's quite a time commitment but well worth it. I took it in 1999.