Winter Mountaineering & Advanced Crevasse Rescue

note: this course requires an application. do not enroll directly into the course, do not ask for permission to register. the application will be available the first week of october

REGISTRATION Timeline!

Application Submissions: October 01 - October 08 

Application results published: No Later Than November 1

Cancellation : Refund minus $10 by 2nd Session (February 19). No refunds on or after this date.

The Foothills Climbing Committee is committed to building and fostering a representative climbing community that reflects the spaces in which we live and recreate. We recognize that outdoor recreation has historically excluded communities of color, women, and LGBTQ people. Hence, we strongly encourage applications from people with these identities or who are members of other underrepresented communities. 

WELCOME TO WINTER MOUNTAINEERING & ADVANCED CREVASSE rESCUE (WCR)!

This course teaches both the technical and non-technical skills needed to comfortably plan and lead climbs in the winter and on glaciers.

Through evening sessions at the program center and days in the field, students will practice good climbing technique, perfect self and team arrests, learn to place protection in snow and ice, manage moderately-steep snow slopes (up 55 deg), build and equalize anchors, construct advanced haul systems for crevasse rescue, set up group camps, and more!  Lectures will also cover trip planning, including route selection, in-the-field evaluation, a navigation refresher, and how to write a practical trip plan.

The course is composed of multiple sessions broken into 3 disciplines

Winter Mountaineering

• 3 lectures
• 1 winter conditioner
• 1 winter overnight - snow travel techniques and a required overnight in a snow trench/cave
• 1 winter overnight trip

Team Rescue

• 1 evening session covering releasable belay escapes
• 1 weekend day learning team rescue skills
• 1 weekend day practicing team rescue scenarios

Advanced Crevasse Rescue

• 2 weeknight sessions learning solo rescue skills
• 1 weekend day session practicing rescue scenarios in snow
• 1 overnight experience trip to wrap up the course

Please see below for course dates: only one offering of each lecture or field trip will be offered

This course assumes competency in the following

• basic knots and hitches
• crevasse self-extrication (ascending a rope)
• rappelling
• basic crevasse rescue (Z-Pulley)
• basic snow/glacier travel (roped/unroped travel, rope management, navigation) 

COREQUISITES

• All students are expected to have successfully completed a Level 1 AIARE course prior to attending WCR 2 - Winter Overnight Trip.