Due to the crazy popularity of the June 3-5 Intro to Mountaineering for Women course, we've opened this second course. It's a slightly different version than the June 3-5, but covering many of the same skills. And... it's taught entirely by BCMC women!
PREFERENCE WILL BE GIVEN TO WOMEN WHO COULD NOT BE ACCOMMODATED ON THE JUNE 3-5 COURSE AND HAVE BEEN OFFERED A SPOT BY THE TRIP ORGANIZER. Feel free to sign up if you wish to participate but were not contacted; others may be considered if there is room.
This course is designed for women with little or no mountaineering experience. It's ideal if you're in pretty good shape, physically, but no need to be a superstar athlete.
The purpose of this course is to give you the basic skills you need to join up on basic mountaineering trips with more experienced teammates. It's also a great launching point for more advanced mountaineering courses such as glacier travel and crevasse rescue (note the WOMEN ONLY course in July). The exact location is still a bit up in the air since it'll depend on conditions, weather etc., but it'll probably be in Garibaldi Park, or something similar.
The itinerary will look something like this:
Tuesday, May 10: (Pre-Trip Info Session)
- to be held at the Anza Club, prior to the May Social
- bring your backpack and gear to this session! We will review what to pack and how to select it (e.g. if you're thinking of buying or renting, or trying to decide which jacket to pack), how to pack your bag, how to fit crampons to your boots, and all other things gear-related
- we'll also go over some of the basic knots and how we will tie in to the rope when on the mountain (this will be reviewed again on the actual trip)
**NOTE: if some folks cannot make this date, we may run a second session**
Saturday, June 11 (Approach)
- Meet in the morning and carpool to the trailhead
- Go over last-minute questions about gear, the itinerary, and some safety considerations
- Approach to "base camp" on the mountain (likely 3-4 hours hike)
- Set up camp and practice winter/snow camping
- Start some basic skills practice (see list below)
Sunday, June 12 (Mountaineering Day School)
- Skills practice day which will cover...
> ice axe self arrest
> team arrest
> walking in crampons
> the "rest step"
> breathing techniques
> "roping up" and traveling roped
> communication protocol
> basic hazard identification
> other topics, as time permits
Note we have also set up a "graduation climb" for July 9 and 10, but the maximum number of participants is pending volunteer organizers. At the moment, we can only accommodate 9 participants for the graduation climb. VOLUNTEERS NEEDED - if you want to volunteer to lead a group of gals up a local favourite, please contact Marlaina Rhymer.
The fee for the course is $35.There are four steps to the registration process. PLEASE READ CAREFULLY AND TAKE NOTE OF IMPORTANT DEADLINES AND DATES:
1) Before May 1st, register online and your name will automatically be added to the "Request List" while the organizer reviews your registration information. Be sure to answer all the trip planning questions when prompted.
2) Once you've signed up, the organizer(s) will review your responses and, if approved, you'll be placed on the "Waiting List". Once on the Waiting List, you'll have access to the "Pay Now" (PayPal) button to pay online (see left hand side of the page).
3) You will have until May 2nd to complete your payment. After payment has been confirmed by PayPal, your name will be moved to the "Confirmed List" and a confirmation email will be sent to you.
Preference will be given for women who could not be accommodated on the June 3-5 course.
We've drafted up a gear list here for your reference, but will definitely go over the gear in more detail at the pre-trip info session. In the meantime, if you have any questions about gear, about the itinerary, or about anything else, please don't hesitate to contact Marlaina at marlaina dot rhymer at gmail dot com or call/text at 604-928-5812.