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Course instruction sessions
When you book on an Icicle course we are looking to provide you with more than guiding you in the mountains. It should be summit success balanced with learning skills and techniques. In order to achieve this balance perhaps our strongest selling point is the provision of instruction sessions in the evenings in Chamonix after guiding for all those on climbing, trekking and ski courses. Our aim is to make you more autonomous, so that you learn skills on the course that you can take away to use for your own time in the mountains, be it in the UK or greater ranges.
When you are on a course, you spend several evenings in Chamonix, and on several of these evenings there are Evening Theory Sessions run in the office. The talks are designed to compliment some of the guiding instruction you have received during the course. These evening theory sessions are a really invaluable addition to your learning and development on a course. Icicle is the only course provider to offer our clients these theory / instruction sessions.
To entice you down from the hills you are offered tea & coffee and cake or biscuits for during the evening instruction sessions. These extra calories will keep you going through to dinner time! The general interest talks are run on demand for those who are down early, and please note that the course instruction sessions are totally optional, but are attended by the vast majority of clients on courses.
All course clients are provided with a copy of the Icicle Course Instruction Booklet as a FREE download once you have booked (see cover on the left). In the client login section of the website, which you get access to upon booking, you can print off this Booklet before you start your course to learn the basics. The FREE Course Instruction Booklet compliments your instruction sessions by providing detailed notes, and diagrams. It is a great reference manual to refer to when you return home too.
The Syllabus
The actual sessions given on your course will depend on the level of the course, and your existing knowledge and skills base. Below is a sample week talk and instruction schedule. For those on a two week course, the instruction is different on each of the nights on the second week, so you won't be repeating anything. Obviously it is tailored to the different types of courses (skiiing vs climbing etc) but below are detailed some of the most popular:
Day Time Instruction Topic
Sunday 18:00 Course check in
18:30 Kit checks & briefings
Accommodation allocation
Course itinerary and safety briefings & kit checks
Monday 17:00-17:30 General interest talk
17:30-18:30 Course Instruction
Aconcagua or Kilimanjaro Expeditions
A: Alpine ropework - rope choice, fall factors, knots
B: Advanced ropework, and Alpine abseil systems
C: Using GPS systems for mountain navigation
Tuesday 17:00-17:30 General interest talk
17:30-18:30 Course Instruction
Ice climbing or Mont Blanc
A: Mountain weather systems and synoptic charts
B: History of Alpine climbing in Chamonix
C: Mountain navigation and use of maps
Wednesday 17:00-17:30 General interest talk
17:30-18:30 Course Instruction
Ski Haute Route - Chamonix to Zermatt
A: Crevasse rescue systems for climbers & skiers
B: Alpine kit, choice, selection, safety & storage
C: Self rescue rope systems for glacier travel
Thursday On every Thursday there is a night off instruction sessions, as on most courses a night is scheduled to be spent in a mountain hut. If you are in Chamonix, you have free time today!
Friday 17:00-17:30 General interest talk
17:30-18:30 Course Instruction
The Big 3 - Eiger, Matterhorn, Mont Blanc
A: Snow safety & avalanche tranceivers
B: Transceiver search patterns & practice
C: Interpreting avalanche forecasts in the Alps
Saturday 10:00 Accommodation check out End of course debrief and Q&A session
Who teaches the instruction?
The vast majority of the instruction is taught
by one of the Icicle guiding team, who have
lived and guided in the Alps for many years.
This is an exceptional extra service that no
other operator offers, and is real value
added element of your course.
Why offer the instruction?
We know you are on holiday, but believe the
the majority of our clients wish to learn as
much as possible both on and off the hill.
All our evening instruction is completely
optional, but to attend the sessions gives
your course an extra dimension.
 
 
 
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