Course instruction, training & briefings
Skills and techniques training sessions off the mountain, & trip briefings
Extra: We
aim to provide more than just guiding,
and to achieve a balance of learning skills
& techniques.
Training: On
some courses, in UK Lakes or Chamonix, there are optional instruction / briefing
sessions.
Flexible: These
are either to teach extra skills or brief
you on objectives for the next day, upon demand.
Optional: Attendance
at the sessions is totally optional, and is
not on every evening or when
in huts.
Format: These are operated in person / online / pre-recorded, as best fits with the logistics of the week.
Included: Instruction
sessions are run on scheduled (non-bespoke)
trips, where specified in inclusions.
At
these flexible and optional sessions, there is a wide range of
instructional content that could be covered, or
specific route and equipment briefings requested
by the guiding team, or often a more informal social
meeting to discuss that days activities and to look
at maps / guidebooks to chat about the plans
for the next day. Below is an outline of instruction sessions for a typical week long
course in summer or winter.
The exact topics may
be varied, to cater for conditions / course content
/ your knowledge, and if we've had to use the session time for briefings and logistics for the following day, we'll always offer an online / pre-recorded instruction session for those who are super keen! Use the plans below to give you
an idea of the types of training that may be requested,
not the specific topics you are taught.
Summer
season
Winter
season
Sun
16:00 Check-in 17:00 Briefings 18:00 Hire kit
16:00 - Arrive
to check in / be shown into
your course accommodation for the trip 17:00 - Course itinerary and safety briefing, and any kit checks / advice requests 18:00 - Equipment hire kit allocation & fitting
Climbing ropework Rope choice, fall factors, knots, and
key shortroping safety techniques Mountain weather systems Interpretation of synoptic charts, and
adapting them for mountain weather Crevasse rescue hoists Snow anchors for climbers crevasse
rescue, and emergency rescue hoists Maps & guidebooks Look at resources to see where you have
been, and are going next Route / equipment briefing Specific breifing about plans for next
day(s) and the equipment to take
Avalanche awareness Presentation on the key risk areas, the
types of avalanche, and how to avoid Crevasse rescue hoists Skiers and climbers crevasse rescue
emergency hoist ropework systems Mountain weather systems Interpretation of synoptic charts, and
adapting them for mountain weather Maps & guidebooks Look at resources to see where you have
been, and are going next Route / equipment briefing Specific breifing about plans for next
day(s) and the equipment to take
Thu
18:00-18:30 Evening off
Many itineraries have a night
scheduled in a mountain hut on Thursday,
but if you are in town, the hosts
will meet / message you to share plans for the next
day
Fri
18:00-18:30
18:30 Drinks 19:30 Meal
Return any Icicle hire kit to the host at the briefing point, between 18:00 & 18:30
Attend
optional social drinks before dinner,
in a local bar close to accommodation
Optional group celebratory evening meal in
a restaurant in the centre of town
Sat
10:00 Depart
Accommodation
check out, and return keys. End of course.
Return home
The list of topics
above is non-exhaustive and we make them
season specific to be as relevant as possible. You'll
note that there are more topics than there are sessions,
and we cannot cover everything, so your input is
vital during the week. If you don't ask, you may
not get, so pipe up and request specific instruction
sessions.
Where time permits, the guides and instructors
may elect to cover some of the topics during the
daytime, rather than during the evening, so we are
as flexible as possible. If no topic is requested,
as a default, our priority will always to to brief those in attendance
about plans for the next day.
If you finish your daytime guiding after any in person instruction
session time-slot, we are very aware that after a long day, you'll
have learnt and experienced lots, and be keener
for a shower / beer / food / bed, but recorded sessions can be viewed online. We cannot stress
enough these evening sessions are optional, and that there is nothing taught during
them which you will require as essential for the next guided days.
They are for general interest,
for those wanting to learn that bit more.
If you speak up and request a topic, the optional
sessions are there to nurture your inner geek, and
provide extra. It's up to you how to
use them.
As
you can see from the schedule above,
we offer a different schedule in summer
and winter, where the instruction is
tailored to the skills used in that
season.
We
are aware that you are also on a holiday,
and we strictly limit the sessions to
a maximum of 45 minutes long, to allow
you time to go out and relax too.
We
are the only course provider to offer
our clients these evening instruction
sessions to help provide a different
dimension and method of learning.
Clients
are provided with a PDF copy of the
36 page Course Instruction Booklet as
a FREE download once you have booked
(see the cover on left).
The
location for these evening instruction
sessions or talks, is varied depending
on the weather and content, held inside (e.g. UK office), online, or outside.
We
keep these instruction sessions informal and flexible, and where possible to allow you
input into what sessions
you wish to cover on your course.
Pre-course ropework
If you wish to practise any ropework or knots before your trip, you can watch the video below, and for more skills and ropework, please visit our key safety knots & ropework page; click here.
Icicle
open evenings
Our shop and office in Windermere, is a brilliant resource in which we organise all the course logistics, and at which we host organised meetings with trip advisers, and also a growing series of open evenings with presentations and Q&A sessions with our key team. Click for more
details). E-mail us to reserve space(s)
and confirm availability.
Instruction eve alternatives
Some
groups opt for a more relaxed approach,
to meet in a pub to chat about
plans and activites.
Others
use these times to look at maps, so
they can see where they have been, and are going next.
Sometimes used by guides
to brief their groups on what to take
for a specific route, e.g. Matterhorn.
We
hope you'll have got the idea that this
time is flexible, and we are very aware it is your
holiday time!
Any
further questions?
A
key part of choosing a company is being able to
come and talk about your plans with an experienced
course advisor face to face. In an increasingly
virtual world, we know our clients value speaking
to real people, getting open and honest advice.
The vast majority of our clients are British, and
our office and outdoor store is based in Windermere
in the English Lake District.
Get
in contact to arrange a meeting, and come in for
a coffee to discuss your course in person with a trip
advisor.
