| Course
evening instruction / briefing sessions |
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We
aim to provide more than mountain guiding,
and to achieve a balance of learning skills
and techniques. |
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On
some courses, either in the UK Lakes or the
Alps, there are optional instruction / briefing
sessions. |
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These
are flexible to teach you extra skills / brief
you on objectives for the next day, upon your
requests. |
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Attendance
at the sessions is totally optional, and is
not on every evening during the week or when
huts. |
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Instruction
sessions are offered on scheduled (non-bespoke)
courses, where specified in the inclusions. |
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these flexible 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 even a more informal social
meeting to discuss that days activities and to look
at maps and / or guidebooks to chat about the plans
for the next day. Below is an outline of some of
the 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. Use the plans below to give you
an idea of the types of talks that may be given,
not the specific topics you are taught. |
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Summer
season |
Winter
season |
| Sun |
16:00 Check-in
17:00 Briefings |
Arrive
any time from 16:00 to 17:00 to be shown into
your accommodation
Course itinerary and safety briefings, followed
by kit checks and hire kit allocation |
Mon
to
Wed |
17:15-18:00
Evening
instruction
& briefing
session
options |
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 |
17:15-18:00
Evening
instruction |
Night
off / night in a mountain hut
Many course itineraries have a night
scheduled in a mountain hut on Thursday,
but if you are in town, the course hosts
will meet you to chat about the days activities
and brief you on the plans for the next
day |
| Fri |
18:30 Drinks
19:30 Meal |
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 |
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As
you'll see from the ideas of topics in the lists
above, they are 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, we always will brief those in attendance
about plans for the next day.
If you finish your daytime guiding after the instruction
session time-slot, there's no extra session time,
as 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. We cannot stress
enough that these evening sessions are completely
optional, and that there is nothing taught during
them which you will require as essential knowledge
for the next guided days. They are for general interest,
for those wanting to learn that little bit more.
If you speak up and request a topic, the optional
sessions are there to nurture your inner geek, and
to provide a bit extra. It's over to you how to
use them. |
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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. |
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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. |
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We
are the only course provider to offer
our clients these evening instruction
sessions to help provide a different
dimension and method of learning. |
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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). |
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The
location for these evening instruction
sessions or talks, is varied depending
on the weather and talk type, either
held inside (e.g. UK office) or outside. |
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We
keep these instruction sessions very
informal and flexible, to allow you
to have a good input into what sessions
you wish to cover on your course. |
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On
courses, where there is an option to
work towards gaining NNAS training or
certification, you must request training
sessions in the daytime and evening. |
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Some
clients simply wish to cover the basics
of navigation, and may study maps in
the context of a route plan for the
mountain they ascend the next day. |
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Some
groups opt for a more relaxed approach,
an prefer to meet in a bar to chat about
their days activites, and to make plans
for the following days . |
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Others
use these times to look at maps, so
they can see where they have been each
day, and where they plan to go on other
days during the trip. |
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The
time is sometimes used by the guides
to brief their groups on what to take
for a specific route or climb, such
as a talk about Matterhorn / Gran Paradiso. |
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We
hope you'll have got the idea that this
time is flexible, to be used as you
want, and we are very aware it is your
holiday, so it is tailored to you. |
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