MOUNTAINEERING COURSE

On a mountaineering course, you will get to experience both glacier and rock climbing. Many of the techniques and much of the equipment are the same for both glacier and rock climbing. A mountaineering course demonstrates these connections and teaches participants what is required for a safe hike on glaciers and start climbing mountains.

The experience is the focus of a mountaineering course. You will get to try various activities related to ice and rock climbing, such as blue ice hiking and rescue, crossing snow-covered glaciers, and both rock and mountain climbing. 

At the same time, there is little time for the practice and repetition needed to master both areas. If you want to learn glacier hiking and rock climbing so thoroughly that you can do it on your own, you should choose a glacier course and a climbing course.

Theme list

  • Walking on easy and difficult ice, without a rope
  • Hiking on easy and difficult ice, with a rope
  • Belaying techniques in a rope team
  • Rescue (Loose Rolle)
  • Climbing and rappelling on glaciers and mountains
  • Top-rope climbing at climbing sites
  • Belaying on rock
  • Climbing in high mountains with natural protection
  • Climbing routes of at least three rope lengths

  • Glacier knowledge
  • Rescue techniques on glaciers and mountains
  • Alpine hazards
  • Knots and rope handling
  • Belaying techniques on glaciers and mountains
  • Equipment

4.9
Based on 33 reviews
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kine b
10:06 21 Oct 24
Was on a high school glacier course with the golden boy Runar as a skilled instructor. Informative course that was adapted to the level the group had and what we wanted to work on more.
Rik de Jong
10:04 20 Aug 24
The course was amazing. It was above our expectations. We learned more than we expected and we did a lot of cool things. Especially the last two days were super cool. On friday we had great weather and climbed Kalven, which was an awesome hike. On Saterday we did soms ice climbing and rappeled down the most beautiful crevasse. We will remember this for a long time.This whole week was so awesome because of Runar. He's a great guy that loves the mountains and we felt save throughout the whole course. He was taking good care of us, knowing our limits and teaching us not only about the glaciers but also about the evironment
Ulrica Axelsson
10:57 12 Nov 23
I have taken both basic and advanced bree courses at Breoppleving. They are professional and have good instructors. We also had a lot of fun together on the course.
mattias gamre
10:23 10 Sep 23
I had a great experience during the climbing course.Good, experienced and skilled instructors. The course offers opportunities that are not particularly available on a daily basis. Consider having an experienced climber "hang over your shoulder" while you set belays.The course site (Lom) provided an excellent opportunity to get to and from various tours and walls, as well as to buy things you needed in the center of Lom.It was nice to have a sink and toilet available at the campsite, but it would have worked just as well without it.The information sent out ahead of the course was complementary.
Geir Myhrvold
06:34 29 Aug 23
A great week on ice with good guides and many exciting people. This is fun for everyone 🙂
Martin Frisk
05:23 26 Aug 23
I am very satisfied with the course!Thought it was educational and covered relevant parts. I feel ready to go out in a rope team with people who have taken the equivalent course to get to the top.Runar was really good as an instructor, very committed, concerned about our safety and really decent!p.s. Being on the glacier feels a bit like being on another planet. 👍
Hylke Jellema
11:56 18 Jul 23
We did the 3-day glacier course. Truly an amazing experience. We learned about walking on ice, on snow, navigating on a glacier, placing ice screws and about general gear management. We also practiced rescue techniques and did some ice climbing. The guide (Jonas) was very friendly and professional. Can certainly recommend!
Boo Borsberry-Woods
16:42 06 Oct 20
We had a glacier course in Josterdalen with Marte and it was fantastic - our knowledgeable, patient and experienced guide taught us what a needed to know to navigate glaciers safely. We had a great time, learned a lot, in a beautiful place! (And we were lucky with the weather...!)
Marius Dahl
00:27 13 Aug 20
With no previous experience of rope climbing, I took part in a course run by Breoppleving in the summer of 2020. Based in Lom, we practiced theory and practice for 4 days together with two experienced instructors and finished the course with two summit trips. The first day of hiking went to Vesle Galdhøpiggen where we hiked up the glacier to the entrance and climbed four lengths of rope. On the second day of the tour, we summited Store Austanbottentind with a rope team and running belays. Two wonderful trips that are memories for life, where we got to practice what we had learned. The instructors were educational, patient and made all the participants (varying experience with rope climbing) feel safe in exposed but wonderful surroundings. Recommended for anyone who is new to climbing and summit climbing in alpine terrain!
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Course plan

This detailed course plan shows the activities planned for each day. It is more flexible than it looks, and the course leader will adapt it according to participants, weather, and conditions on the glacier and in the mountains.

We meet at 7 p.m. and spend some time setting up the tent camp, which is about a ten-minute walk from the road.

Afterward, we will gather for introductions. Then, we will examine the equipment and practice knots. The instructors will also explain the plan and what we will do the next day.

We will spend this day on the glacier Smørstabbreen. We will practice tying into the rope team, walking techniques with and without a rope, and belaying the rope team. Participants will get to lead the rope team and place the protection themselves.

At the end of the day, we will set up a belay station and do some basic climbing climbing.

This day will also be spent on the glacier. We will practice belaying at the transition between snow and ice and perform a couple of companion rescues on snow. Securing a rope team in the snow during rescue is a new challenge, and rescuing from snow-covered crevasses is quite realistic. 

In the evening, we will prepare for the climbing part of the course.

 

This day will be spent at a rock climbing site, either at Tronoberget in Lom or at Turtagrø.

We will start with top-rope climbing to learn how to use the equipment and practice climbing techniques, rope team routines, and communication. Finally, we will cover rappelling.

We are planning a climbing trip to Saksa via Bjørnebreen (2189 meters above sea level) to combine glacier hiking and climbing. Alternatively, we might choose another mountain, such as Store Austabotntind (2204 meters above sea level).

The participants’ preferences, as well as the weather and conditions in the mountains, will determine the choice.

The last day is rather flexible. We can do rock climbing to learn more climbing techniques, mountain climbing to a mountain in combination with crossing a glacier, or learn more advanced techniques on the glacier. The choice is based on the conditions and weather in the mountains and the participants’ wishes. 

 

Sunday has a short schedule: We pack up and head home.

For more detailed information about the course, such as packing list, maps, and other details, see our documents page.

DOCUMENT PAGE

Location

The main camp is our glacier camp in Jotunheimen. From the camp, there is an excellent view of the glacier, and it only takes ten minutes of walking to reach it. In the camp, there is a large tent with wood oven to keep warm if the evening is cold. Sleeping is done in your own tents.

Jotunheimen means “home of giants” and is the area with Norway’s highest peaks. It is also the most famous national park, with several classic trips. We are in the Western part, which is the wildest, has several glaciers, and also has the most shifting weather.

We might travel around to rock climbing sites and other mountains and glaciers in the close area during the course. Or we might not, as most are within reach from our camp.

 

Physical demands

Regular physical fitness is enough to handle the course, as long as you are used to long days out in shifting weather carrying a backpack. Some days will be long, others short. In any case, you will have time to recover with good food and socializing in the evenings.

Mountaineering course

kr 11000

Join our mountaineering course if you want to learn about both climbing and glaciers. No prior experience is needed. Three days climbing and two days on the glacier is standard. One of the days is for a summit in Jotunheimen.

The price is per person and includes glacier and climbing equipment and a certified guide.

SKU: MountaineeringCourse Categories: , , , ,
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