Join our mountaineering course if you want to learn about both climbing and glaciers. No prior experience is needed.
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.
Normal fitness is enough to handle the course, but you should be used to hiking in the mountains with a backpack, and to long days out in shifting weather. Some days will be long, others short. In any case, you will have time to recover with good food and socialising in the evenings.
Choose how many places you want (up to the number available) and add them straight to the cart.
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 practise 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 practise 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.
This day will also be spent on the glacier. We will practise 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 practise climbing techniques, rope team routines, and communication. Finally, we will cover rappelling.
We are planning a climbing trip to Saksa (2189 metres above sea level) via Bjørnebreen to combine glacier hiking and climbing, or a summit in Hurrungane such as Store Austabotntind (2204 metres above sea level).
The participants’ preferences, as well as the weather and conditions in the mountains, will determine the choice.
This day we can do another summit with climbing, or we can spend a day at a climbing field. 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.
Everything you need to know before the course, on one sheet per course.
You bring your own food for the week. Breakfast is eaten in camp, and there are usually two lunches on the glacier. Sandwiches work well on the move, together with something hot in a thermos. Dinner is usually started as soon as we are back from the glacier. Food that needs to be kept cold can be put in watertight bags and placed under stones in the lake. Remember to put every stone back where it was, so we leave no trace. Some food keeps better if it is fried beforehand. Many bring freeze-dried meals for dinner. Porridge is also a good breakfast that keeps well.
Many ask what kind of boots to bring. The basic rule is that they must reach above the ankle. On the glacier, boots with a stiff sole are best, while stiff soles are less comfortable on the trail. Our crampons fit all mountain boots and do not need step-in welts at the heel. If you are unsure whether your boots are good enough, send us an e-mail or give us a call.
In summer, glacier ice is both wet and dirty. Waterproof clothing such as Gore-Tex is a good idea. But glacier grit can be hard to wash out, so think twice before bringing your newest and finest jacket and trousers.
Sleeping in a tent does not have to be uncomfortable. Our camps are either at a campsite or so close to the road that you can make an extra trip or two to the car. Bring an extra good mattress, a pillow and a chair. You can even bring a duvet if you do not like sleeping bags. And remember: do not pump the mattress rock hard, you will sleep badly. It is not quite glamping, but a little extra comfort makes a big difference to how you enjoy the week.
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.
The first part of the course is on Smørstabbreen, the second part at a climbing field and on summits in Hurrungane or on Smørstabbtindane.
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.
This is where we stay during the course.
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.
There are two courses this summer, both from our glacier camp in Jotunheimen.