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General Climbing Discussion

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Mountaineering Courses. 2-Nov-2008 At 5:31:57 PM Epic Steve

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Best option is to do either a 10 day TMC course (Alpine Guides @ Mt Cook are good) or 10 day Private Instruction Course with a single guide (and a couple of mates to make it cheaper!!!)...otherwise go the TMC and hope you don't get stuck with a few fat, lazy, couch potatoes for fellow team members...! Make sure you tell the guide(s) what you want as an outcome (future plans and goals and tell them of your previous climbing experience) otherwise they'll be more than happy to sit back, read an FHM magazine and cruise as they are getting paid for it anyway...

As for Patagonia, on't know why you'd want to do a 45 day course...anywhere!!!

Once you have some skills, get out on the easy stuff and climb with someone you trust (with similar if not better alpine skills than yourself!!!)

Remember the golden rules:

1/ Gravity ALWAYS wins...so #1 is to ALWAYS be in control...a small slip = a BIG fall...

2/ Nothing slides like GORE-TEX...softshells are great as they stick to the snow better...

3/ Rope up for glaciers (reasonably flat but crevassed), unrope for low to moderate terrain if possible (if not using any running belays that are attaching you and your rope to the hill) and pitch it (fixed belay anchors and runners) if moderate to steep or if there is a large cliff/drop below you on a traverse...know when to be roped up and when to go solo is THE most important thing to learn from your course...the other stuff like cramponing, building anchors, self arrest, weather forecasting, etc is easily picked up over time with practice, practice, practice...

4/ Glissading might look cool but unless you are SUPER experienced...it'll kill you (see # 1)

5/ Self arresting doesn't really work on ice (hard) and in late afternoon soup (slushy snow) so again see point # 1...

6/ Cover up or you'll get your ass (nostrils, ears, roof of your mouth, under your chin, etc) fried on a blue sky day...heaps of sunscreen and white zinc cream (even if overcast!!!)

7/ Try not to die...we Ozzy's get enough stick from the sheep shaggers when in the hills!!!

8/ Have fun...build your skills...learn slowly and remember the top is only half way!!!

Steve