Chockstone Forum

      Sponsored By
      ROCK
   HARDWARE

Chockstone Photography

Australian Landscape Prints

Chockstone Forum - General Discussion

General Climbing Discussion

Author

Help wanted!! Getting started in Mountaineering

Shaymaree

10-Aug-2014
4:04:27 PM

Hello everyone,

I am a 22year old Univeristy student. I have very limited experience havign worked 6 times on a travelling rock climbing wall, trekked the Inca Trail and Everest Base Camp. I am looking forward to Climbing Mt Kili next year although I am interested in getting into a bit more mountaineering/developing and imporving skills. I have been researching asscoiations and clubs in Australia who run Basic Mountaineering courses although I am unsure how to properly get started. Any hints and tips on how to get started and start tackling some larger mountains/ develop some serious mountaineering skills? I honestly have no idea! I obviously would like the cheapest way possible to develop skills needed to climb some peaks although I still want to take into consideration my safety. Any help would be greatly appreciated

Thank you!!

radson

10-Aug-2014
5:18:03 PM

Howdy,

Disclosure alert - I am on the committee for the Aussie section of the New Zealand Alpine Club but have you checked out the benefits and contacts available with the NZAC. Check out the NZAC - Australia section on Facebook for more details or alpineclub.org.nz. Otherwise I am sure your university may have an outdoors club which may also have some cool contacts.

I was reading Andrew Lock's interview in vertical life magazine and he like many Aussie mountaineers went across the ditch and did a TMC (Technical Mountaineering Course with one of the NZ guiding companies. Check out alpine guides, aspiring guides, alpine recreation and adventure consultants.

If you are Australia bound for some time, check out this forum for people doing more multipitch or more 'adventurous' climbs rather than straight up sports climbs. Also have a crack at some of the more rugged bushwalks carrying all your own stuff as this helps with the quads needed for those extended trips up in the mountains.

Mountaineering like climbing can have a fairly established apprenticeship and you can progress in grades and/or altitudes and start to get a grasp of what niche of mountaineering you will enjoy.

Have fun

Brad

Fuzz

10-Aug-2014
7:33:50 PM

There is a company called Australian School of Mountaineering based in katoomba, they do courses in Australia. I did one last week and thought the info and experience they gave was top quality. Try them. The courses are situated never blue lake in Kosciuszko NP in the snow, fun.

Sabu

10-Aug-2014
9:38:00 PM

Correct me if I am wrong but it sounds like you've got more trekking experience than climbing experience. If so, my advice would be to start developing your climbing skills as best you can. Learn how to climb outdoors efficiently, how to place gear, anchors etc. Mountaineering requires one to have good rope skills and not only that but often you need to use these skills in adverse conditions so the more familiar you are with them the better. Also the more familiar you are with these basic skills (belaying, leading, placing protection, setting anchors etc.) the easier it'll be to pick up the additional skills that mountaineering entails (glacier travel, self-rescue, assisted hauls etc).

Look into the Victorian Climbing Club or your university club and start climbing and learning as much as you can. The learn to lead courses run by the VCC are a great way to learn how to place gear and setup anchors. Alternatively go climbing with anyone who is willing to take you outdoors and show you around.

As for mountaineering specifically, I would highly recommend doing a TMC in NZ. There are many threads about these in this forum if you do a search. As an alternative the NZAC run their own TMC courses at a much cheaper rate than the guided companies and I can personally attest to them being good value and highly beneficial. As mentioned, the Australian section of NZAC would be a great place for you to meet people and get into learning the basics.

Lastly mountaineering is expensive (as I'm sure you've guessed by now) so keep an eye out for second hand gear being sold on this site for example that can help you on your way to getting kitted out.

Climboholic

10-Aug-2014
10:49:02 PM

+1 for NZAC. For $80 (under 26 discount) you get discounted rates in NZ Huts, 4 excellent climbing magazines and an Alpine journal per year, plus access to their insurance and mountaineering courses. The discounts on huts alone will pay for the membership in a week of staying in NZ. Plus they have real mountains in NZ unlike Australia.

patto

11-Aug-2014
9:22:44 AM

Given the fact that you are young and studying one of the university clubs would seem the obvious choice to gain experience. It doesn't matter what university you actually attend, pretty much all university clubs are open entry. Newcastle and Sydney have a few well known clubs.

A uni club is cheaper and more social than other alternatives. Once you gain the experience joining NZAC and heading over to NZ is recommending.

But if your only goal is to go mountaineering ASAP then commercial training course would be effective but expensive.

sleake

15-Aug-2014
10:17:59 AM

Get fast on trad multipitch - get fast on rap descents - get fast dragging a pack up a hill.

Then suck it up and go to the mountains - not any in OZ either - blue lake is not alpine climbing - being able to top-rope a 3 meter WI6 will not help you.

Everyone says NZ, but NZ is a terrible place to learn. Yes it is cheap and close, but you wont climb cause its raining/be one of the million ozzies there who think its a good idea to walk up the tasman/up to platau/chancellor - finally get there and are too rooted to climb anything.

Go to Europe, Canada, Nth America and you will cover infinite more ground within a 3 hour walk of your car.

Enjoy - it is good fun!

mattyj

15-Aug-2014
1:45:30 PM

I agree with what Steve said and I'm really only posting to indulge some vaguely narcissistic tendencies and relieve boredom, which it seems is what Chockstone is for.

Firstly, it's good you're a student, as climbing mountains takes lots and lots of TIME.

Secondly, ignore most of what Steve said: sounds like only the first line he posted applies to you. If you want to pay a guide to take you on a TMC now then go for it, but if you can't wander around confidently in the fog in the Aussie Alps and climb long trad routes efficiently then you're going about it ass backwards. Bushwhacking and climbing clubs will teach you that stuff for free in Australia. Just my two cents...

PS: what did NZ do to you as a child Steve? Also, where were you thinking of in N America? I've heard the Cascades and Canadian Rockies have awful weather.

sleake

15-Aug-2014
2:02:04 PM

On 15/08/2014 mattyj wrote:
>I agree with what Steve said and I'm really only posting to indulge some
>vaguely narcissistic tendencies and relieve boredom, which it seems is
>what Chockstone is for.
>
>Firstly, it's good you're a student, as climbing mountains takes lots
>and lots of TIME.
>
>Secondly, ignore most of what Steve said: sounds like only the first line
>he posted applies to you. If you want to pay a guide to take you on a TMC
>now then go for it, but if you can't wander around confidently in the fog
>in the Aussie Alps and climb long trad routes efficiently then you're going
>about it ass backwards. Bushwhacking and climbing clubs will teach you
>that stuff for free in Australia. Just my two cents...
>
>PS: what did NZ do to you as a child Steve? Also, where were you thinking
>of in N America? I've heard the Cascades and Canadian Rockies have awful
>weather.

Sorry - should have said 'dont bother carting all your ropes and rubbish to blue lake, when you could spend your time getting the basics of Alpine Touring skiing out there which will help heaps more in access in the mountains, be heaps more fun and still alow you to camp and wander around in the fog and snow.

I have spent waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay to much of my life in NZ rain.

However I am a sucker for punishment - cause in the next 3 months Ive got 3 trips there - wish me luck.

In a 50 day trip in Canada earlier this year we spent 40 of them climbing. Colorado was equally good to me. Nz just doesnt give you heaps of time to mess around 'learning the ropes' so to speak. small window which pushes you to use it/go in average conditions - which is all part of the fun, but tough to 'learn' in. Equally - yes a flight there is cheap, but a few chopper flights and suddenly the bill adds up - trip to a more distant set of mountains becomes feasible.

Though Matt, facebook has shown me that Cham had a NZ style summer this year- sorry! (you still got some nice stuff done - super jealous!!!!!!!!)

There are 9 messages in this topic.