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Searching for ice climbing mentor/partner 19-Apr-2014 At 10:04:35 AM Damien Gildea

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ASM in Katoomba offer courses: http://climbingadventures.com.au/mountaineering-ice-climbing

You can actually get some really good mountaineering practice in the Snowies in winter, even if the steep ice has not formed. Most mountaineering is just cramponing up moderate terrain anyway and there are heaps of icy windblown slopes up high to do that from late June to September.

The problem with doing a course in the Snowies (aside from lack of glaciers etc) is that you lock in dates months ahead and this is a very unwise thing to do for the area. The weather is often bad and the backcountry is not an enjoyable or safe place to be in bad weather, especially for a novice. It's so flat you can get lost easily and the bad weather makes it hard to practice skills properly. Other than snow camping, shovelling and whiteout navigation.

So whatever you do, if you go up there, try and be flexible with the weather and timing, as it will make a big difference. Save the masochism for later.