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Beginner Mountaineering Course

Learn to climb summits like these

Ruwenzori Mt Speke

Duration: 3 Days

This is the training you need to climb big mountains in South Africa or overseas such as Elbrus, Denali or even Mt. Everest. We have trained and coached several Everest summiteers and Seven Summit climbers using this course. Get the basics right!

Venue: Monteseel, near Durban or Eagle Rock, near Harrismith, and the final day climbing Sentinel Peak in the northern Drakensberg.

This course is specifically designed to give a new mountaineer the grounding and introduction to climbing. It covers rock climbing and abseiling and then goes on to train clients in techniques, which are often used on higher mountains outside of South Africa. These include jummaring, short-roping and simul-climbing. These last three techniques are often employed by guiding companies on such mountains as Mt. Blanc, Mt. Elbrus and Mt. Everest.

Day 1
Introduction to equipment and clothing
Rock climbing technique and style
Belaying and seconding of climb
Abseiling
Day 1 includes several actual rock climbs and abseils

Day 2
Simul climbing
Ascending a fixed rope with single and double jummars
Moving together: simul climbing and short-roping
Self-rescue: prusiking

Day 3
Accent of Sentinel Peak, northern Drakensberg; either by the North Face Route (also called the Angus-Leppan Route), or via the easier Standard Route. The North Face route consists of 7 pitches and is easy to moderate rock-climbing. The climbing is never very difficult, but clients must have a good head for heights.

Mountaineering Skills Courses

Peak High Mountaineering is a Service Provider of MTS Certified Courses and Awards. We offer training and assessment in these courses and qualifications, which are used by recreational outdoors people right up to professional instructors. The skills used and trained in these courses can also be used for working towards National Qualification Framework Unit Standards for mountain guiding.

This is the first level of MTS courses. No assessment is done, but a Certificate of Attendance is issued by the MTS administrator

Hiking Skills Course

If you want to learn the basics and be safer in the mountains, then this is the course for you. We will show you all you need to know to get started and what equipment you will need. It takes place on paths in easy low mountain hiking areas. It does not cover mountain leadership or group supervision.

This is a mainly practical course in the basics of hiking. The skills learned on this course will help to make you into a confident hiker, equipped with the correct knowledge to walk safely in the hills of South Africa. It takes place in the foothills of the Drakensberg and in the Hilton area of the KZN Midlands. A total of 2 nights are spent sleeping either in caves or in tents in the Drakensberg. You need to be fairly fit and have some personal outdoor clothing and equipment. Items such as tents, mattresses, stoves and sleeping bags are provided on request.

Duration: 3 days

The Hiking Skills course covers:

• Equipment care and usage
• Packing
• On trail navigation and map reading
• Nutrition
• Camp craft
• Elementary weather
• Common hazard avoidance
• Basic Emergency procedures
• MTS and NQF training and qualification structure and skills

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Abseiling Skills Course

The Abseiling Skills course is a personal recreational course, which provides training for those who wish to learn to abseil safely. It is an ideal way to learn the basics. This is a practical course, teaching the skills required for personal abseiling in a safe and proper way. It does not however, cover the supervision of groups or technical rescue procedures.The course usually takes place at Monteseel cliffs near Pietermaritzburg. All the abseiling equipment such as ropes, harnesses and helmets are provided.

Duration: 2 days

The Abseiling Skills course covers:

• Equipment care and usage
• Natural features and in situ anchors
• Setting up a fixed line and retrievable abseil
• Preparing to abseil
• Abseiling and protecting against loss of control
• Basic problem solving
• Basic Emergency procedures
• MTS and NQF training and qualification structure and skills

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Rock Climbing Skills Course

If you have never climbed before, this is the course to get to grips with the fundamentals of the sport. The Rock Climbing Skills Course is an introductory personal recreational training course, which provides training for those who wish to be introduced to the sport of rock climbing. The course covers both Traditional and Sport climbing skills. The two days are spent enjoying easy to moderate climbs in a safe and non threatening environment.

Duration: 2 days

The Rock Climbing Skills course covers:

• Equipment care and usage
• Seconding of Traditional and Sport climbs
• Types of climbing activities
• Terminology and communication in climbing
• Anchors, knots and tying in
• Movement on rock
• Belay skills
• Personal abseiling
• Solving common problems
• Emergency Procedures
• MTS and NQF training and qualification structure and skills

And either of the following:

• Leading single-pitch sport climbs
• Further Trad seconding skills

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Ice Climbing Skills Course

Ice climbing is a sport of good balance, good weight to strength ratio and good technique. The roping skills are similar to rock-climbing and the protection points are usually on special ice-screws. The Ice Climbing Skills Course is a personal recreational training course, providing training for those who wish to learn to climb single and multi pitch water-ice routes. The Drakensberg is the perfect venue for this and this course takes place at Sani Pass or Bokong in Lesotho.

We offer 3 day ice or snow courses under the  auspices of the Mountain Training Standards (MTS) and certificates of attendance are issued. This is the best way to learn the basic skills of winter climbing, whether you are just intending to climb locally or have ambitions in the greater mountain ranges of the world.

Drakensberg ice is a great introduction to the world of Alpine Climbing. These courses are especially useful before going to climb in the greater rangers. You will learn how to climb “French Style” front- point, ice-axe arrest, place ice protection, snow belays and assess objective dangers.

Duration: 3 days

The Ice Climbing Skills course covers:

• Equipment care and usage
• Ice climbing equipment and care
• Introduction to placing ice protection equipment, including multi-point anchors
• Route finding
• Ice climbing grading systems
• Seconding ice climbs
• Introduction to lead ice climbing
• Easy multi pitch climbing, including single and double rope techniques
• Escape/retreat/V threads from multi-pitch ice routes
• Emergency procedures
• MTS and NQF training and qualification structure and skills

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Snow Climbing Skills Course

Planning on climbing in the greater rangers of the world? Then you need to know the skills of moving up, down and across steep snow. The Snow climbing Skills Course is a personal recreational training course which provides training for those who wish to learn to climb snow climbs and snow gullies on the African continent. It is also the perfect way to learn the skills needed to climb in the greater ranges of the world. If climbing Elbrus or Aconcagua or similar peaks, this is also the course for you. The course usually takes place at Garden Castle in the southern Drakenberg.

Duration: 3 days

The Snow Climbing Skills course covers:

• Snow climbing equipment care and usage
• weather patterns
• Introduction to placing and building snow belays
• Properties of the snow pack
• Snow climbing grading systems
• Introduction to lead snow climbing
• Moving together in a roped party
• Escape/retreat from snow climbs
• Snow hole shelters and bivvies
• Avalanche awareness, Crevasse awareness
• Emergency procedures
• Introduction to high altitude health problems and their avoidance
• MTS and NQF training and qualification structure and skills

I want to book and find out more information on this Snow Climbing Skills course.