Your first steps en route to becoming a mountaineer!

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Mountaineering is an adventure-sport where you achieve a set-objective of climbing a peak, ascending a col or traversing through mountain-terrain that requires technical skills and strategic knowledge. People participate in mountaineering because, first of all, the mountains are there, but more importantly, because it is a sport like any other. It requires particular skills, thorough training, aptitude, attitude and a high level of physical and mental fitness. The danger of life-threatening/fatal injury is always there if one does not have proper training, skills and knowledge involved. If you are a seasoned hiker/trekker, and are clueless about the next progression in challenging your limits, then mountaineering might be the choice for you! Also, if you are a skier/snow-boarder and/or rock-climber/ice-climber, mountaineering skills and knowledge will only assist you in achieving the objectives that you otherwise might not be able to.

Our Mountaineering Course is crafted to give you the right orientation and necessary skills and knowledge to be able to gauge your route ahead in pursuing mountaineering. You might not become a mountaineer straightaway by merely doing a basic course. But you certainly won't become a mountaineer if you do not make the right start. And that right start is what our course will ensure for you!

1. Physical fitness - should be able to carry backpack and gear, weighing up to 20 kgs, over long distances and tough mountain-terrain.
2. Prior experience with difficult/strenuous treks/high-altitude scramble is highly recommended, though not mandatory.

1. Navigation with map and compass, in different scenarios
2. Weather 101 - Studying and understanding the weather to ascertain its effect on your progress in the mountains.
3. Getting to know the gear required for mountaineering.
4. Rope-Skills - types of ropes - their uses/all the useful knots /efficient rope management in various scenarios
5. Introduction to rock-climbing - belaying and lowering the climber on top-rope/ belaying & rappelling in alpine environment 
6. Understanding glacial terrain/ glacier traverse as a team/ maneuvering crevasses/ building snow anchors/ crevasse rescue/ mitigating risk in avalanche terrain
7. Planning for a mountaineering expedition/ leading a mountaineering expedition
8. Wilderness First Aid/ efficient camp-management/ mountain safety

Day 1 - Shimla to Kafnu by our transport. Then trek to the base camp and set up the camp, which will be your home for the duration of the course. Relax and get acclimatized. Focus will be on knowing each other better and understanding the expectations of the group from the course, and what is expected out of the group during the course. 

Day 2 - >Theory sessions -- mountaineering - its history and scope/ navigation in the mountains/    understanding the weather and its relevance in mountaineering

                >Using a map and compass for navigating in the mountains/ Use of altimeter and GPS device

                >Getting to know the gear required for mountaineering and collecting your gear for the course

Day 3 - Rope Skills -- types of ropes and their application/ major useful knots and their application/ efficient rope management skills and their application/ introduction to rock-climbing - belaying and lowering a climber on top rope/ efficient movement skills on the rock

Day 4 - Anchor building/ Alpine belaying and rappelling scenarios/ Theory -- Understanding glacial terrain and traversing through a glacier/ risk mitigation in avalanche terrain

Day 5 - Glacier traverse as a roped-up team/ maneuvering a crevasse/ crevasse rescue/ Theory -- Planning for a mountain expedition/ Leadership in a mountain expedition - best practices

Day 6 -  Putting everything into practice and heading out on an expedition locally (Group members will get to lead the group turn-by-turn)/Theory -- Wilderness First Aid/best nature-friendly practices for managing camp efficiently/ best practices for ensuring safety in the mountains

Day 7 - Putting everything into practice while heading back from the expedition (Group members will get to lead the group turn-by-turn)/ Course-assessment and feedback session/ Course Completion Certificate distribution/ Bonfire, music and the stage is yours!!!

Day 8 - Camp tear-down/ Hike back to Kafnu and travel back to Shimla in our transport             

Includes -- mountaineering and camping gear + stay + breakfast/lunch/dinner (dinner for day 1 and breakfast for day 8) + morning and evening tea & snacks (evening tea and snacks for Day 1 + morning tea & snacks for Day 8) + basic first aid + course material + Dare The Himalayas hat

Does not include -- backpack, mountaineering boots and the list of items that the participant needs to get on their own (will be emailed after the booking is confirmed) + Intermittent snacks + medicines/medical treatment needed outside of first-aid + any  travel other than from Shimla to Kafnu and Kafnu to Shimla + Trip insurance + emergency rescue/evacuation

If number of participants is less than 5, then that would call for a customized course, where the cost would go up proportionately.

Can I attend the course if I have only been on easy-beginner treks, or have no exposure to trekking in the mountains at all?

Well, the pre-requisites list having prior experience of a difficult/high-altitude trek, but if you feel that you are fit enough to be able to withstand the rigors of the course, then you may participate. The reason for seeking participants with prior experience of difficult treks is that chances of their acclimatizing faster and coping with the scale of the course are more; as such the duration of the course is not very long. We do not want you to be in a position where you pay, take your precious time out, travel far for the course, only to find out you're not cut out for it. Ideally, you may sign up for one of our difficult treks before you take this course - the mountains are not going anywhere:)

What will be the daily routine like?

Detailed time-table will be shared with the participants before the start of the course. However, be prepared for an early morning start with an exercise-regimen, followed by a long toiling day ahead. Tea and meals will be served at the set times only, to make the routine more efficient. On the day of the practice-expedition, be prepared to be ready by 3:30 AM to 4:00 AM! It also depends upon the weather, if it is raining/snowing heavy, we might tweak the routine to suit activities that can be managed accordingly. Your instructor will decide the routine in that case.

What do I need to bring for the course?

We will be emailing a detailed list of items/gear that the participant needs to get on their own once the booking is confirmed. Broadly, you need to get appropriate clothes/weather-proof wear, hiking boots, mountaineering boots, personal first-aid kit (your instructor will have one for the group), toiletries, sufficient light-snacks/trail-mix for the duration of the course, a head-lamp, a light water-bottle, a pair of collapsible hiking poles (if you cannot hike without them) and a small 15-20 L day-pack, all packed in a big 70L back pack....Oh, and a big smile, of course:)

If you have any more questions, please feel free to reach out to us