High Altitude Expedition Preparation Sierra Nevada, Spain

About the High Altitude Expedition Course

Option 1

A week long course with 5 days practical, including 3 nights out in the mountains of the Sierra Nevada. Whether you are a complete beginner of looking to climb your first 8000m and want tips on training and high altitude techniques this course will provide you with ideal preparation for your own future expeditions and adventures.

Option 2

A short 2 day course meant to prepare you for expeditions to the greater ranges or places such as Patagonia.

N.B This shorter Expedition Preparation Course is an ideal "bolt on" to our successful Winter Skills Mountaineering or Alpine Introduction Courses.

• Planning for an Expedition
• Equipment and gear selection
• Which operator? Which mountain? Am I fit enough?
• Food and drink - choices and alternatives
• Snow wall construction. A much neglected and complex subject
• Snowholing and survival techniques
• Putting up a tent in a blizzard - vital to practice!
• Communications tricks and techniques with base. Rescue?
• Transportation with Sleds and Pulks
• Snowshoeing
• The right mental approach!
• Snow and Ice Techniques
• Ice axe use and braking
• Correct use of crampons
• Roping up for glacier travel
• Crevasse rescue
• Snow belays
• Cooking and boiling water at altitude
• Ascending and descending fixed ropes
• Setting up fixed ropes
• Self sufficiency and moving together on a rope
• Designing a training plan
• High altitude medicine
• The principles of acclimatisation schedules and rotations
• Communication back home on different mountains
• Packing

When?

Prices

Mountaineering Courses and PD routes

Group size (per booking): (prices are per person per day)

• 1 person - cost €150
• 2 persons - cost €95
• 3 persons - cost €85
• 4 persons - cost €75

Classic Winter Mountaineering Routes (AD and above) (1:2 ratio)

• 1 person - cost €220
• 2 persons - cost €140

Definition of "Group" - if you are booking a trip for 2 persons the 2 person rate applies, 3 persons - 3 person rate etc (not dependent on eventual total group size!).

Price includes:

• Guiding
• Backup vehicles
• Gear hire - helmet, harness, crampons, ice axe
• We have a limited number of boots and sizes available for guest use

N.B Guiding ratio for high mountain activities - no more than 4 to a guide.

Enquire via email or contact form

Transport (effective for all bookings after 1st July 2022)

The guiding price above does not include transport. Due to rising energy and fuel prices we do not want to be constantly changing guiding prices to reflect transport costs. We want to be honest and open about our price structure.

Clients have two options:

NO COST OPTION - Pick up/drop off our guide in Lanjaron or a venue to be agreed. Use your own transport to and from the start/end of activity.

COST OF FUEL OPTION - Our guide will drive you to/from start/end of activity in one our own vehicles. Applicable costs are:

• Capileira, White Villages, Taha del Pitres €15
• Hoya del Portillo €20
• Sierra Nevada ski area €25
• Granada area, Cumbres Verdes €15
• Peñon de la Mata €20
• Lecrin Valley €10
• Jerez de Marquesado, Eastern Sierra Nevada €35

N.B For destinations not listed above we can easily work out a fuel cost