[pct-l] Intermediate level snow skills courses

[Ned Tibbits]

Many of you have written in expressing your desire for an Intermediate level snow skills training course. Indeed, we have run some in the past and a description of one is probably still on our website. What we were trying to provide for our students was a course that would take what they learned in our Basic Snow Course (base camp style) and put it to practical use in a short, moving-every-day style. 

What we found was those people who flourished in a Basic, really wanted to learn the Advanced applications in order to gain the most confidence and peace-of-mind in the more challenging conditions where they wanted to go. An Intermediate level by itself was of little interest to folks it seemed.

So, we came up with our annual High Sierra First-In Series of 10-day courses running along the PCT north of Kennedy Meadows (south) in May and June when there is usually plenty of snow on which to have fun. These trips begin with typical backpacking, climb up to and above snowline, cross lots of snow-covered (usually dangerously rushing) creeks, involve in-the-trees navigation where you have to learn how to find and follow a buried trail, top out above timberline as we learn how to approach the big sierra passes, then discover the thrill of going up and over them with the applied skills to keep you safe and wanting more.

So, after the 3-day, Basic Snow Course, the next step is putting it all together in a First-In Course like the Snow Advanced.

However, if enough people voice sufficient interest in a shorter version (5 and 8 days), like the Intermediates we have run in the past, we will resurrect them back into the schedule!


Ned Tibbits, Director
Mountain Education
www.mountaineducation.org