Ratio Icon Student-to-Guide Ratio: 6:1
Cost Icon Cost: 425/person
Location Icon Location: Canmore, Alberta
Time Icon Course Length: 2 days

Available Dates

Date Icon July 22 – July 23, 2025
Date Icon July 22 – July 23, 2025
Date Icon July 22 – July 23, 2025

Aim

Develop ice climbing lead skills for safe and efficient progression towards becoming a single pitch ice leader.

Objectives

  • Confident identifying environmental hazards when lead climbing
  • Confident using the A-frame technique, including the swinging and kicking positions
  • Confident building ice and v-thread anchors
  • Confident rappelling with a back-up
  • Confident removing ice screws
  • Comfortable setting up the harness for lead climbing
  • Comfortable placing and removing ice screws using the supported and A-frame stances
  • Comfortable tool testing, tool swapping, and resting on lead
  • Comfortable executing the NoFall Program for Ice Climbing™ and how to prevent falls
  • Comfortable cleaning anchors, including making a lanyard
  • Comfortable assessing waterfall ice grades
  • Comfortable coiling a rope
  • Comfortable choosing the right clothing for ice climbing
  • Understand the lead climbing system
  • Understand route selection and lead climbing strategy
  • Understand tying off the belay
  • Perform a mock lead and the NoFall Program for Ice Climbing™

Prerequisites

  • Confident belaying a top rope climber
  • Confident walking in crampons on low angle terrain
  • Comfortable climbing using A-frame technique
  • Comfortable building simple anchors using ice screws
  • Comfortable building v-thread anchors
  • Comfortable removing ice screws
  • Comfortable rappelling with a back-up
  • Confident tying the following knots: Figure 8, Rewoven Figure 8, Figure 8 on a Bight, Overhand
  • Confident tying the following hitches: Clove, Prusik

*Prerequisites are recommended for an optimum learning opportunity.
If you have questions about how your experience relates to the prerequisites, please contact us at info@peakstratagem.com.

Introduction to Ice Climbing (L1)

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Registration opens in early Autumn