Mountain
training weekend 2024 
Ideal preparation for Alps or Expeditions, based in Lake District |
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Course
overview
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If
you are booked on one of our Alpine trips
in the summer, mountain training is key to
your preparation. We operate these UK based
Mountain Training Weekend courses in the Lake
District mountains. They are usually run by one of our guide team who mostly work
abroad in the Alps during the key holiday
seasons. |
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The
aim of the weekends is to prepare people better
for our trips in the mountains. They involve
two full hill days, so good hill fitness is
important, and you
are led over high mountainous terrain, with
the aim of coaching you on steep ground, developing
hill fitness, navigation, and advising on
training and kit. |
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After
the first day, there is an Alpine summits
open evening in our Windermere office, at
which there is a presentation about climbing
Mont Blanc, and an
Alpine Q&A session, to allow you to
ask any queries you have about your forthcoming
Alpine trip. The instructor will talk you
through the wide range of Alpine kit, as
we find that many of the queries are about
equipment, as well as training. |
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Be
ready for good long days in the hills, as
we want you to get as much as possible from
these weekends. For
each of these weekend courses ensure you are
led by one of our regular guiding team. |
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These weekends are open both to those booked
on one of our summer Alpine trips, whether
it is a Mont Blanc / Gran Paradiso / Monte Rosa ascent
or any of our other Alpine trips, or for those
contemplating a trip who wish to meet our
instructor team or get feedback on their suitability
for an Alpine week or expedition. |
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If you are booked on a more technical Alpine trip, such as Matterhorn or Eiger, we have a higher grade (& lower guiding ratio) weekend, designed just for you, on far more technical terrain. Click for details; link. |
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On
demand: Scheduled
dates are guaranteed to go ahead once 2 people
have booked. If no scheduled course dates
suit you, we can operate a course on demand
for the same price, on any dates,
for a minimum of four people booking together.
For bespoke groups of 4 or more, the price
is discounted. |
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Dates: these
are listed in the column on the right, and
they show the live availability from our secure
online booking system. When you book online,
you receive immediate confirmation, your Course
Information Booklet, course specific kit list
and invoice. |
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The
weekends designed for all those who are keen
to develop their mountain safety skills. Many
clients use these weekends to build up the
confience to go off unguided in the UK mountains
in the future. |
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A
secondary aim of the weekends is to build
up your mountain and cardio fitness for the
mountains, and to offer suitable training
tips to ensure that you avoid picking up training
injuries before a trip. |
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On
the hill days you try and get onto a wide
variety of terrain, to develop your speed
and efficiency, as seen in this photo on the
left of a client ascending the difficult step
on the Crinkle Crags. |
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Most
people have a lot of questions about what
bits of equipment they should take, and what
to leave behind, so find these weekends useful
to ensure they are carrying all the essential
safety kit but without carrying too much.
There's a fine line to be struck, and our
guiding team will be happy to answer all your
kit queries during this weekend course. |
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Outline
course itinerary
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Saturday
- hill day
For
those arriving by public transport, you can meeting
your instructor at 09:00 in our Windermere
Office and they can give you
a lift to the location for the days activities.
For those arriving in their own cars, there's
free parking close to our office in Windermere,
and you can usually elect whether to get a lift
or drive yourself. As soon as everyone has arrived,
there's a quick briefing about the weather and
a kit check, before setting off for a full hill
day. The route selection is always made on the
day to cater for the prevailing conditions.
You will take in several summits, so take a packed
lunch and snacks to eat on the hill. You are coached
on your pacing, movement techniques on steeper
terrain, hill fitness, and on moving efficiently
on broken mountain terrain. |
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Saturday
evening - Alpine summits open evening (link)
This
is an event extra to the weekend course, that is
FREE and open to all those who are booked on one
of our forthcoming peak focused Alpine trips. The event is scheduled from 18:00 to 19:30
at our Windermere office and shop. The
evening starts with a presentation about climbing
Mont Blanc / Eiger / Matterhorn / via the classic routes, then
there is an Alpine Q&A session, to allow you
to ask any queries you have about your trip. The
instructor will talk you through the wide range
of Alpine kit, showing you examples, and how to
take enough kit, but to remain lightweight and not
to carry too much. There is also a focus on how
to train specifically for these summits, and the
event is due to finish by 19:30 to allow everyone
time to go out for dinner / to the pub. |
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Sunday
- hill day
You
meet your instructor at 09:00 in Windermere, and
get straight off and up into the hills for another
full day. The location for the second day is generally
in a different area than the Saturday, to allow
you to discover another region of the mountains
and to encounter different terrain again. During
the day you will have plenty of opportunity to ask
your instructor for any further advice about training
/ equipment / mountain skills, that have been prompted
by the activities over the last couple of days.
You can ask for feedback from the instructor as
to their thoughts on how you could tweek your training
regime, to prepare best for the Alps. At the end
of the day you descend and return to Windermere.
We aim to end the training by 16:00 to allow you
time to travel home. |
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| Course
Prices |
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Standard
course |
2 full days UIMLA / ML(S/W) / MIA guiding (1:6 max)
2 days holiday in total, Saturday-Sunday |
£140 |
Live
availability |
Click
on the planner logo to the right to
see the real time live course availability
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Secure
online booking system |
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Course Inclusions: 1)
Qualified leader for daily guiding and instruction,
2) All costs and fees for the leader at the weekend,
3) The provision of group safety kit (e.g. shelter
& rope), 4) Space at the Alpine Summits Open
Evening session in our Windermere office on the
Saturday evening. |
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| Exclusions: 1)
Travel to & from the national park for the weekend,
2) Equipment hire such as boots or waterproofs,
3) Bar / food bills & tips, laundry, telephone
calls, 4) Accommodation. |
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| Notes: All
those booking these courses are sent a dossier that
details the clothing and equipment to take, and
accommodation options to suit all budgets from cheap
backpackers hostels c.£14pppn, to B&B's
and hotels. |
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Current course
availability
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Course Dates
Alpine training weekend
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NOTE:
This trip has scheduled
dates, but if there are four who
are booking together, it can be
operated on any date you wish |
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| Client
feedback |
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Big
thank you for 2 great days out in the
Lakes this week. Days to remember -
incredible winds on Monday and huge
confidence booster for me (Langdale
Horseshoe) on Tues - far more than I'd
have attempted myself but it paid off
and I remain intact (just). Looking
forward to the MB attempt in Sept!
Simon R , Alpine
Preparation
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A
tiring weekend, but essential for me
to take stock of my fitness, and to
save me lots of money when buying kit
Susan T , Alpine
Preparation
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A
brilliant weekend, and though we were
not blessed with great weather, it was
one of the best couple of hill days
I have had. Challenging but great
Anthea Smith ,
Alpine Preparation
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| Testimonials |
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| Press & media |
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| Films & videos |
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| Photo gallery |
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| Travel
to this trip by train |
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Train to Windermere
Timings
for this trip are such that you can arrive in the
Lake District at Windermere just |
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first train from London or Manchester (on West Coast
main line), and can depart in the afternoon the
next day. This means that only 1 night of local accommodation is required. |
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| Location data
for this trip |
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| The meeting point for these courses is at
our office in Windermere in the Lake District National
Park. There is easy access by car, and the train station
is just 150m from the office door. From here there are
a huge variety of mountain terrain to opt for, so we can
cater for all weather and conditions. We genuinely believe
that the Lake District is second to none with the quality
and quantity of mountain training opportunities. |
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| Any
further questions? |
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A
key part of choosing a company is being able to come and
talk about your plans with an experienced course advisor
face to face. In an increasingly virtual world, we know
our clients value speaking to real people, getting open
and honest advice. The vast majority of our clients are
British, and our office and outdoor store is based in
Windermere in the English Lake District.
 
Get
in contact to arrange a meeting, and come in for a coffee
to discuss your course in person with a trip
advisor. |
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