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Mountain training weekend 2024
Ideal preparation for Alps or Expeditions, based in Lake District
Practising skills for moving over steep ground
Course overview

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.
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.

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.

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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Outline course itinerary

Saturday - hill day
F
or 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.

  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.
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.
Course Prices
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
Latest Availability
Secure online booking system
Standard 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.
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.
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.
Current course availability

Course Dates
Alpine training weekend
  • No Dates Available
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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Price: £140Book online

Alternative courses
Matterhorn training w'end
Scottish Winter skills w'end
Summer Alpine Intro course
Winter Intro Ice & Alpine

Client feedback

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


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


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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Travel to this trip by train
Train to Windermere
Timings for this trip are such that you can arrive in the Lake District at Windermere just
after 9am on the 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.
Location data for this trip
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.
Any further questions?
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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