AID CLIMBING: BIG WALL & PORTALEDGE | MONTAGNE D'ARGENT

THE complete course to start dreaming about the Big Walls of this world ! Placing all sorts of aid climbing gear, ascending fixed ropes, managing bags, a night on a portaledge; we’ll see it all !

BOOK YOUR SPOT

COURSE CONTENT and OBJECTIVES

The AID CLIMBING : BIG WALL & PORTALEDGE training course includes :

FQME and AGMA certified instructor
Technical and educational material
- Including portaledge (double)
- 1 bashi per participant
Entry fee per person to Montagne d’Argent ($12 per person per day)
Dinner (dehydrated meal in a pouch) + breakfast (oatmeal pouch, coffee/tea)
The of the UIAA booklet Memento on alpine and climbing skills (worth $15) or 20$ discount on the book Freedom of the Hills (worth 45$ – promo code Freedom)

Number of participants per monitor

Minimum 4 / Maximum 6

Minimum age

18 years

Pre-requisites

Leading trad lines for a MINIMUM of 2 seasons
Comfortable sleeping on a portaledge with another person (no return to the ground in the evening/night)

Recommendation

We highly recommand the purchase of this instructional book, a must-have for climbers and mountain lovers.

Topics covered for the AID CLIMBING section

Gear– progression gear (pitons, hooks, cam-hooks, bashies (alumina / copper heads),offsets camming device, improvised items , step aiders, daisy chains, fifi, gloves, ascenders)
Attitude– easy routes vs. difficult routes, aid vs. free climbing
Management – fall factor, pulley effect, traverses, pendulums, how to be an efficient second climber
Practice – application of concepts learned, self-rescue and rescue plan, evacuation

Topics covered for the BIG WALL section

Gear– bags, portaledge, gear list, water (HEAVY!!!), pulleys
Attitude– 8 pitches vs. 32 pictches difficult routes, aid vs. free climbing, keeping a schedule, adjustments
Management – MANAGEMENT, MANAGEMENT, MANAGEMENT; belay, whole project, the team, descent
Practice – application of concepts learned, self-rescue and rescue plan, evacuation, encouraged to further explore other safety concepts (First Aid, CPR, other equipment, etc.)

Day 1

9:15 AM: Reception at the LA LIBERTÉ NORD-SUD hut and distribution of equipment
9:30 AM -11:00 AM: Validation of participants’ knowledge
11:00 AM -5:00 PM: Practice and theory taught by workshop
5:00 PM – 8:00 PM: Portaledge installation and dinner preparation
9:00 PM – 6:00 AM: Sleep

Day 2

6:00 AM – 8:00 AM: Get up, breakfast, and portaledge disassembling
8:00 AM – 3:00 PM: Practice and theory taught by workshop
3:00 PM – 3:30 PM: Sorting of equipment
3:30 PM – 4:00 PM: Course conclusion

Dates:

For On-Request availabilities, please contact us T.438-871-7133

Course cancellation due to weather conditions

The course could be cancelled if the forecast calls for more than a 60% chance of precipitation and an accumulation of 1 mm or more hourly for the greater part of the day. The decision can be made the day prior to the activity at the latest. Please note that we rarely cancel this course completely due to weather conditions.

Additional information

duration

1.Personnal gear to bring along

Lunch and snacks (ideally that can be stored in pant pockets)
4 litres of water per day in plastic soda bottles (a mini-video demo explaining how to arrange the bottles will be provided prior to the course)
Approach shoes (sturdy)
Polar vest (depending on the season)
Windbreaker
Raincoat
Clothing kit for 2 days, ideally:
- One solid nylon pant with 2 zipper pockets and zips to mid-leg
- One brightly coloured and comfortable t-shirt (cotton or merino wool)
One synthetic sleeping bag (between 800 g and 1.5 kg)
Foam ground mattress
Suspended heater
Camping quick toiletry case:
- for Women (urinal)
- Toilet paper
- Hand sanitizer (waterless)
- Mini towel
- Deodorant
- Toothbrush
Tuque and gloves (depending on the season)
Change of clothes for the return (shower possible at Montagne d’Argent)
Lip balm and sunscreen
Sunglasses
Camera
Insect repellant
Bathing suit (depending on the season / possibility of swimming)
Basic first aid kit
Flashlight (if possible, frontal) with spare batteries
Lighter
Pocket knife
Fox 40 whistle on an accessory carabiner
4-5 mini accessory carabiners
Your cell phone

2. Rock climbing equipment to bring

Note: The following list is recommended in order to be independent

If you do not have all of these items, we can rent you some by the piece or for $75 (including) tax, per day for the kit. Please contact us to check rental availability. Trying before buying is an excellent idea. We can also make specific recommendations.