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RM 188 Summer Session 2012

Introduction to Mountaineering, Mt. Shuksan, WA

Instructors:John Abbott, Ed. D. Austin Paulson, Guide

Asst. Director of Student Life Peak Expeditions

UVM Outdoor ProgramsPO Box 338

Billings Student Center, B-400Jeffersonville, VT

Contact:(UVM) 656.7729 (H) 899.5212802.644.5385

Class Meetings:3 classroom expedition planning sessions: Tuesday, 5-7pm, 4/5, 4/12 & 5/3.

Expedition: June 25th to July 2nd, 2012 (2nd Summer Session)

Final debrief & presentations: In field, 6/8/12

Pre-requisite:1. ENVS 195 or NR1 or ENVS1.

2. Intermediate 3-season backcountry travel experience. (basic winter camping experience preferred).

Office Hours:by appointment

Course Fee:TBA. Includes expedition food, ground transportation, out of mountain accommodation in Seattle, personal gear rental, park/permit fees. Students are also responsible for r/t air travel to Seattle, WA approximately $500-$600. Maximum enrollment 9.

I. Course Description:

Climbing in big mountains requires disciplined personal preparation, group expedition planning, diverse technical mountaineering skills and glacier terrain assessment, travel & rescue skills. This class will focus on critical safety & technical mountaineering skill development: proper clothing & climbing equipment, multi terrain hiking & climbing skills, proactive acclimatization & altitude sickness prevention, and glacial terrain travel assessment skills. The overarching learning objective is to prepare students to safely & successfully travel in big mountain environments and on glaciers as a team. The class will begin with a current climbing & mountaineering skill assessment, identifying individual skill development areas. Guides will provide experiential teaching structure, technical skill & rescue instruction and emergency wilderness medical support. All students will be required to choose skill topics to present while on expedition, specific to the learning objectives of our climbing team.

Technical Teaching Topics (to be covered by instructors):

  • Basic Mountain Axe & Crampon Technique
  • Self-arresting
  • Roped Team Travel & Management in Glacial Terrain
  • Crevasse Rescue (personal & team)
  • Terrain Hazards & Assessment
  • Group Travel & Time Control Plans

Suggested Student Teaching Topics:

  • Leave No Trace (LNT) Ethics in High Alpine Areas
  • Meteorology & Mountain Weather
  • Cooking & Nutrition in High Alpine Environments
  • Clothing/Layering/Fabric Dynamic System

3 classroom-based, expedition organization class sessions will take place at UVM campus beginning after Spring Break. Finally, we will have a final classroom session devoted to class debrief of trips, leadership growth, skill development and personal learning assessment. To emphasize the importance of student-centered learning in big mountain environments, students will collectively help with daily travel & teaching plans, time management plans and group travel itineraries while on expedition. They will also teach technical skills & present projects to their community of peers. In addition, students will develop a portfolio of teaching/leadership skills and personal experience as a means of understanding the field of professional mountaineering instruction and guiding.

II. Course Location:

This 7-day expedition will take place on Mt. Shuksan (9,131 ft.) Expedition travel and staging will be based in Seattle, WA where we will coordinate expedition food, gear & ground transportation. We first establish a comfortable, well-stocked base camp. With numerous routes to choose from, students will be complete a two-day mountaineering and glacial travel skill intensive before moving toward our summit objective. Route location will be dependent on a number of factors: snow stability, weather windows, and physical preparation of our team. Our chosen summit route will be determined with maximizing individual summit experience success in mind.

Few of the volcanic, glaciated peaks in the Cascade Range rival Mt. Shuksan in route variety & geographic expanse. Mt. Shuksan is adorned with chaotic hanging glaciers, deep cirques, sharp jagged aretes and ridges, and steep walls of rock and snow that epitomize a jagged alpine peak. For students interested in exploring the skills and environs of summer alpine climbing, the North Cascades offers world-class terrain in which to learn.

Using ice ax and crampons, we concentrate first on basic mountain travel skills on snow and ice. Once mastered, we are ready to venture out into the heavily crevassed glacier, moving in rope teams of three. We talk about glacier formation, hazard evaluation, and route finding, then rope management and protection in mixed terrain. As we learn, we can make a number of ascents in the area ranging from snow and ice climbs to technical rock. Team members must have strong three-season mountain living skills and some winter camping experience. They need not have previously climbed technical rock or ice routes, but a working knowledge of common climbing knots and rope management is advantageous.

Reading References for Mountaineering Skill Development Topics:

  1. Mountaineering: The Freedom of the HillsOThe Mountaineers
  2. Climbing: Expedition PlanningRThe Mountaineers
  3. NOLS Wilderness MountaineeringRPhil Powers
  4. Mountaincraft & LeadershipOEric Langmuir
  5. Extreme AlpinismOMark Twight

R=required for course

O=optional reading resource

III. Learning Objectives:

  • Students will develop a big picture understanding of mountaineering expedition planning, expedition behavior & safe glacial travel protocol.
  • Students will consider differing styles of teaching and leadership in high altitude climbing environments.
  • Students will consider historical and personal perspectives on the evolution of mountain travel, skill development and glacier travel technique.
  • Students will consider Leave No Trace® ethics in regard to environmental impact in alpine areas, wilderness preservation and effective impact interventions.
  • Students will debrief daily climbing experiences via journal including: terrain hazard assessment & team safety, skill development, team travel & time management.

Students will demonstrate proficiency in the following areas:

  1. Planning and participating as mountaineering team member while traveling at altitude and while on glaciated terrain.
  2. Exercising sound judgment and decision-making relative to team travel in avalanche terrain. Demonstrate sound expedition behavior.
  3. Understanding personal leadership & teaching style and areas of needed development within a team, climbing context.
  4. Technical mountaineering & crevasse rescue skill development. A final skill portfolio will highlight personal skill acquisition.
  5. Students will understand “systems-based” strategies for addressing environmental challenge: appropriate clothing systems, shelter system, sun protection, sleeping system, hydration system and a functional food, cooking & nutrition plans.
  6. Students will develop the ability to teach individually and function as part of a cooperative, big mountain climbing team.

III. Methods of Evaluation:

Students will evaluate learning and development in a manner consistent with principles of experiential education. Qualitative assessment based on personal insight and reflection will be emphasized. Learning modalities will include group expedition planning, skill development presentations, structured reflection/journaling and ski expedition trip experiences. In addition, students will be evaluated on participation and engagement in all class activities. Assessment of student skill development and contribution to team learning process will be weighed as follows:

Expedition Planning & Personal Preparation20%

Journal, Self-Reflection & Climbing Skill Inventory20%

Expedition Teamwork & Personal EB40%

Individual Skill Topic Presentation20%

Expedition Planning & Personal Preparation:

Evaluation will reflect current wilderness education models of living in and contributing to a team oriented climbing expedition. Presence, involvement, communication and contribution to all team activities are integral to personal leadership development. Students are expected to be actively engaged in all aspects of climbing team expedition planning, daily travel and group work. Students should come to class prepared for active discussion & planning.

Expedition Behavior (EB) & Teamwork:

Students will be evaluated for both personal & team expedition behavior including: time management, organization of gear & clothing, communication, engagement, cooperation, conflict resolution, performance of daily group roles and proactive leadership engagement.

Mountaineering Skill Inventory & Journaling:

1) Create a personal mountaineering skill and crevasse rescue competency inventory to direct future learning and skill development based on your understanding of effective climbing and glacial travel skills acquired while on expedition.

2) Daily journal presents students with the opportunity to capture reflections on group travel, activity, decision-making and safety. Final journal entries will be forwarded via e-mail and a compiled hard copy will be collected for evaluation and due on the final class.

Individual Topic Presentation:

Students will develop an interactive lesson on a mountaineering skill topic of personal interest. Topics should be focused and specific to the demands of mountain travel & expedition preparation. Presentations are expected be well researched, engaging, succinct and clear. You will want to consider appealing to multiple learning styles. The presentation should mirror a "teachable moment" as it might manifest itself in a big mountain setting. Student presenters will benefit from feedback on style and content from the group.

IV. Proposed Travel Itinerary:

The following is the daily itinerary we will use as a rough framework for the expedition planning, training and climbing phases of our class time.

TBA...still coordinating details within range of dates provided.