WINTER IS COMING (In 9 Months)!!! Late-season Alpine Skills Clinic

OPEN TO ALL - PREVIOUS ALPINE EXPERIENCE ENCOURAGED BUT NOT REQUIRED

On March 19th join us at Whitetail Ski Resort from 9AM to 3PM(ish) for a day of alpine skills instruction and practice.  No previous experience is required, but will certainly be helpful.

Whitetail Resort has granted us access to their slopes after they've closed for the season and we plan to take advantage by working on some of the steeper, snow covered advanced terrain slopes.  Below is a list of what we can likely cover depending on the ability levels and as time allows:

• Walking on and ascending snow covered slopes without crampons (including plunge stepping, side-stepping, French (or Euro) step, duck-walking , front pointing, etc)
• Crampons (types, fitting them to boots, walking in crampons)
• Piolet use including different ways to grasp it, use as a cane, axe, anchor, use of the adze, etc
• Self-arrest techniques using the piolet (without crampons)
• Anchoring techniques in snow including use of ice tools and/or piolet as deadman anchors, pickets, flukes, and bollards
• Belay and travel techniques: use of the Kiwi coil for simul climbing and when to do this, body belays vs. using a belay device, short-roping, traveling in a group of 3 or more, etc.

Participants are responsible for their own gear, food, water, etc. Wear clothing and appropriate waterproof layers as you would for skiing or ice climbing. Quick gear list would be: helmet, harness, belay device, boots, crampons, piolet (ice ax), gloves/mittens. Sunglasses recommended as well. Contact the Gearmeister (gearmeister@patcms.org) to check out equipment from our gear locker if needed.

Registration is limited to 10 participants. You must be a PATC-MS member in good standing (dues current/liability waiver on file). In addition, all participants and leaders will be required to sign a liability waiver provided by Whitetail Resort.

Registration will close at midnight, the Friday before the event.

Once you register you will receive a confirmation email with a link that will take you to a Google Doc spreadsheet. Please fill-in your information to help us tailor the weekend to the participants needs.