Course objectives
By the end of these three days, you will have practised the basics of:
- climb in a rope team on an easy alpine multi-pitch route
- set up reliable belays suited to the terrain
- manage belaying at the belay station and the second climber’s progress
- use nuts and cams appropriately for different situations
- prepare for a climb: route guide, approach, timings, weather, navigation
- better assess the specific risks associated with alpine rock routes.
Who is this course for?
This course is aimed at climbers who are already independent on crags, with a good command of belaying techniques and knots, as well as some initial experience on well-bolted multi-pitch routes of grade III to IV. Good physical fitness is also required for routes involving an approach walk and climbs lasting 1 to 2 hours.
What you will learn over these 3 days
1. Revising the fundamentals of safety
You will revisit the essential basics to build a solid foundation: belay stations, triangulation, abseiling manoeuvres, organising equipment and communication within the rope team. The first day is specifically dedicated to a technical refresher course at a training site, with a session planned in the Grande Jeanne sector in Annecy.
2. Placing and using removable protection
One of the key aspects of adventure climbing is the ability to correctly place removable protection in the rock. You will learn to understand when and how to use nuts, cams and slings, and to better
3. Reading the route and navigating in the mountains
Beyond the technical aspects of climbing, this course helps you develop a genuine approach to mountaineering: reading route maps, route selection, time management, adapting to the terrain, and navigation during the approach and on the route.
4. Gaining independence without rushing things
The aim is not simply to “climb a route”, but to understand how to gradually progress towards greater independence on multi-pitch alpine routes and in adventure terrain, whilst maintaining the right balance of challenge and caution.
Why choose this course in Annecy?
Annecy is an ideal learning environment for improving your climbing skills: proximity to numerous crags, a variety of rock faces and quick access to terrain suitable for multi-pitch routes and alpine climbing. The Annecy Guides’ Office already offers several complementary courses — bouldering, multi-pitch climbing, rock mountaineering — which allows this course to form part of a genuine progression towards independence.
Key information
- Location: Annecy
- Duration: 3 days
- Level: climbers already familiar with crag climbing and multi-pitch routes
- Instructors: experienced instructors/guides from the Annecy Guides’ Office
Provisional programme:
Day 1: Meet in the morning at the Grande Jeanne climbing site in Annecy. On the agenda: a review of the basics (setting up a belay station, abseiling, triangulation, use of mechanical cams: Camalot and nut). Break-up
Day 2: Climbing at Roc de Boeufs or the North-South traverse (Entrevernes), 20 minutes from Annecy. Multi-pitch routes in adventure terrain using nuts, cams and friends, grades 4+ to 5+ lead climbing, practising self-belaying.
Day 3: Multi-pitch route in adventure terrain (level 5+ max). Climbing on the move, tight rope, placing friends, nuts and cams. Several options depending on technical ability: Tournette West or North Ridge, Paroi de Borderan, Dents de Lanfon...
Are you looking to take the next step from bolted multi-pitch routes to more challenging alpine climbing?
This course is an excellent opportunity to strengthen your techniques, judgement and independence, whilst being supervised by mountain professionals.
Course in partnership with ORTOVOX
