I’m just back from the 2014 Arc’teryx Alpine Academy in Chamonix and I’m buzzing, grinning, inspired. Not because Chamonix is ringed with stunning mountains, which it is, or because I’ve climbed some desperate alpine death route, which I haven’t, but simply because it’s been a fantastic inspirational, educational, entertaining three days spent with a brilliant mix of folk ranging from gnarled mountain guides and elite climbers through to raw novices. But the one thing they all had in common was they were simply chuffed just to be there.
It works like this: every year Canadian brand Arc’teryx in partnership with several other brands, take one take over the base station of the Aiguille du Midi cable car lift and use it as the epicentre of a three-day mix of mountain instruction and entertainment.
Achingly Beautiful
Participants can sign up for alpine and mountain skills clinics and classes with qualified Mountain Guides at levels from beginner through to advanced, all of them held in the Chamonix area amid some of the most achingly beautiful mountain scenery in the world.
Subjects range from basic ice climbing, glacier travel and first aid, through to more advanced mountaineering, bivi skills, rock climbing and dry tooling. What it absolutely isn’t is elitist. There’s a huge mix of folk taking 900-odd clinic places ranging from genuine novices through to experienced mountaineers looking to take the next step forward and upwards.
Loan Kit For A Day
Theres lots more to it than just learning though. For starters, participants can borrow kit from Arc’teryx and partner brands like Hilleberg, Scarpa and Petzl and use it in real conditions on the hill before returning it at the end of the day. And then there’s a Saturday night dinner followed by a cracking film night with the emphasis on Arc’teryx athletes and their adventures.
Really though what made it for me was the people. Rolling up to the base station on Saturday morning with a pack full of kit and a side-order of mild trepidation for a basic ice climbing day – or in my case a serious refresher course – the first person I spoke to was a bouncing, big-handed, bundle of enthusiasm called Ines.
‘Hello, I’m Ines…’
Erm, that’d be über climber and Arc’teryx athlete Ines Papert then… utterly without ego and as bemused by the detailed arrangements as anyone else there, then again with around 300 pupils being sorted into groups and allocated to guides and instructors it was always going to take a while.
An hour later I was inching down the slightly intimidating metal ladders from Montenvers down to the receding Mer de Glace glacier with five other students and British Mountain Guide – the BMG is Arc’teryx supported – Owain Jones our instructor for the day.
Eager To Learn
Once we’d survived the descent and headed out onto the glacier, what followed was a cracking basic introduction to ice climbing with the emphasis on learning the fundamental skills that make a difference at any level, more about those later in the week, but the combination of an enthusiastic instructor and a mix of eager-to-learn students from countries right across Europe – I was the only Brit – made for an excellent and, more importantly generally useful day.
We covered stuff from the right way and place to don crampons through to placing an ice screw on lead, using leashless axes and setting up an Abalakov Thread in the ice. Hats off to Owain for being endlessly patient, very thorough and making the most of sometimes less than ideal conditions on a soberingly melting and over-crowded glacier complete with fast-flowing glacial stream.
At the end of the day everyone had a grin on their face and reckoned they’d learned a lot from raw novices through to rusty old journos.
Mountain First Aid
Day two for me was a mountain first aid and rescue course. Originally the plan was to hold it on the plateau below the Aiguille top station, but with bad weather coming in, we abandoned ship and headed down to the mid-station and lower ground.
Again it was an excellent day spent with a knowledgeable instructor, a BMG guide again, and a bunch of disparate, eager students all sharing their own ideas and knowledge – this weeks Monday Tip on improvising a stretcher from joined-together packs was just one of them.
At the end of the day everyone felt they’d learned a lot, though for me it also underlined that it’s well worth doing a full mountain first aid course if you head out into the hills regularly, there’s so much that really isn’t obvious and it could make the difference between life and death for someone.
Reflections
A quick cable car ride back down and ten minutes later I was sat in a cafe with a mate quaffing a cold celebratory beer as the rain beat down on the Academy Village – good timing – and reflecting on the weekend.
What can I say? First, I was concerned it might all be a little elitist and inaccessible. The reality is that the academy is the absolute opposite of that. While it’s obviously skewed towards alpine climbing, I learned plenty of stuff that would be equally useful in any mountain environment – the crampon techniques we practiced on the glacier, for example, would be equally useful in Scottish winter conditions and setting up a pulley system works on the same principles whether you’re in the Khumbu Icefall or on the Idwal Slabs.
People Power
The best bit though – stunning mountain scenery besides – were the people both my fellow course participants who were buzzing with the desire to learn and the instructors, guides and sponsored Arc’teryx climbers who were endlessly helpful, wise and patient.
Ad the great bit was that everyone I spoke to emerged from the weekend equipped with new skills and knowledge and empowered to get out there and do their own thing in the future, which is what it’s all about.
I’d unreservedly recommend the weekend to anyone who wants to learn basic mountain and alpine skills in a brilliant, relaxed but professional environment with like-minded people from all over the world. If that sounds like you, keep your eyes peeled for next year’s Alpine Academy.
And finally a huge thanks to Arc’teryx and everyone I met out in Chamonix for making it an outstanding, inspirational weekend.
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