Classic AlpinISM
Level 2: Instructional Course
Take your alpine mountaineering to the next level with Classic AlpinISM. Climb adventurous alpine routes, develop your skills, confidence and leadership, and take the next steps towards becoming a more independent mountaineer, with expert coaching and instruction from ISM Guides.
Classic AlpinISM – Level 2
Classic AlpinISM is all about taking your alpine mountaineering to the next level, building on your existing experience and developing the skills, confidence and judgement needed to tackle more adventurous alpine routes.
Throughout the week, you'll climb classic alpine routes across varied mountain terrain, developing your skills and techniques with expert coaching and instruction from your ISM Guide. You'll become more involved in planning your mountain days, assessing conditions, choosing routes, building safe anchors and making decisions about the techniques used along the way.
As your confidence and experience grow, you'll be encouraged to take a more active role in leading the way, developing your leadership skills and decision-making, and becoming a more confident, capable and independent alpine mountaineer, while enjoying the adventure, challenges and rewards of classic alpine climbing.
At ISM, it's not simply about reaching summits or climbing more challenging routes. It's about understanding the mountains, making good decisions and developing the skills and experience that will stay with you long after your course.
An ISM Level 2 certificate will be awarded at the end of the course.
Course Highlights
A structured week of instruction
Learning key skills to become more independent
Expert instruction and coaching from experienced ISM Guides
Price includes uplift, breakfasts and evening meals, transport and accommodation
ISM certificate on completion of the course
Is This Course For Me?
Is This Course for Me?
Are you ready for your next alpine adventure? Keen to climb more challenging routes, explore exciting alpine ridges and develop the confidence and skills to start leading the way?
If you've already climbed an alpine summit and have experience using crampons and an ice axe, glacier travel and basic roped scrambling, then Classic AlpinISM is a fantastic opportunity to take your climbing further.
There's something incredibly rewarding about tackling a more challenging alpine route, working your way along an exposed rocky ridge, figuring out the best line and beginning to make your own decisions about the terrain ahead. With encouragement, coaching and expert instruction from your ISM Guide, you'll put your existing skills into practice, take a more active role in the climbing and discover the satisfaction of starting to lead the way.
With our low client-to-ISM Guide ratio, there's plenty of opportunity to learn, ask questions and get involved. We'll refresh essential skills such as crevasse rescue and prusiking, while developing your ropework, anchor building, navigation and route-finding techniques.
You'll learn to assess changing terrain, choose appropriate skills and techniques and make good decisions as you tackle more involved alpine routes and summits. As the week progresses, you'll have opportunities to lead suitable sections of the climbs, build confidence, develop your judgement and gradually take greater responsibility, becoming more independent in the mountains.
Classic AlpinISM brings together adventurous climbing, great learning opportunities and the enjoyment of sharing memorable mountain days with like-minded climbers. You'll finish the week with new experiences, stronger skills and the inspiration to take your alpine mountaineering even further.
Developing your mountaineering skills
Developing Your Mountaineering Skills
One of the most rewarding parts of Classic AlpinISM is putting your existing skills into practice, learning new techniques and discovering just how much more involved you can become in your own alpine climbing.
We begin the week developing your rock climbing, ropework and movement skills before heading into the mountains. We'll also refresh essential techniques for glacier travel and crevasse rescue, helping you build the confidence and understanding needed to travel safely across glaciated terrain.
Then comes the exciting part – putting those skills to work on real alpine routes! With your ISM Guide coaching and encouraging you along the way, you'll have opportunities to take the lead, practise route finding, short roping, pitching and building safe anchors, while learning to assess the terrain and choose the most appropriate techniques for the challenges ahead.
As you climb more adventurous routes and summits throughout the week, you'll begin to appreciate how these skills come together. Every climb brings new experiences, decisions and opportunities to learn, helping you develop your judgement, improve your efficiency and gradually take greater responsibility in the mountains.
It's this combination of adventurous climbing, hands-on learning and growing confidence that makes Classic AlpinISM such a rewarding next step in your development as a mountaineer.
Course Content
Course Content
Our Classic AlpinISM Level 2 course builds on your existing alpine mountaineering experience, developing more advanced skills and techniques through adventurous climbing, practical instruction and individual coaching. You'll become more involved in planning, decision-making and leading, learning how to apply your skills across increasingly varied and challenging alpine terrain.
Throughout the week, you'll develop and experience:
- Rock climbing and ropework – improving your climbing movement and techniques, developing your ropework and learning to manage the rope efficiently on more challenging alpine terrain.
- Short roping and short pitching – developing your understanding of when and how to use different rope techniques, taking coils, moving together and managing more exposed and technical sections of a climb.
- Building anchors and managing belays – learning to select and build safe anchors, organise belays and develop your confidence in managing pitched climbing.
- Multi-pitch climbing techniques – developing your skills in leading suitable sections of rock climbing, placing protection, managing belays and climbing as part of a rope team.
- Glacier travel and crevasse rescue – refreshing essential glacier travel techniques and developing your crevasse rescue skills, including more advanced rope systems and problem-solving.
- Abseiling and ascending a rope – refreshing and developing your abseiling, prussiking and rope management skills for more involved alpine terrain.
- Mountain navigation and planning – interpreting weather forecasts, maps and guidebooks, assessing conditions and becoming more involved in route choice, navigation and planning your mountain days.
- Climbing classic alpine routes and summits – putting your developing skills into practice on exciting alpine ridges, snow and ice slopes and more challenging mountain routes, with opportunities to take the lead and make decisions along the way.
Each day builds on the last, giving you opportunities to practise, ask questions, make decisions and take greater responsibility for your climbing. With the encouragement and coaching of your ISM Guide, you'll develop your confidence, judgement and experience while enjoying a fantastic week of adventurous alpine mountaineering.
Sample Programme
Classic AlpinISM – Sample Programme
Our Classic AlpinISM course combines exciting alpine routes, practical instruction and individual coaching, giving you the opportunity to develop your skills, confidence and judgement throughout the week. Based around the Italian side of the Monte Rosa massif and the Mont Blanc region, each day builds on the last, with increasing opportunities to take the lead, make decisions and become more involved in your climbing.
Sunday Evening – Welcome & Course Briefing
We meet at 6.45pm at Hotel PlanB in Le Fayet Saint-Gervais, where you'll meet your fellow climbers and ISM Guide. We'll discuss the week ahead, check equipment, answer questions and enjoy dinner together.
Monday – Rock Climbing & Ropework
We begin with a day of local rock climbing, developing your movement, ropework and climbing techniques before heading into the high mountains.
You'll practise placing protection, building safe anchors, managing belays and developing your confidence with pitched climbing. It's a great opportunity to refresh existing skills, learn new techniques and prepare for the more adventurous climbing ahead.
We return to Hotel PlanB for the evening.
Tuesday – Into the Monte Rosa Massif
Today we travel to Italy and make our way up to the Rifugio Guide d'Ayas, surrounded by some of the magnificent peaks of the Monte Rosa massif.
The approach provides an opportunity to discuss mountain conditions, route planning, navigation and safe glacier travel, while preparing for the climbs ahead.
We'll settle into the hut, enjoy the spectacular surroundings and plan our first alpine objective together.
Wednesday – Pollux (4,092m)
Our first major alpine objective is Pollux, a fantastic mountain offering varied climbing and an opportunity to develop your skills on more involved alpine terrain.
Throughout the day, we'll focus on efficient crampon techniques, short roping, route finding and choosing appropriate ropework for the terrain. You'll become more involved in making decisions and managing sections of the climb, with coaching and encouragement from your ISM Guide.
We'll also aim to refresh and develop your crevasse rescue skills when conditions and time allow.
We return to the Ayas Hut for another evening in the mountains.
Thursday – Castor (4,223m) & Return to the Aosta Valley
Today we aim to climb Castor, one of the classic alpine summits of the Monte Rosa massif.
Building on the previous days, you'll have opportunities to take a more active role in route finding, assessing conditions and choosing appropriate techniques as we tackle the varied snow and ice terrain.
This is a fantastic opportunity to consolidate your skills, develop your judgement and experience the satisfaction of becoming more involved in leading an alpine climb.
After descending from the mountains, we'll head down into the Aosta Valley for a well-earned shower, a relaxing evening and the chance to reflect on our alpine adventures so far.
Friday – Pyramide Calcaire, Val Veny
Our final climbing day takes us into beautiful Val Veny, beneath the Italian side of Mont Blanc, for an adventurous rock scrambling and climbing objective on Pyramide Calcaire.
It's an excellent opportunity to bring together the skills you've developed throughout the week, particularly route finding, rope management, short pitching, anchor building and making decisions on varied rocky terrain.
With your ISM Guide offering coaching and feedback, you'll have opportunities to take greater responsibility for suitable sections of the climb, enjoying the challenge and satisfaction of putting your developing skills into practice.
We return to Hotel PlanB in Le Fayet during the late afternoon.
Saturday Morning – Departure
Breakfast at the hotel is included before departure.
A Flexible Mountain Programme
This is a sample programme, and the routes, summits and order of activities may change depending on weather, mountain conditions and the experience of the group.
Your ISM Guide will choose appropriate objectives to provide the best possible balance of adventurous climbing, safety and learning opportunities throughout the week.
Course Dates & Booking
Meet the Team
Matt Stygall
IFMGA British Mountain Guide
Originally from the flatland of Norfolk, Matt soon escaped to the highlands of Scotland, to cut his teeth on the Scottish winter climbing scene there. He then worked full time at Plas Y Brenin in North Wales…
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Rose Gare-Simmons
ISM Marketing
Rose is a Summer Mountain Leader, healthcare professional, and passionate advocate for the healing power of the outdoors. Her work is rooted in the simple belief that time in the mountains can change how we feel, how…
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Adrian Nelhams
ISM Director and IFMGA British Mountain Guide
As a Director of ISM, Adrian splits his time between guiding, the ISM office, family and climbing for himself. During his 30+ year commitment to the team, Adrian has played a key role in the development of ISM.
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Steve Monks
IFMGA British Mountain Guide
A well known international climber, Steve has climbed and explored all over the world.
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Christian Türk
IFMGA Swedish Mountain Guide
Christian was born in Sweden and had his first skiing experience in Austria as a youngster.
Read MoreVital Information
Please check the vital information below to help when booking a course
- Equipment
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- Getting to Le Fayet Saint Gervais, Mt Blanc
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