Snow Mountaineering Skills
Our Snow Mountaineering Skills course is excellent preparation for spring/summer climbs in Utah, the Rockies, Cascades, Alaska and elsewhere. UMA’s professional instructors will take you through a progression in alpine snow climbing, proper use of an ice axe and crampons, and self-arrest techniques.
Course Dates
- Mar 28, 2026 (Saturday)
- Apr 11, 2026 (Saturday)
- Apr 25, 2026 (Saturday)
- May 9, 2026 (Saturday)
During UMA’s Snow Mountaineering Skills course, our instructors will take you through a progression from climbing in balance, using duck-foot, crossover-step, sidestep and plunge-step to self-belay with piolet cane, high and low dagger, piolet traction, flat-footing and front-pointing with crampons.
Once you’re confident climbing, a rope will be incorporated and instruction will include maintaining proper tension, stepping over the rope for turns and understanding the limitations/dangers of being roped on steep, exposed terrain. Self-arrest with an axe — a last resort, but an essential skill to know — will also be taught.
Knowing how to stop oneself enables a climber to move without anxiety over hard snow. After building confidence and arresting falls on the seat, climbers will progress to upside-down and backward arrests.
Snow Mountaineering Skills is excellent preparation for spring/summer climbs in the Rockies, Cascades, Alaska and elsewhere.
Snow Mountaineering Skills Outcomes
- Ice axe skills: self-belay, high and low dagger and piolet traction
- Crampons skills: duck foot, cross-over step, side-step, front pointing and plunge stepping
- Self-arresting skills
- Rope travel, snow anchors and running belays
Max Student : Instructor Ratio
6 : 1
Next Steps in Snow Mountaineering progression
In addition to hiring a private UMA guide for a mixed alpine climb, the following courses may be great progressions in your mountaineering training.
Course dates don’t fit your schedule?
Any of our pre-scheduled courses can be run as custom outings. If you’re interested in a course but the dates don’t fit your schedule, please check out our private guiding options.
Course Prerequisites
- No experience is required.
Fitness & Skill Level
- You must be able to hike in snow above 8,000′.
- This is an introductory course.
This full-day course takes place in one of Salt Lake City’s local canyons (expect to be in the field for 8 hours). Guests are expected to bring their own snacks, lunch and water (1-2 liters). UMA does not provide transportation. We encourage carpooling to help mitigate traffic in the canyons and crowded parking areas.
SCHEDULE & MEETING LOCATION
The usual meeting time and place are 7:30 am in Alta, but these are subject to change. Exact meeting times and locations will be provided to enrolled participants before the course date.
GUIDE/INSTRUCTOR
You will receive a reminder with the contact information for your guide/instructor. They will contact you directly by email to confirm meeting time and location, as well as weather considerations and equipment needs.
TRANSPORTATION & PARKING
Transportation will not be provided. Most canyon parking lots require a parking fee.
How To Register
- Register Online
- Call us at (801) 550-3986
- Email us at [email protected]
UMA reserves the right to cancel or shorten the course if fewer than 3 participants register.
Snow Mountaineering Skills EQUIPMENT LIST
- Non-cotton top and bottom base layers
- Puffy, hooded overcoat and/or other insulation layer (fleece, synthetic or down)
- Waterproof/windproof outer shell jacket and pants
- Wool (and liner) socks
- Waterproof snow gloves and mittens or spare gloves
- Lightweight climbing and/or fleece gloves
- Warm hat or balaclava for under your helmet
- Baseball cap (optional)
- Sunglasses and goggles
- Sunscreen
- 2 liters of water (water bag/bladder not recommended)
- Lunch and quick energy snacks
- Crampon-compatible mountaineering boots with rigid sole
- Gaiters
- Mountaineering crampons (non-rigid, 10-point lightweight designs are ideal)
- Backpack (25-45 liters)
- Straight-shaft mountaineering axe
- Harness
- Belay device
- Helmet
- Beacon
- Shovel
- Probe
Please see our Winter/Spring Mountaineering Gear List & Rentals page for information on the items UMA provides and local shops where you can rent or purchase gear.
Recommended Resources
Mountaineering: The Freedom of the Hills by The Mountaineers
Hiking The Wasatch: The Official Wasatch Mountain Club Trail Map for Tri-County Area by the Wasatch Mountain Club & University of Utah Press
Summit Post (website)
Please see the Mountaineering section on our main FAQ page for common course questions.
What type of crampons should I use?
10-point, hinged, flexible, lash-on spikes made of light metal (including aluminum) are ideal and adaptable to almost any boot. Step-in crampons are fine, but they won’t fit on softer boots that lack heel and toe rands for attachment. 12-point water-ice crampons are fine, but heavier than necessary.
What type of ice axe and leash is best?
A mountaineering axe usually has a straight shaft (as opposed to the radically curved shafts and reverse-droop picks designed specifically for water-ice and mixed climbing). Some newer mountaineering axes include a bend only in the upper shaft, and this is fine. Preferred length is 50-75 cm.
Given that many Wasatch routes are on a mix of rock, ice, and snow, a shorter axe is easier to stow for pure rock moves. For this reason, a RETAINER leash connected to the harness is required so the tool can’t be dropped. The best type is a 5′ long, single-strand of 1/2″ webbing attached with a water knot on the pick side of the axe head. Wrist loops are for steep ice and are NOT helpful for mountaineering.
Is this a useful course for ski mountaineering?
Yes, UMA recommends taking Snow Mountaineering Skills to master the essential skills of self-arrest and proper use of crampons and axe.
