Ice Climbing & Mountaineering
Ice Climbing & Mountaineering Programs
The following list of courses are guidelines for a general progression of offerings. These courses are offered as private lessons any day of the week, and can be fully customized to meet your goals and needs.
Intro to Ice Climbing
Learn about the exhilarating sport of climbing ice! Along with a professional instructor, you will learn how to move over easy to moderate terrain. Top-roped climbing allows the freedom to master belaying and climbing skills, focusing on the most effective ways to swing and kick into the ice. No climbing experience necessary.
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Intermediate Ice Climbing
A perfect follow-up to Beginning Ice I, this comprehensive course is for those wanting to refine their climbing technique on steeper and more challenging terrain. Learn how to build ice anchors, how to rappel from them, and experience an easy multi-pitch route. 2:1 student to guide ratio.
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Ice Progression Courses
Are you someone who has been climbing for a while, but have always been interested in Ice climbing? Maybe you've ice climbed a few times but want to take it a step further? Our Ice Progression Courses could be for you! A multi-weekend intensive style program with a heavy focus on improving movement on ice, learning how to set up top rope anchors, practicing rappelling techniques, introducing ice screws and leading concepts, with the opportunity for participants to mock lead!
Women's Ice
Our for-women-by-women ice climbing class is a great way to learn about the exhilarating sport of climbing ice - in a no-pressure environment. Women's Ice I is open to ladies of all ages and abilities. Join us and learn how to move over easy to moderate terrain using crampons and ice axes.
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Intro to Mountaineering
Learn the fundamentals of safe winter travel over snow and ice! Components of instruction include use of crampons and ice axes, rope management skills, glissading and self-arrest techniques.
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Advanced Mountaineering
A perfect follow-up to Intro to Mountaineering or for those with experience traveling in steep winter environments. Mt. Washington offers an extreme training ground to pracice your avalanche awareness, walking and climbing in crampons, white-out navigation planning and terrain selection- all while ascending the highest peak in the Northeast in all its glory!
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Adirondack Ice
The Adirondack Park is roughly the size of New Hampshire and offers a lifetime of ice climbing ascents. Join Petra Cliffs guides as they take you on a tour of New York's finest road side ice. Short approaches means more time on the ice and less slogging, allowing you to log more vertical. Let our guides show you their favorite places to climb in the northeast!
More information... (Not offered 20/21 season)
Crawford Notch, NH Ice
Crawford Notch is home to the famed Frankenstein area, Mount Willard and may other classic ice climbs. It is a must climb area for all aspiring alpinist. Let our guides take you up a classic like Chia, Standard, The Penguin, Willy's Slide, Cinema Gully or many more!
More information... (Not offered 20/21 season)
Available any day of the week by Private Reservation
Smuggler's Notch, VT
Lake Willoughby, VT
Crawford Notch, NH
Mount Washington, NH
Adirondacks, NY
Drytooling & Mixed Climbing
and more...
Courses generally run from 9am - 4pm unless otherwise noted, and they include all technical gear rentals. Please call Petra Cliffs to reserve your space in an open enrollment clinic or to book a day of private instruction. We want to speak with you to ensure you are getting to program you are looking for. E-mailing us is fine to check on dates and gather information, but your reservation will be confirmed when we speak with you in person. Thank you!
As always, Private Guiding is offered any day of the week. Private Instruction and guiding allows for individualized learning, letting you focus on what you want to learn. See Private Guiding rates and details.
"Ice Climbing was one of the best ways I could have asked to spend my bday. Matt and Paul were both great and we thoroughly enjoyed our time up in the Smugglers area again - the section we climbed this year was much larger and more challenging than last year, which the guys enjoyed considering half the group was returning from last year. It has become a hit among my friends and we continue to get at least one solid 8 person group coming up 2 years in a row - I have no doubts it will continue on. The guys ask me on popular demand to do it again and so that they can invite more friends each time." —Rory P, Boston, MA