1. Begin by learning the basics
To begin, you must be fit. Include walking and stair climbing as part of your routine. You can also include regular cycling and running to increase your fitness levels, and work out to strengthen the upper body. You can also visit a climbing center to get familiar with the fundamentals such as being able to utilize a harness, belaying, and knotting the rope.
Put on a weighty rucksack and go up the hill. Take multi-day backpacking trips, practice scrambling, and increase your confidence when climbing large crags and ridges, both by yourself and together with a buddy. Finally, get comfortable doing all that in cold winter weather – as mountaineering can be very cold.
2. Select your goal
Think about the terrain you would like to take on Technical routes, granite faces glaciated mountains, mixed climbing, or just walk-ups. Make a list of your long-term goals, and outline the initial plan.
Also, don’t get too excited. It’s better to feel happy about your achievements than be unhappy that you’re not meeting your targets.
3. Find a course
The “mountain bible” Freedom of the Hills is the ideal place to begin and if you have mountaineering friends they will teach you the basics however nothing beats going on a training course. A guided hike puts you in the mountains and gives you immediate feedback and personal experience.
Courses are usually 6 days long on class 2 routes. They include route planning Navigation, safety, rock climbing, and logistical aspects like weather analysis and mountain rescue. A few also cover snow and ice, including techniques for self-arrest, as well as glacier hiking. The fact that you have all of these items in your backpack will help you become more independent in your choices on the mountain.
4. Be a master of maps
The more experience in the navigation you have the better. Make a practice plan at home, by plotting a course between two places on any map. Design real routes that you can take out to and locate POIs that you can find. Utilize the various tools – GPS Altimeter, compass and compass triangulation, map contours with bearings, sightings, and bearings. When you’re confident you’re in the right place, attempt to return.
The ability to predict your pace is vital to plan your day, as it will help you prevent over-working and exhausting yourself. Make sure you estimate well. Take a measurement of the distance along a path near your house and then pace it out but pace hill walks too to see what happens when it gets higher, steeper and you are tired.
5. Find the right gear
Layer your clothes, and put on merino wool socks and boots that have a tough outer layer and a removable soft inner, to keep you dry. Make sure you have a lightweight backpack just big enough to fit the necessities. If you’re climbing, make sure you have a helmet, a harness and the appropriate length rope, and a good set of equipment. If you’re planning to climb on ice, you should use semi-rigid 12-point crampons and a 60-90cm gently curving piolet axe.
If you are not sure which jackets would be the best when climbing through some cold areas, we would suggest these shell jackets, they are made out of top-quality material that is extremely durable.
Make sure you have a headlamp on, as the mountaineering season begins early, and if you end up getting lost you do not want to get lost in darkness. Don’t compromise on a good tent or your trip will be a disaster if you’re swarmed by 120kph winds, snow, and ice. Make sure you are prepared for any emergency by having bivvy gear as well as a small first aid kit.