Courses

Mountain Skills

Take your mountain and climbing skills to the next level by learning from highly experienced mountaineers.

MEASURES REGARDING COVID-19

Tour code: IMG111

Björgvin Hilmarsson

Björgvin Hilmarsson

Björgvin Hilmarsson

Björgvin Hilmarsson

Björgvin Hilmarsson

A man looking at the mountain climbing gear inside

Björgvin Hilmarsson

Björgvin Hilmarsson

Björgvin Hilmarsson

Björgvin Hilmarsson

Björgvin Hilmarsson

man eating on the cold snowy mountain with a orange tent behind

Björgvin Hilmarsson

man with a tent on a snowy mountain in the morning

Björgvin Hilmarsson

people hiking up a snowy mountain in the morning

Björgvin Hilmarsson

four people posing after hiking in the snow

Björgvin Hilmarsson

Björgvin Hilmarsson

people doing down a snowy mountain above the clouds

Björgvin Hilmarsson

people hiking on a snowy mountain in line

Björgvin Hilmarsson

Björgvin Hilmarsson

landscape view on a snowy mountain with tents

Björgvin Hilmarsson

a group with tents in the snow on a mountain in iceland

Björgvin Hilmarsson

Björgvin Hilmarsson

A couple of happy women going on an ice climbing adventure

Björgvin Hilmarsson

A group of people preparing for the ice climb

Björgvin Hilmarsson

Björgvin Hilmarsson

A woman climbing up a glacier with ice picks

Björgvin Hilmarsson

a group of people helping each other ice climb up a glacier

Björgvin Hilmarsson

A man in a red jacket practicing ice climbing

Björgvin Hilmarsson

A group of people securing the ropes before Ice climbing in the cold

Björgvin Hilmarsson

Four people ice climbing up a steep wall of ice

Björgvin Hilmarsson

A group of people Ice climbing up a glacier

Björgvin Hilmarsson

We have combined three shorter courses to create an extensive course where participants go through the fundamentals of mountaineering. Your highly experienced and professional mountaineering instructors will cover general ropework, making of rock and snow anchors, crevasse rescue, and ice climbing. You will go through safety issues regarding avalanches and beacon search, glacier and mountain travels, crampon technique, self-arrest with an ice-axe and a lot more during the training. Along with learning how to use mountaineering equipment, you will experience camping overnight on a glacier. If the conditions are right, we might build a snow house or other types of snow shelters.

Knowledge about avalanches is a very important and necessary part of this training. With an appropriate choice of routes, it’s possible to minimize the risk of triggering or getting caught in an avalanche. Participants must bring along and know how to use the necessary gear needed for finding avalanche victims and getting them to the surface. The course offers an introduction to this gear and how it is used. Upon completion of the course, you will walk away with an all-around base in mountaineering. This will ensure that you are more fit for traveling safely on glaciers and mountains on your own.

No prior courses or experience is required, but participants have to be in fairly good physical and mental shape. They need to have appropriate outdoor clothing and gear that suites winter travels. Registered participants will receive a detailed equipment list.

Tour Overview

We pick you up @

Included
Group size

4 - 6 participants
Language

English
Accommodation

Hostel and camping
Difficulty

Demanding

Difficulty

Demanding
Availability

Apr & May
Duration

6 days
18

Minimum age:

18 yrs

Book this tour

Customer Reviews

I just completed the ten-day WildernessFirstResponder course organized by Icelandic Mountain Guides last week and I could not have been any happier. Organization and information by Ívar beforehand was great. There were 31 people in our class and two stellar NOLS instructors flew in from the US to teach us. We had a transfer service for the international students. Classes and outdoor scenarios were held at Hjálparsveit skáta í Reykjavík (SAR) where we could use the kitchen facilities and some of the equipment. There were plenty of cookies and snacks to see us through ten days of studying and practicing. It was intense, challenging and so much fun. We learned how to assess the scene and our patient, to make decisions on spine protection and evacuation and how to treat a variety of injuries and illnesses. Our instructors were knowledgeable and always patient and ready to help. We did some solo scenarios, many team scenarios and some larger group scenarios, one of them at night, to let us practice our new skills. On the last day we had a 100 question written test and a practical test assessing one of our instructors. Everyone passed. I enjoyed the course so much that I am now thinking about taking the Wilderness EMT next. Thank you, IMG for organizing this course. It was amazing!

“For me this was very valuable. The course added enormously to my prior knowledge of mountaineering, the risks that come with it and how it’s possible to reduce that risk by avoiding certain situations and conditions and bring along gear that are useful to get obstacles out of your way. Also how it’s possible to use various equipment and rope work to get yourself and others out of trouble if something comes up. This was an excellent course, all the preparation and operation was first class and that directly resulted in positive experience for the participants and good spirits of the whole group. The instructors were very professional.”

Tour Highlights

Experienced Teachers

Rope skills

Winter Camping

Glacier Travel

Included

Experienced and qualified guide
Hostel sleeping bag accommodation in dormitories (5 nights)
Minibus transport Reykjavík - Skaftafell - Reykjavík
Breakfast (5), Lunch (6), Dinner (5)
All common glacier and safety equipment

Not Included

Personal mountain- and glacier equipment

Optional Extras

Accommodation in Reykjavík before and after the tour

Tour Map and Itinerary

Click map for detailed itinerary

Pick-up starts at 7:30. Everyone needs to be ready by then. First stop will be at the IMG office to sort out boots and rental gear and take care of any last minute equipment issues. We leave town, stopping for lunch on the way, arriving in Skaftafell around 14:00.

When we have settled down it´s time for action. We start slowly, the first topic is avalanche safety. We go through few slides and discussions. After that we introduce and practice the use of avalanche beacons and go through the search process. No snow at this point but it´s still possible to go through some practical exercises. Dinner is at 19:00 and after that we go through the plan for day 2 and take a look at the gear we will be using.

Breakfast at 8:00. We go to Hnappavellir, Iceland's biggest sport climbing area. There we practice rope work, rock protection and making of belay anchors, rappelling (abseiling) and we also want to get some rock climbing done. So bring the rock shoes with you. In the evening, after dinner, we start planning the glacier trip that starts on day 4. We try out the stoves, put up the tents and think about what we take with us, gear and food.

Breakfast at 8:00. We go to Svínafellsjökull outlet glacier for hard-ice training. We go through crampon techniques, step-cutting, route finding and crevasse rescue. We also go through different ways of setting up protections on ice. In the evening after dinner we pack our back packs and prepare the food for the next day.

Breakfast at 4:00. Departure from Sandfell (where the hike up to Iceland‘s highest summit starts) no later than 5:30. We practice self-arrest with an ice axe, step-cutting and how to travel in snow and steep terrain. Also we go through beacon search in snow. On the glacier we rope up (glacier-mode). We practice crevasse rescue in snow. At the end of the day it´s time to find a good spot for camping, prepare dinner, melt water and do what has to be done before a night on the glacier.

We wake up at 5:00. We melt snow to use for breakfast and for the day. We leave the tents, sleeping bags and other such gear and head higher up on the glacier. The aim is Iceland´s highest peak, Hvannadalshnúkur (2110 m/6000 ft). We travel over crevassed terrain, introduction to snow anchors. After summiting Hvannadalshnúkur we head back down to camp and pack. Then we head all the way down.

Breakfast at 8:00. After that we prepare for our return to Reykjavík, get everything done for check-out. Before hitting the road we go again to Svínafellsjökull outlet glacier for some ice climbing. We train until around five in the afternoon. After that we drive back to Reykjavík, stopping for dinner on the way. We should be in town between 10 and 11.

Day 1
Day 2
Day 3
Day 4
Day 5
Day 6

Click to activate the map

How does the pick up work?

Participants will be picked up from designated bus stops in down town Reykjavík. Pick up starts at 07:30 on day 1. Those not in the down town area and IMG staff should come to Stórhöfði 33 – 110 Reykjavík.

What are the meal arrangements?

Participants in the course take care of the cooking together but all food is provided by IMG. Should you have special dietary needs please make note of that when you book.

Will we spend a night in tents?

We stay one night in tents on the glacier. Otherwise, we will stay in simple sleeping bag accommodation with shared facilities.

For your own well being and safety, we strongly suggest following the advice of our equipment list, this includes having good quality rain-gear, tops and bottoms!

Boots and Clothing

Hiking Boots – Waterproof with good ankle support.
Gaiters.
Long sleeve shirt (thermal underwear) – Wool or synthetic.
Long Johns (early season – April / beginning of May).
Light sweater, wool or fleece (2nd layer).
Warm Jacket – Wool or fleece (3rd layer).
Pants – light and fast drying – e.g. soft-shell.
Jacket with a good hood – Waterproof and breathable.
Rain pants – Waterproof and breathable material.
Gloves – 2 pairs - different thickness.
Mittens – insulated (early season climbs / April beginning of May).
Socks – Wool or synthetic.
Extra warm socks and thermal shirt.
Warm hat– Wool or synthetic.
Puffy jacket – down or fibre.
Casual clothing for wearing off the mountain.
Bathing suits (you never know when you might run into a hot pool in Iceland).
Extra warm jacket, down or synthetic.
Stiff boots for ice climbing and mountaineering (can be rented, but best if it´s your own that you are used to).

Other Gear

Larger backpack (60 – 75L).
Camping mattress (e.g. Thermarest).
Sleeping bag (-10 to -18°C). A liner bag is also a good idea.
Ski-goggles.
Sunglasses – rated for glacier travel.
Sun protection / face and lips. High SPF 30 or more.
Camera.
Headlamp (at times of year when it gets dark).
Classic ice axe / technical ice axes.
Crampons.
Harness.
Helmet.
Belay device (Reverso, ATC-guide or similar) .
2 – 4 locking carabiners.
2 – 4 non-locking carabiners.
1 – 2 pulleys (optional, not essential but makes the crevasse rescue easier).
3 – 6 m prussic-cord (6mm).
Other climbing equipment as available – ice screws, slings, rock-climbing shoes, rock-protection – if you have it bring it and learn using your own gear. If not, we will have it available.