Thank you for your interest in the Adirondack Mountain Club's (ADK) Winter Mountaineering School Backpacking Course.

Health insurance and an ADK Membership are required to participate in this program.

This course is designed to transition three-season campers into Winter Mountaineers, capable of planning and executing their own backpacking trips into the high peaks of the northeast in full winter conditions. On your first day you will learn ice ax, crampon, and self-arrest skills in a controlled setting, followed by dinner, evening workshops, and a night at the ADK’s front-country Adirondak Loj. The next morning you and your team will depart for a two-night backpacking trip into a remote area of the High Peaks Wilderness. On this trip you’ll learn the basics of winter camping, cooking, and temperature management in extremes of cold, wind, and precipitation. You and your team will then plan and execute an Adirondack High Peak climb before returning to the ADK Loj. Lecture and workshop topics include trip planning, navigation, nutrition and meal planning, risk management, avalanche awareness, and more.

Cost: $475, includes meals and lodging at ADK’s Adirondak Loj pre/post trip.

If you don't have an Adirondack Mountain Club membership please go to www.adk.org to purchase one. We hope to see you this winter!

Winter Mountaineering School: Backpacking Course