Ever dreamed of climbing Mount Robson or reaching the summit of Everest?
It all starts with learning the fundamentals. Gaining core mountaineering skills and progressing with expert (and often sponsored) guides is a proven way to prepare for high-altitude challenges.
While often used interchangeably, mountaineering, alpinism, and alpine climbing refer to different approaches to climbing mountains:
Alpine climbing involves technical climbing—rock, ice, or mixed—at high elevations, typically in remote and exposed environments.
Alpinism emphasizes light, fast, and self-sufficient ascents, often incorporating technical terrain and minimal gear to reduce weight and time on the mountain.
Mountaineering is the broadest term, referring to the overall effort of summiting mountains. It focuses on managing altitude, route-finding, and weather challenges, and may or may not involve technical climbing.
In practice, these categories often overlap—and developing skills in all three will only enhance your safety and success in the mountains.
Before stepping onto a glacier or attempting a technical summit, it’s essential to understand how to travel safely in the alpine. Our beginner courses—led by expert guides from Guide the Rockies and Yamnuska, among others—cover glacier travel, crevasse rescue, self-arrest, and more. With small group sizes and a low climber-to-guide ratio, these programs often end with a mountain summit.
When you are ready to tackle a more challenging mountain, join an intermediate or advanced alpine climbing course. These courses cover building snow and ice anchors, placing protection on rock, route planning and risk assessment, and more. They are best suited for those with prior mountaineering experience looking to refine their alpine climbing skills.
Book a private guided alpine expedition in the Rockies, tailored to your goals. A small-group or one-on-one format offers personalized coaching from your guide, with the flexibility to attempt a summit over a single day or a multi-day adventure.
You can book one of the courses listed below or contact us to arrange a custom course. We often offer additional programs that aren’t posted on our website.
Currently, we offer mountaineering programs primarily in the Rocky Mountains.. If you are interested in taking a course in another location, please contact us and we can organize a lesson for you.Â
Yes! Many of the courses are partially filled and are looking for more climbers! Please reach out to us if you have any questions.
Booking your courses is easy! Simply sign up and create an account to book your climbing course online in minutes. Your profile will provide convenient access to your course history and exclusive new features we’re adding to help track your climbing journey.
For every course, your guide will provide a clear list of equipment they’ll supply and items you’re responsible for bringing. Typically, technical gear such as rock shoes, crampons, and helmets are provided by your guide. You will need to bring non-technical items and personal provisions, including water, snacks, food, and suitable clothing.
The mountaineering courses are for complete beginners to more advanced alpine climbers. ​
For the beginner classes, none! For the more advanced classes, the prerequisites are listed in the course descriptions.Â
At Climb Onsight, we abide by the guide’s cancellation policy or an agreement between you and the guide. Often, you and the guide can reschedule the class to another day.
As a backdrop, the following cancellation policy in our terms and conditions applies:Â
(a) Fourteen (14) calendar days prior to the course: Customer is entitled to a full refund of the course.
(b) Seven (7) to thirteen (13) calendar days prior to the course: Customer is entitled to a credit equal to the cost of the course or a refund of fifty percent (50%) of the course cost.
(c) Six (6) calendar days or fewer prior to the course: Customer is not entitled to a refund.
The guide has the sole discretion to cancel the course because of the weather. If the guide cancels the course before it begins, you and the guide will work together to arrange an alternate date for the guided trip, a credit for the guide’s services, or an appropriate refund. We won’t offer refunds if the course is canceled once it begins, unless you and the guide agree otherwise.
Skip to content
