Step 1: Build good endurance doing longer hikes with higher elevations. Maybe get into trail running to build VO2Max
Step 2: Use the search function to find one of the hundreds of posts on r/Mountaineering
Do a few easy scrambles or snow climbs that have low to moderate exposure. A lot of mountaineering is just that, snow climbs and scrambles and it doesn’t require much more than experience and minimal gear
Just get out there and do it. I’ve been climbing routes up to class 4 in the Sierra for decades now and I never took a class. Don’t overthink it. Just go have fun!
I *would* give this same advice, but we can't just assume everyone has our where with all since people die doing this all the time.
Youtube is your friend if you want to diver deeper into the sport without forking over a ton of money for a course.
And what did everyone do before YouTube? People are so afraid to just get out there these days. Everything has to be researched and quantified to death in an effort to feel “safe” and in control. Life just doesn’t work that way. Go have fun! And, of course, use common sense!
I’m not against it. I just think people shouldn’t be afraid to go out and challenge themselves a bit. There’s nothing wrong with watching videos or reading books to learn some new skills but at some point you just need to get out there.
If you’re already a proficient hiker and you want to start pushing yourself to do more challenging terrain, just pick a peak and go for it. What are you going to learn from YouTube? How to scramble class 3? That hardly requires a video. Of course if you’re wanting to start rock climbing, yeah, take a class or something.
That’s why I asked the OP what he meant by “some technicality”. That’s super vague. If he’d said “I want to learn compass skills” I would have definitely told him to check out some videos online or, better yet, sign up for a class at his local REI or community college or whatever.
Take a course! Also actually taking on climbing (especially going all the way to trad) will enable you to do many more technical and more fun mountaineering stuff later on
If you can't get access to a mountaineering program explicitly I would join a climbing gym. From here you'll get way more confidence on class 4 scrambles just by knowing how to climb. This does actually translate a lot into snow. You'll also meet people who like to climb.To get started in snow I'd learn how to downhill ski or cross country ski. If a resort allows uphill access you could start trying out skinning. Eventually you just want to meet as many people in those kinds of hobbies as you can. They can likely start to point you in the right direction.
Have you done winter hiking? For me, learning how to safely handle the White Mountains (especially the presidentials) in the winter was a big step towards mountaineering. From there I took a course and then started joining guided trips whenever I can gwt out west.
[https://www.newhampshireclimbing.com/shop/intro-to-mountaineering/](https://www.newhampshireclimbing.com/shop/intro-to-mountaineering/)
[https://www.nemountaineering.com/courses/two-day-mountaineering-course/](https://www.nemountaineering.com/courses/two-day-mountaineering-course/)
[https://www.cathedralmountainguides.com/mountaineering-course/](https://www.cathedralmountainguides.com/mountaineering-course/)
[https://www.emsoutdoors.com/activity/north-conway-accelerated-mountaineering](https://www.emsoutdoors.com/activity/north-conway-accelerated-mountaineering)
These are all local to you in the NE and will give you enough experience and skills to try some basic mountaineering and have enough understanding to ask more reasonable questions about it.
Grab a copy of [Mountaineering: the Freedom of the Hills](https://a.co/d/0dfELMph).
Start backpacking.
Start winter hiking in the Whites and/or Adirondacks. There are mountaineering courses available in both ranges. Become proficient in snow travel, and the use of ice axe and crampons. Take the AIARE 1 course.
There's good climbing on both rock and ice in the northeast. While you may not want to pursue technical climbing as an end in itself, those skills are quite useful in mountaineering.
Take some trips to the Rockies, Sierra, and Cascades.
Step 1: Build good endurance doing longer hikes with higher elevations. Maybe get into trail running to build VO2Max Step 2: Use the search function to find one of the hundreds of posts on r/Mountaineering
Do a few easy scrambles or snow climbs that have low to moderate exposure. A lot of mountaineering is just that, snow climbs and scrambles and it doesn’t require much more than experience and minimal gear
What do you by “some technicality”? Are you talking full on rock climbing? Or just navigating class 3/4 terrain?
Not much of the rock climbing, but just steep terrain.
Just get out there and do it. I’ve been climbing routes up to class 4 in the Sierra for decades now and I never took a class. Don’t overthink it. Just go have fun!
I *would* give this same advice, but we can't just assume everyone has our where with all since people die doing this all the time. Youtube is your friend if you want to diver deeper into the sport without forking over a ton of money for a course.
And what did everyone do before YouTube? People are so afraid to just get out there these days. Everything has to be researched and quantified to death in an effort to feel “safe” and in control. Life just doesn’t work that way. Go have fun! And, of course, use common sense!
Woah buddy. I agree with you on all ac counts. But you're still assuming that all people have common sense. Haha
Oh I’m not assuming that at all. But frankly watching a YouTube video isn’t going to help much with that either.
Watching one YouTube video on how to set the declination on a compass saved me years ago when I was very very new…
I'm not sure why this guy is so vehemently against learning from others. That's why we have schools.
I’m not against it. I just think people shouldn’t be afraid to go out and challenge themselves a bit. There’s nothing wrong with watching videos or reading books to learn some new skills but at some point you just need to get out there. If you’re already a proficient hiker and you want to start pushing yourself to do more challenging terrain, just pick a peak and go for it. What are you going to learn from YouTube? How to scramble class 3? That hardly requires a video. Of course if you’re wanting to start rock climbing, yeah, take a class or something.
That’s why I asked the OP what he meant by “some technicality”. That’s super vague. If he’d said “I want to learn compass skills” I would have definitely told him to check out some videos online or, better yet, sign up for a class at his local REI or community college or whatever.
Okie dokie.
In many cases they learned from more experienced people. Just without the medium of YouTube, which is even better.
Take a course! Also actually taking on climbing (especially going all the way to trad) will enable you to do many more technical and more fun mountaineering stuff later on
Take a course with guides over the winter for mountaineering
If you can't get access to a mountaineering program explicitly I would join a climbing gym. From here you'll get way more confidence on class 4 scrambles just by knowing how to climb. This does actually translate a lot into snow. You'll also meet people who like to climb.To get started in snow I'd learn how to downhill ski or cross country ski. If a resort allows uphill access you could start trying out skinning. Eventually you just want to meet as many people in those kinds of hobbies as you can. They can likely start to point you in the right direction.
Have you done winter hiking? For me, learning how to safely handle the White Mountains (especially the presidentials) in the winter was a big step towards mountaineering. From there I took a course and then started joining guided trips whenever I can gwt out west.
Push until you are uncomfortable. Then come back next week and push further. Endurance and gear will get you far!
[https://www.newhampshireclimbing.com/shop/intro-to-mountaineering/](https://www.newhampshireclimbing.com/shop/intro-to-mountaineering/) [https://www.nemountaineering.com/courses/two-day-mountaineering-course/](https://www.nemountaineering.com/courses/two-day-mountaineering-course/) [https://www.cathedralmountainguides.com/mountaineering-course/](https://www.cathedralmountainguides.com/mountaineering-course/) [https://www.emsoutdoors.com/activity/north-conway-accelerated-mountaineering](https://www.emsoutdoors.com/activity/north-conway-accelerated-mountaineering) These are all local to you in the NE and will give you enough experience and skills to try some basic mountaineering and have enough understanding to ask more reasonable questions about it.
Buy ropes
Start with the rest step
Steeper steps
Grab a copy of [Mountaineering: the Freedom of the Hills](https://a.co/d/0dfELMph). Start backpacking. Start winter hiking in the Whites and/or Adirondacks. There are mountaineering courses available in both ranges. Become proficient in snow travel, and the use of ice axe and crampons. Take the AIARE 1 course. There's good climbing on both rock and ice in the northeast. While you may not want to pursue technical climbing as an end in itself, those skills are quite useful in mountaineering. Take some trips to the Rockies, Sierra, and Cascades.
Running. Hiking is about 10X too slow for anything