Glacier Skills

One-day Glacier Training with Bjartur, packaged by Oak. A day on the hard ice of the Mer de Glace learning the skills you need to move safely and efficiently on glaciated terrain. The aim is not just to walk on a glacier with a guide but to understand how a rope team works there: how to move in crampons, how to rope up, how to build an anchor in ice, and what to do if someone falls into a crevasse. You do the rope work yourself, with Bjartur alongside to correct and explain. We start with breakfast and a briefing at Couloir Cafe and finish with a debrief drink at the Oak office. This is the first day of Mountaineering Essentials with Oak. Ridge Essentials with Mike Thomas takes the same skills onto a real alpine ridge three days later. Outline: 8am breakfast, briefing and logistics at Couloir Cafe, Chamonix: conditions on the glacier, the plan for the day and a kit check, and you collect your packed lunch. Montenvers train up to the Mer de Glace and the descent onto the ice. On the glacier: moving in crampons on flat, sloping and steeper ice, using the ice axe, roping up and moving as a rope team, placing ice screws and building anchors, crevasse rescue with a pulley system, and abseiling on a prusik. Exercises are adjusted to the weather and the state of the glacier on the day. Train back down to Chamonix. Evening debrief at the Oak office with a complimentary drink and snack. Who it's for: Hikers and new mountaineers who want to start going onto glaciers, and skiers who want a head start on the touring season. Many of the best ski tours in the Mont Blanc massif cross glaciers, and the rope, anchor and crevasse rescue skills are the same on skis as on foot. You are comfortable walking on mountain paths for 6 hours with a pack, and have worn crampons at least once. No glacier or climbing experience is needed. The descent from the Montenvers station to the ice is on long ladders and steps, so you should be comfortable with some exposure.

• Stiff mountaineering boots suitable for crampon use

• Crampons

• 1 ice axe

• Harness

• Mountaineering helmet

• ATC or similar belay device

• 2x ice screws

• Petzl Micro Traxion or equivalent progress-capture pulley

• 6 locking carabiners

• 2 × 120 cm slings

• 2 × 3–5 m cordelette

• 1 designated Prusik cord for rappelling

• 1 × approximately 40 m glacier rope for every 2 participants

Depending on conditions, group experience and how the day progresses, we'll cover: Crampon & ice axe skills: * Efficient movement on hard glacier ice * Use of the ice axe on steeper terrain * Movement while attached to a rope Rope work: * Basic glacier rope techniques * Rope management * Tying and using relevant knots * Setting up a rappelling and ascending system Anchors: * Building anchors in hard ice * Ice screw placement * Equalising multiple protection points * Constructing simple, efficient glacier anchors * Understanding the strengths and limitations of different anchor configurations Crevasse rescue & pulley systems: * Principles of crevasse rescue * Building a basic hauling system * Using a Micro Traxion and pulley systems * Progress capture The exact content will be adapted to the conditions and the group's experience on the day. Our goal isn't just to demonstrate techniques — it's to give you the chance to build and dismantle these systems yourself, so you come away understanding when and why each one is used.

• Guides on Oak are verified by Oak, but users should independently confirm a guide’s qualifications.

• Participants are responsible for ensuring their skill level and fitness are suitable for the activity.

• Individuals should only attempt techniques or terrain they feel personally confident with.

• All instructions and safety guidance from the guide should be followed at all times.

• Users must ensure their own equipment is appropriate and in safe working condition.

• Mountain activities carry inherent risks, and participation is at the user’s own discretion.

• Adequate insurance covering mountain travel and rescue is essential.

• Relevant medical information should be shared with the guide.

• Plans may change due to weather or safety considerations, and users should be prepared for this.