Alpine Instructors Course 2007 - a Students Perspective
Story by Jo Langridge
AIC 2007 – WEEK 1
Monday Morning; I have just discovered another bruise and I feel like I’ve spent the weekend in a tumble dryer.
I wonder if anyone else feels like this?
Welcome to AIC 2007!!
The weekend started without a hitch. The buses got away on time, there was no traffic to contend with – Kebabs at Bulls proved to be slow, but everyone was fed – and miraculously the 4×4 bus managed to get all the way to Tukino hut!! Apparently the first time in AIC history. After a short briefing of the day to come the new AIC students tumbled into bed at the relatively timely hour of 1am.
Saturday dawned with that beautiful crisp freshness that you only get in the mountains. As the sun began to rise you could tell it was going to be a cracker of a day. No hint of the murky low pressure system that had been hanging over us for the previous few days. The AIC students were up and about (Hey, so were the instructors! – Ed) – not quite bright eyed and bushy tailed – but up all the same at 6.30am for a good wholesome breakfast.
Then we were off. Divided into our student groups we departed on our separate ways - Myself and Kate McKenzie with our instructor Pete de Joux and Assistant instructor Paul Mason. After spending some time familiarising ourselves with walking on steeper terrain without crampons we came to the first real lesson of the day: Ice-Axe Arrest!! For any of you that have done the AIC course you will know what this involves:
Step 1: Find very steep slope with good run out
Step 2: Nervously Slide down on bottom
Step 3: Nervously slide down on bottom with ice axe in hand
Step 4: Fling self down and attempt to stop
Step 5: Extract self from deep snow at bottom of slope, dry sunglasses, remove snow from neck
Step 6: Repeat. Upside down, back to front, upside down and back to front! Over and over again…..
Once we’d established that the snow was possibly a little too soft to actually self arrest, and we’d all eaten our fair share of glaciated precipitation we stopped to catch breath, shake out our hoods and admire Pete’s beginnings of ‘The Snow Cave’.
An exciting afternoon followed with our group traversing some steep ground and practicing pigeonholing. Then Pete decided we were ready to attempt a climb on some steeper terrain. Paul and Scott disappeared up the slope to set up a good anchor point whilst the rest of us waited expectantly, nervously and coldly for the call to climb. Kate went first, quickly tying in and setting off, happy to get moving again. She made good time – if she was nervous then she didn’t show it leaving me with a hard act to follow…
Then it was my turn. My fingers cold I fumbled with the rope tying in. As I looked up I could feel the butterflies start.. surely they didn’t really expect me to go up there?? I kicked a tentative first step. It crumbled and I ended up where I’d started – the soft snow was not going to make things any easier for me! My second attempt was a little more successful and I managed to get some momentum. Driving the heads of my axe into the snow I kicked steps up to the first obstacle, rock covered by slushy snow. My heart was already racing and I could feel my legs trembling just slightly (‘just don’t look down’ I kept telling myself). Somehow I managed to traverse a little and manoeuvre myself up and over the rock. Then I was away, one kick after the other, axes slipping in the slush (still not looking down), until after what seemed a lifetime I could see the top. Then before I knew it I was there. First climb done and dusted. Success!!
High on adrenalin and still buzzing from the climb Pete set us to work on his snow cave. Earlier in the week we had discussed the possibility of us sleeping outside so came suitably equipped with warm sleeping bags, snow shovels and a sense of adventure. We were soon joined by a couple of other enthusiastic diggers and set to constructing a snow cave big enough for at least 5 to sleep in. Cosy would be the best way to describe the working conditions. But amongst the yelps and sorry’s and other curious parties sticking their heads in (normally received by a face full of snow) our palatial dwelling was completed just in time for dinner. After a wonderful meal and a fascinating talk by Don French we gathered our necessary belongings and toddled off to our new home, much to the bemusement of the other AIC students. Much giggling and wriggling later we finally settled down and got some sleep. Not the most comfortable night I have ever spent as my sleeping platform was a bit wonky and I was either sliding off the side or slipping down to one end but remarkably warm nonetheless.
Sunday was a little calmer and we spent the day learning about navigation and glacier travel and the subsequent dangers. This again involved eating lots of snow – being rugby tackled by Pete (apparently this simulates falling into a crevasse?!), and dragged down a hill whilst relying on your buddy to stop you. Painful but enormous fun!!
Sadly the weekend couldn’t last forever and in glorious sunshine, with just a hint of clouds starting to form on the horizon, we gently walked down to the mini buses and set off home.
So Monday morning and back in the office, I nurse my achy muscles and poke my new found bruises; I chuckle to myself and think ‘yeah, bring on the next installment!!!’