Alpine Walking

Who Is This Course For?
This course is aimed at those with a reasonable level of fitness and who wish to widen their horizons safely into more challenging conditions and terrain.  If you have some hillwalking experience but would like to broaden your horizons.  If you have an inkling to get go Alpine walking, through spectacular mountain scenery, this is the course for you.  The course should expose you to the skills and the conditions in which to practice for your own future independent travel. You may have a reasonable level of experience in summer and Irish winter conditions but are not familiar with the equipment and skills required for safe travel in the Alpine mountain environment.

Course Aims

• Provide a guided walking experience in the Alps
• To develop a comprehensive level of understanding and independence in the alpine environment
• To learn new skills for use in more challenging conditions and terrain.
• To become familiar with and aware of the equipment needed for Alpine walking.
• To learn to assess weather conditions in order to make safe decisions on the hill.
• To provide an individually tailored learning experience with nationally qualified coaches and instructors
• Provide pointers for future development

 Skills Covered
This course will provide a comprehensive level of instruction in all of the necessary areas, in order to develop a level of independance.
Areas covered will include:
-  Use of equipment specific to travel int he mountains - what is available and what you could or should have, how to be more efficient in choosing what we bring
-  Route choice and navigation
-  Moving over rough terrain in the mountains
-  Route planning
-  Booking huts

Outline Programme

It is important to note that the above outline programme is a guide.  Times may vary due to weather conditions or other reasons.

Our Staff
Our staff are experienced, qualified and knowledgeable, and have the background to make this an enjoyable walking holiday.

What do I need to bring?
Although this list is not exhaustive, it contains many of the items that you may find useful on a walking trip to the Alps

Tollymore Information
Tollymore Mountain Centre, on the edge of the Mournes, is Northern Ireland’s National Centre for Mountaineering and Canoeing Activities.  It is funded and managed by the Sports Council for Northern Ireland as a National Centre. The Centre is an attractive, purpose-built facility of log construction with accommodation for 30 people in 2, 4 and 6 berth bedrooms.  Quilts, pillows and bed linen are all provided.  The Centre is well appointed with toilets, showers, modern kitchen, lecture room, workshop and drying room.  Outside there is ample parking space, a ropes course and a floodlit granite-climbing wall.  A modern indoor climbing wall is open year round.  The centre is ideally situated on the edge of the Mournes, with quick and easy access to the hills.

The Central Council for Physical Recreation opened Tollymore Mountain Centre in 1969.  In 1974, it passed to the newly established Sports Council for Northern Ireland Trust.  In 1995, Tollymore achieved the management standard BS EN ISO 9001:2000 for the quality systems it operates.   However, as part of Sports Council for Northern Ireland’s ongoing commitment to the development of the National Centre, Tollymore will be undergoing a major redevelopment, commencing in 2007.  The facilities will be improved and expanded, to ensure that Tollymore remains as an example of best practice in the provision of mountaineering, hillwalking, climbing and canoeing courses in Northern Ireland.

Accommodation
This course is based in Ailefroid, in the Dauphine Alps. This is an ideal area for Alpine walking, located in one of Frances most spectacular National Parks.  Accommodation will be camping based.

Catering
This course is self catered.

What next?
This course should give you the knowledge to enable you to plan future walking trips to the Alps.  It will give you an insight into how to plan and undertake such trips in a safe enjoyable way.

Travel
The course fee does not include transport to and from France, but does include transfers to and from the airport on the 28 June and 6 July.  Contact Tollymore for details.