Mazamas

*Closed*  Intermediate Climbing School Application Form   *Closed*

Info For Current Students And Assistants

Photos

Want to see some ICS action photos?  Check out the new ICS photo gallery under Resources.

Important Dates for ICS 2011-2012

All events and lectures take place at the Mazama Mountaineering Center at 6:30PM, unless otherwise specified.

Tuesday, July 26, 2011, 7:00PM   ICS information Night (at the MMC) 
Monday, August 15, 2011, 7:00PM   ICS Skills Test (at the MMC)
Wednesday, August 17, 2011 Notification of Acceptance
Tuesday, August 23, 2011, 6:30PM First lecture and payment due

General Information

Intermediate Climbing School (ICS) is an intensive, challenging, fun and rewarding experience as much as it is about advancing your climbing skills.  We pick up where BCEP left off and take you to the next level where you will learn the skills necessary to be a strong assistant on advanced Mazama climbs, organize private climbs of your own, and for those who choose, take the next step into Climb Leader Development.  Also, you will gain the skills necessary to go out and gain the required experience to gain entry into the advanced Mazama programs: AR & ASI.

The curriculum will include additional knots, glacier travel, rock and snow anchor building, map and compass navigation, avalanche awareness, avalanche transceiver training, accident management training, crevasse rescue, high angle snow practice, cleaning 5th class rock and 5th class rock climbing.

All students will learn the necessary skills to:

1. Join with any three other classmates, organize and execute a climb of any ‘A’ or ‘B’ level Mazama climb
2. Serve as a competent assistant on a ‘C’ level climb
3. Climb effectively on a ‘D’ level climb
4. Develop working climbing relationships with your classmates
5. Provide a foundation for advanced mountaineering education and experience including Mazamas Leadership Development

ICS is a demanding commitment in terms of time and gear, so please apply only if you can make the necessary commitment. Please have a look at the class calendar to get an idea of the time required.

There will be approximately 50 available slots for the class, but only students who make a satisfactory showing during the application process will be considered so there may or may not be 50 students in the class.

The class is open to Mazama members at ($595) and non-members at ($655) which includes $148 for the cost of four nights lodging with dinner and breakfast at the Mazama lodge (if the upfront cost of the class is preventing you from taking it, please speak to the class coordinator). We are including the lodge costs in the class fees in order to be up front about all of the Mazamas costs of ICS and to simplify the registration procedure for each lodge stay. The optional ICS Sport Leading class is an additional $115 for members and $175 for non-members and is paid in early October.

Web payment is strongly preferred and is due prior to the start of the first lecture.  Due to the competitive nature of the ICS application process, no refunds will be issued once payment for the class has been remitted.  The minimum age for students is 21. 

Factors which may help your admission are:

• Timely & complete submission of the required application materials
• Strong resume
• Ability to commit to ALL class sessions
• Strong recommendations from Mazama Climb Leaders
• In all other things being equal in applications, preference will be given to applicants who are Mazama members.
• Finally, preference will be given to applicants who have completed MFA and one or more of the following Mazama skill builders: snow camping, rock anchor building & Wilderness Navigation. (See more under graduation requirements.)

Class correspondence will be conducted primarily via email.  Please address general class questions to .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address).

Application forms are available online and must be completed online (see the link at the top of this page).

The primary text for this course is Mountaineering: The Freedom of the Hills, 7th Edition.  Other texts will be recommended throughout the class.

As much as possible, classroom sessions will include hands-on activities. Please wear comfortable clothing and shoes to lecture, including clothing with which a harness may be worn.

Each ICS student is responsible for providing his/her own climbing gear and equipment, except for ropes, pickets, avalanche transceivers, ice screws and shovels.  Each field session prospectus includes a list of required equipment.

The leaders for the 2011-2012 ICS class are Darrell Weston, ICS Lead Coordinator and, Steve Heikkila, ICS Assistant Coordinator.

Application Process

Because ICS is a popular class and requires certain skills and knowledge as a foundation, potential students must apply for admission to ICS.  The online application form is automatically forwarded to the class coordinators; all other materials should be emailed to .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address).
 
The ICS Application is composed of the following four required parts:

1. Completed Application Form – Follow the link at the top of this page to fill out the application form.

2. Climb Resume –
Please use this climbing resume template as it prompts you for important information that is needed to be considered for ICS.  Once you’ve filled this out you can attach it to the online application (see the link at the top of the page).

Resumes must include:
Climbing history. Applicants should be able to list: at least two successful snow climbs, at least two successful rock climbs, where 5th class rock was protected.  Detail:

• Private, guided or club climb with the name of lead organization if any
• Date
• Peak and route
• One party member who can be contacted or in the case of Mazama climbs, the name of the leader
• Role you had in the climb: team member, rope lead, assist, lead

Outdoor and climbing related education, dates, organization, class
Volunteer service with the Mazamas

Please submit your climb resume to .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address).

3. Climb Leader recommendations.  You can have a leader give recommendations to you or they may submit them directly to .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address), if they prefer.

4. ICS Skills Test - August 15, 2011, 7:00 PM at the Mazama Mountaineering Center.  The ICS Skills Test will require that you perform the following skills correctly the first time:

• Setting up and executing a top-rope belay, with ground anchor and commands
• Rappel using two friction methods – ATC, Figure-8, munter hitch, carabiner-brake, etc.
• Knots – tie the following on the first demonstration: overhand, water knot, figure-8 on a bight, re-woven figure-8, butterfly knot, double fisherman’s, prusik hitch, clove hitch, girth hitch, münter hitch
• Pass through protection – putting on harness, roping up for glacier travel, passing through pro
• Belay a following climber using a standard belay method

Please bring a climbing harness, carabiners, belay device and personal protection (a.k.a. safety leash) in order to execute all of the ICS skills test components.

Class Completion Requirements

To complete ICS and receive a graduation certificate, ICS students must:

• Attend each of the lectures and field sessions in the calendar below.
• Be current in CPR.
• Complete the Mazamas Mountaineering First Aid (MFA) class. This class is offered every October and February. You are encouraged to apply for MFA at the same time as you apply to ICS.  Those current in WFR and NOLS Advanced Wilderness First aid classes are not required to take MFA.
• Students who have completed the following Mazama Skill builders within the past year will not be required, but are encouraged, to attend the similar ICS modules: Snow Camping, Wilderness Navigation, and Rock Anchors.
• Assist with a BCEP group.
• Pass the rock and snow competency tests.
There will be a competency tests in May to ensure Climb Leaders and future climb team members that ICS graduates can demonstrate skill competency in intermediate climbing skills.  With this requirement we hope to further increase the stature of ICS grads.

Excepting emergencies or prior arrangements made with the lead coordinator, a student may be dropped from the class at the lead coordinator’s discretion if he or she fails to attend one or more lectures and/or field sessions.

Study Materials

Here are some recommended books for ICS.  Some are available at the Mazama Mountaineering Center for a discount:

• Mountaineering: The Freedom of the Hills, (7th edition), published by The Mountaineers Books. This is a required text for the course.
• The Mountaineering Handbook, by Craig Connally
• The Illustrated Guide to Crevasse Rescue and Glacier Travel, by Tyson and Clelland
• Alpine Climbing:  Techniques to take you Higher by Mark Houston and Kathy Cosley

ICS Class Calendar (subject to minor revision)

All lectures are free and open to the public, whether or not you are enrolled in the class. Only paid participants will be allowed to participate in the field sessions. If you plan to audit the class please alert the class coordinators, do not take any handouts and go easy on questions.
 
Lectures are at the Mazama Mountaineering Center (Click here for a Map to the MMC) and start at 6:30 pm, unless otherwise specified.

For up to date scheduling information, please refer to the ICS Google calendar below.

**Tuesday, Aug 23, 2011.  Welcome & Ropes (MMC)
**Thursday, Aug 25, 2011.  Anchors Lecture (MMC)
**Saturday, Aug 27, 2011.  Anchors (Broughton Bluff)
6PM Potluck, In town with Significant others and kids!
Tuesday, Aug 30, 6:00 PM. Anchors (Broughton Bluff) Optional