IMCS or EMS climbing schools?

I am looking to take a 3-day mountaineering course this coming winter. I was wondering if anyone has had experience with IMCS out of North Conway or EMS. I am just looking for some input maybe a preferred guide with either.

Thanks Jason

I did a two-day ice-climbing workshop with IMCS. I thought they were incredibly friendly, professional, and experienced. Information was presented in a clear and supportive fashion. I have nothing but positive things to say about them. The primary guide involved was Paul Cormier. I thought he was great. I have not done any workshops with EMS so I can't offer any comparison. Another resource for an excellent mountaineering course is Chauvin International. I did three days with them and learned TONS. Here's a link http://www.chauvinguides.com/ and my disclaimer...I have no financial or emotional investment in any of the above-mentioned resources.

I too am considering taking one of these classes. I do personally know one of the EMS climbing guides--Becky Harrison. She's the owner of The Adventurous Trekker (www.adventuroustrekker.com) and she spends half her year in Nepal or other places and half in Bartlett. You can also find her on the EMS climbing site (here is her guide page.) I have hiked with her and her husband Craig, and I have raced (bicycles) with (against) Craig numerous times over the last 12 years. They were both instructors at a bicycle racing camp I attended in 1997. Very nice folks.

I would consider sharing a small group / semi-private lesson, if anyone is interested in splitting one. I have two other friends who have likewised expressed "an interest".

I would also be interested in a sort of "winter hiking sampler" -- something to help me decide whether or not to pursue it further. I am pretty committed to XC skiing for the winter (can't ski the other 3 seasons, but I can hike, bike and fish.) This would be an "out of the goodness of a more experienced hiker's heart" type of deal.

Tim

a friend and i took the EMS 3-day ice climbing course 3 or 4 years ago in lake placid with guide chad kennedy and it was great. it totally got me hooked on ice climbing. i personally can't see taking a mountaineering course on the east coast, the mountains just to small, there are no glaciers, etc. i'd recommend taking a look at International Mountain Guides Mt. Adams Glacier Seminar if you're looking for a real moutaineering experience, http://www.mountainguides.com/adams.shtml. i took this course 3 years ago to get some glacier experience before i went to denali and it was well worth the $$.

I have noticed a certain enthusiasm on this board for the oncoming winter / snow season as it pertains to hiking While I do not (yet) share this enthusiam, I certainly understand it (heck my favorite cycling discipline is cyclo-cross, which even most cyclists think is nuts!) I call upon your combined experience to ask:

What does a semi-experienced east-coast hiker (12 of 48 done this year, many lesser/other-not-tracked hikes over the past 20 years) need to safely begin winter hiking in NH? I'm not gunning for the winter NH 48 list. Mostly, I'm looking for a fallback if the skiing is like it was last year

I have snow shoes (LL Bean/Tubbs) but they are the kind intended for flatter or groomed terrain, like my in-law's Christmas tree farm, poles, and yak trax. My current boots are LL Bean Crestas -- mostly leather, backpacking boots (I have a history of weak ankles so I like sturdier boots even for day hiking.)

Pointers to older threads are fine -- I started a search on winter and beginner but I got a lot of matches and nothing was an immediately obvious match... but I will go back and look some more.

When I asked Becky (see my earlier reply) these same questions her suggestion was that I take a private mountaineering lesson with EMS Climb and tell them exactly what I was looking for. It seems like overkill to me to spend that much money on an introductory experience. Plus at that co$t, it would pretty much constitute my Christmas present from the family. And if I like it, I'm really in trouble

Tim

p.s. if you're wondering what cyclo-cross is,
this will give you some idea -- from 2005 Master's Nationals in Rhode Island (December 9, 2005)

I have taken 2 ice climbing and 2 rock climbing lessons from the EMS climbing school. I had a great time with both, I think partly because the person I took the class with had the same goals and skills as I did. In Conway I had Ethan Lemieux, Conrad Yager, and Janet Bergman, and Mike Leblanc in Lake Placid as guides and they were all very cool, very accomplished, and very competent.

But, as far as a mountaineering course, last year I took a 2 day course with Acadia Mountain Guides (www.acadiamountainguides.com) from a recommendation from this board. They had a real good price and so I went for it. The guide was very cool and I still keep in touch with him.

All of these schools will have competent guides. I find that what decides what you get out of it is the rest of the students - as always with a group, you have to follow what the weakest one wants to do. So if you are adventurous and have big plans for what you want to learn then get some friends with the same goals to take the class with you. If you are more mellow then just go alone.

-Doug

bikehikeskifish said:

What does a semi-experienced east-coast hiker (12 of 48 done this year, many lesser/other-not-tracked hikes over the past 20 years) need to safely begin winter hiking in NH? I'm not gunning for the winter NH 48 list. Mostly, I'm looking for a fallback if the skiing is like it was last year

(December 9, 2005)

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So as not to hi-jack this thread, I'm sure you could start a new one on the question. Search "fleece" "winter" "snowshoes" "crampons". It's a good topic.

Another guide service in the whites is http://www.mountainguidesalliance.com/guides.cfm
Ian Turnbull come highly recomended for one on one instruction.

bikehikeskifish said:

What does a semi-experienced east-coast hiker (12 of 48 done this year, many lesser/other-not-tracked hikes over the past 20 years) need to safely begin winter hiking in NH? I'm not gunning for the winter NH 48 list. Mostly, I'm looking for a fallback if the skiing is like it was last year

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nothing beats hooking up with experienced people or persons who are willing to take you under their wings! a google search for "mountaineering gear lists" is always a good place to start looking for ideas.

I think they are all pretty good and you won't go wrong either way and they are about the same price.

I have experience with Chauvin and IMCS - and have great things to say about both.

Thanks for all the imput, very much appreciated. I have been talking with marc from Chauvin and things are looking good.

I have climbed several times with both IMCS and EMS. Both are excellent.

As for taking a mountaineering course in New England: For someone that does not have a fair amount of winter experience in New England taking a course like these guide services offer will significantly shorten your learning curve and save you from some uncomfortable, or even unsafe situations. You will also have a great time while learning. If at some later time you go on to climb some of the higher mountains with glaciers you will be well prepared so that you can focus on the new lessons to be learned, like cravasse rescue, without worrying so much about learning how to walk with crampons or how to self-arrest with sharp and pointed ice axe.

Tell which ever guide service what you want to accomplish and they will personalize a course for you. You can also take one of their group sessions and still learn a lot and have a great time.

Big fan here of Marc Chauvin.

-percious

This past Saturday, as a member of the Pemi Valley Search and Rescue Team, I participated in the some exercises at Cannon Mountain's Peabody Lodge organized by Rick Wilcox for a collaborative of search and rescue groups in the White Mountains (NH Fish and Game, AVSAR, PVSART, among others). As Rick said to me early in the morning, he brought some members of his "A Team" from the White Mountain Rescue Service in North Conway, which included the three individuals besides Rick noted below. So, please add these names to the number of fine mountain guides already listed above in this thread. The last link provides a complete listing of AMGA certified mountain guides throughout the United States, which is what you want.


Rick Wilcox, Director of IME mountain guides
http://www.ime-usa.com/imcs/guides/index.html

Alain Comeau
http://www.newenglandguides.com/index.htm

Kurt Winkler
http://www.mountainguidesalliance.com/guides.cfm

Joe Lentini, Director of EMS climbing school for many years
http://www.emsclimb.com/guides.htm


American Mountain Guides Association (Certified Mountain Guides)
http://www.amga.com/guides/location.html

Dr. Dasypodidae said:

Joe Lentini, Director of EMS climbing school for many years
http://www.emsclimb.com/guides.htm

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Quick correction - this past Spring Joe Lentini left EMS as the director of the climbing school. He's a very cool guy and excellent guide and yeah, was with EMS for around 30 years.

Me too!

New member here. This is my first post, so I'll try not to fumble ...

Jason, I'm glad you started this thread. I'm interested in taking a 3-day mountaineering course this Winter too. Maybe we could get a small group together (3 or 4) to get a better per-person price (?).

-Brian

BriFly said:

New member here. This is my first post, so I'll try not to fumble ...

Jason, I'm glad you started this thread. I'm interested in taking a 3-day mountaineering course this Winter too. Maybe we could get a small group together (3 or 4) to get a better per-person price (?).

-Brian

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I did the 3 dayer with IMCS and they gave you the lower price if they could fill the group. I took it back in 1999 and to this day still keep in touch with one of the guys met in the class - though he doesn't hike or climb as much as he used to - but thats not a bad thing, becuase we he slacked off I went looking for new folks to do winter stuff with and ended up on VFTT and now have more then enough freinds...