Online registration is closed for 2018.
Educational clinics give the participants the chance to sharpen their alpine skills and share experiences with mountain guides and athletes.
Please pay attention to the clinics length and duration. Some clinics are one day, some are two days with overnight stay and the Bolt & Belays is a three day clinic. Make sure you don't book clinics with overlapping dates!
Join us after a day on the hill to cover some topics that are sure to enhance your overall backcountry experience. Learn more about GPS Route Finding with Mark Smiley and Advanced Decision Making and Snow Forecasting with our Exum Guides. Tickets are complimentary, however spots are limited so be sure to snag yourself a ticket!
For any inquiries regarding the Arc'teryx Backcountry Academy, please contact backcountryacademy@arcteryx.com and we will get back to you as soon as possible.
- The Arc'teryx Backcountry Academy Team
Right Skills for the right clinic: All clinics cater to specific skillsets and to a described level of fitness needed. We have clinics suited to levels from beginner to advanced. Please carefully consider the clinics skill level and the required level of physical fitness, as shown in each clinic description. We want to make sure you chose the right clinic, so you can enjoy the experience to the fullest.
Plan realistically: Don’t book clinics that are overlapping in time. If you do this you will not be able to attend all of them. Also consider fatigue over those 3 active days. At the end of the day, make the best of your Academy days in Chamonix.
Advance your mountain skills: For one same clinic, you may find multiple levels. Ensure your skills match the clinic, and follow the progressions in picking clinics. In other words don’t start with Level 3, and then finish your weekend experience with Level 1. Instead, follow the progressions outlined, and advance your skills.
We speak the world: The Arc’teryx Academy attracts alpine enthusiasts from 25+ countries. Most of the clinics will be English and/ or French spoken. Once we’ll know more of about clinics participants origins, we’ll make our best to staff clinics per language – English, French and may be German – so that you get the most understandable alpine expertise from participating guides and athletes in a language you understand.
Bring the right gear: Do visit the « What to bring » page and check out specific gear requirements in each clinic description. Come geared up!
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Crampon compatible mountaineering boots, ice climbing technical crampons, harness, helmet, 2 technical ice axes (possible to rent in Chamonix), dynamic lanyard and a screw-gate carabiner and head torch. Bring your own equipment so that you can practice with what you normally use. As for the clothes, please note that the temperature can be quite hot or cold, depending on weather. Bring layers of clothes which you can adjust from functional t-shirt to fleece or wool mid layers, lightweight puffer jacket, Goretex jacket, Softshell trousers, hat, one thin and one warm pair of gloves and solar protection (sunglasses, hat, sunscreen, lip protection). You will need more/less 35l rucksack. Please bring enough food and water (at least 2 litres) for a full day in mountains.
Please visit our What to Bring page for more information.