Purpose

The purpose of the checkout is to ensure that all the students meet the basic fitness and technical requirements to take the Mountaineering School. Elite fitness is not required but a good starting point will help you get the most out of the school. Basic climbing skills are necessary for safety, and we won’t have time for catching people up. Anybody who doesn’t pass the checkout will be advised on how they can improve for the following year. Passing the checkout doesn’t guarantee acceptance into the Mountaineering School as other factors apply (max class size, etc).

Location

• Fitness checkout - University of Pittsburgh Cathedral of Learning. Meet on the ground floor by the coffee shop. Park on street or in the free Morewood Parking Lot at Carnegie Mellon University

• Climbing checkout - McConnells Mill State Park. Caravan there or follow directions to the Rim Road Climbing Area.  http://www.mountainproject.com/v/mcconnells-mill-state-park/106055867 ***Please note, there is often a festival the same weekend as checkout at the Kildoo Picnic area and the covered bridge is closed, enter the park via Mt Hope Furnace Rd. Otherwise it will add 30 minutes to your adventure.***

Schedule

• 8:45 - Meet at the Cathedral of Learning, ground floor

• 9:00 - Ready to start fitness checkout

• 10:45 - Wrap up Fitness checkout, head to McConnells Mill Rim Road Climbing Area. Do not rely on consistent service for GPS.

• 11:30 - Start Climbing Check out 

• 4:00 - Finish

What to bring:

Fitness checkout: 

• Hiking-ready footwear ( hiking boots or trail runners, etc.)

• 15lb pack, any liter size is okay as long as weight requirement is met (we will measure day of, so come prepared!)

• Food and water for the day

Climbing checkout:

• Dry and comfortable clothing to climb in. Prepare for inclement weather.  
• Harness and helmet - helmets are to be worn at all times. 
• Prusik Cords (hand and foot)
• Tree-anchor building supplies 
• Climbing shoes or shoes to comfortably climb a 5.8 
• A fully packed pack designed for a 3 day trip to summit the Lions Head route of Mt Washington, New Hampshire. If you currently do not possess the items, bring a list of gear along with what you do have. 

Fitness Checkout Requirements

• 5 reps of the Cathedral stairs with a 15 pound pack complete in 75 minutes, or 15 minutes per rep. Please note: One rep is UP the stairs and taking the elevator back down.

• If you cannot complete this in 90 minutes or less, you will be disqualified from continuing on to the climbing check out. 

Climbing Check-out Requirements

You will move between stations to assess your skills. School instructors will be on hand for safety and assessment. 

• Safely belay with an ATC
• Ascend a rope with hand and foot prusik loops
• Build top rope anchor systems
• Analyze top rope anchor systems for mistakes 
• Rappel with a back up 
• Coiling rope
• Tying the knots & hitches listed above
• Pack assessment 

• ECP Membership: $20 individual, $25 family. See our ECP membership application and liability waiver.

• The Course:

  New students: $250 + $50 (refundable gear deposit) + $10 (PayPal fee) = $310

  Returning students: $85 + $50 (refundable gear deposit) + $10 (PayPal fee) = $145

• Textbooks: ~$60 for the 2 required textbooks (Mountaineering: The Freedom of the Hills and Alpine Climbing: Techniques to Take You Higher).  See Reading Assignments below for more information.

Additional Expenses: 

• The cost of transportation to and from all outings is your responsibility. Carpools will be arranged to keep this at a minimum. Each outing requires travel, people carpool and split gas costs. ~$50 in gas each overnight outing 

• Adirondacks trip: ~$200-$500 per person for travel, lodging, and personal meals

• Graduation trip: If east coast, ~$200- $500 for travel, lodging, and personal meals. If west coast, ~$1200 for travel, lodging, and personal meals.

• All post-graduation trip expenses (potential air travel and minimal lodging) are your responsibility.

The amount of gear and equipment required to be even basically comfortable is large. If you don't already have much technical outdoor gear, you will spend money to pursue this sport - maybe $1000, maybe $3000 in just your first year.

• We try our best to outfit each student with mountaineering boots, crampons, a glacier axe, and technical tools during the school.  This gear is provided free of charge (a refundable deposit is required)  during the school term.  Note that these are all subject to size avilability and limited quantities.

• Other gear, if needed, is available for very reasonable rental rates from the ECP including: helmets, harnesses, tents, bivys, backpacks, sleeping bags, snowshoes, and trekking poles.

Students will NOT be expected to be fully outfitted by the time of the first class. We recommend waiting to purchase gear until you learn what works best in the mountains. However, students need to be prepared by the first outing for a day of any inclement weather that October and early November can bring.

Below is an overview of gear & clothing that students will need to complete the outings prior to the post-graduation trip.  It is NOT a complete list of all required gear but it should provide prospective students a sense of what they typically will need to purchase themselves (List 1) and what they can typically expect to be borrowed from the ECP or its members (List 2) over the course of the school.  A more detailed explanation of the types of gear required will be provided during the first class.

List 1 - Gear & Clothing Typically Requiring Student Purchase

Note that NONE of the clothing items below should include ANY cotton.

Wicking/Base Layer

• Socks, liner

• Long underwear bottoms

• Long underwear top

• Liner gloves

Insulating/Middle Layer

• Socks, 2 pairs

• Top, fleece

• Hat, fleece

• Parka/Coat, down or synthetic (or heavy ski jacket)

• Balaclava / face mask

Shell Layer

• Hiking boots (this does NOT mean expensive mountaineering boots!)

• Pants, waterproof/breathable

• Jacket, waterproof/breathable

• Gloves/mits, heavy (insulated)

• Gaiters

Miscellaneous Gear

• Headlamp

• 2 water bottles with insulated holders

• Bowl, mug, and spork

• Compass

• Carabiners

• Belay/rappel device

• Personal anchor

• Cordelette

• Pulley

• Stuff sacks, miscellaneous (optional)

• Sleeping pad, self-inflating or closed cell foam

• Sleeping bag, 0-20 degree (can be rented)

• For female identifying students: Stand up urinary device.

List 2 - Group Gear, Gear that can be Rented or Borrowed

• Stove

• Cookware

• 3 and 4 season tents

• Bivy sack

• Rope

• Rock and ice protection

• 2-way radios

• Goggles

• Backpack

• Sleeping Bag

*The ECP Mountaineering School's instructors have many of the more expensive items that students will need (List 2) and are generous in lending their personal gear. However, we can not guarantee that each of these items will be available to every student.

Each class will have a reading assignment from the required textbooks, to be completed before class.

Required Textbooks

Mountaineering: Freedom of the Hills (10th edition)
	With more than 600,000 copies sold, Mountaineering: The Freedom of the Hills is the acclaimed bible for climbers all over the world, and the new edition marks the 50th anniversary of this seminal title.
Alpine Climbing: Techniques to Take You Higher
	This intermediate guide addresses tools, skills, and techniques used in alpine terrain includng rock, snow, ice, and glaciers at moderate altitude approximately 5,000 metres and lower.