Today is all about making your way to Turtagrø Hotel. In the evening, dinner will be served and we’ll all get to know each other, also going through a briefing of the week ahead of us.
Meals: Three-course dinner
Accommodation: Turtagrø Hotel
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Join us for this 7-day alpine climbing course in Norway’s spectacular Jotunheimen National Park and learn all there is about traveling in alpine terrain! This is a full intro to traveling on blue ice and snow-covered glaciers, as well as rock climbing with traditional techniques and companion rescue. We’ll be staying at the beautiful Turtagrø Hotel in the Hurrungane massif, and every day we’ll go out to practice and master new skills. Certified IFMGA guides will be by your side, and with small group sizes and tailored excursions, this course will give you the knowledge and confidence to move in alpine terrain on your own. All meals and lodgings are included as well, all you have is a week of learning and practicing ahead of you!
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After a buffet breakfast, we’ll gather and have an introduction to the week. We’ll review equipment and knots and become familiar with standard glacier equipment. Throughout the day, we will be on the blue ice, practicing walking techniques with and without a rope, tying in, and route selection. Various ice rescue methods will also be covered. In the evening, we’ll review the day’s topics and experiences. We’ll also cover travel on snow-covered glaciers, orientation and route finding on the glacier.
Meals: Buffet breakfast, lunch pack, and three-course dinner
Accommodation: Turtagrø Hotel
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This day involves travel on snow-covered glaciers, practicing route selection and rescue. Participants will have the opportunity to lead rope teams themselves. What we learn on this day may be useful later in the course. For our evening session, we’ll review the day’s topics and what we’ve covered earlier.
Meals: Buffet breakfast, lunch pack, and three-course dinner
Accommodation: Turtagrø Hotel
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Today we’ll move to Kvam in Sogndal. We will practice rappelling and then engage in top-roping to become familiar with the use of belay devices as well as with climbing movements and equipment in general. The goal is to provide participants with a thorough overview and practice in rappelling and top-rope climbing. We’ll cover rappelling with a backup prusik knot and top-roping, and do lots of practice. A secure rappel anchor will also be covered. We’ll practice getting in and out of the anchor station and anchor station routines. In the evening, we’ll talk about the day behind us, about rope team climbing, leading, and anchor stations.
Meals: Buffet breakfast, lunch pack, and three-course dinner
Accommodation: Turtagrø Hotel
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Day 4 of this course is dedicated to climbing a multi-pitch route. This will be a proper tour, including a glacier crossing. We’ll cover route selection in alpine terrain and practice anchor station routines. For the evening session, we’ll go over Norwegian climbing history and outdoor traditions.
Meals: Buffet breakfast, lunch pack, and three-course dinner
Accommodation: Turtagrø Hotel
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This day involves a longer climbing route. We’ll go over rope team routines and ensure that participants know the basic safety procedures. We’ll end the day with talking about companion rescue and what we’ll be doing tomorrow.
Meals: Buffet breakfast, lunch pack, and three-course dinner
Accommodation: Turtagrø Hotel
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Companion rescue and leading on personal protection in Kvam in Sogndal is on the agenda today. Participants will get an introduction to the most basic companion rescue methods. We’ll cover climbing on a rope using prusik knots, unbinding a belay device, and untying a rope. There’s a possibility for leading the climb or leading with the guidance of an instructor. We’ll end our last guided day with a summary of the course and evaluation.
Meals: Buffet breakfast, lunch pack, and three-course dinner
Accommodation: Turtagrø Hotel
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After six full days of a climbing course with an IFMGA guide, it’s time to leave the legendary Turtagrø Hotel. If you’d like to stay longer in the area, just ask us for recommendations!
Meals: Buffet breakfast
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Most course days take place in the high mountains, so be prepared for changing weather conditions and temperatures. The programme above is an example of what our week might look like. The course leader may change the order of topics for various reasons, but this is generally the content that will be covered in the course.
The glacier part of the course is more suitable for days with fickle weather, while we leave high mountain climbing for good weather. In general, the whole course will be adjusted to the weather.
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What you get on this adventure:
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- 7-day alpine climbing course in Jotunheimen
- 6 days with a IFMGA mountain guide
- Accommodation for 7 nights in a double room
- All meals during the tour (breakfast, packed lunch, and a three-course dinner)
- All necessary climbing and glacier equipment
What’s not included:
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- Transportation to Turtagrø, Norway
- Alcohol, beverages, and snacks
- Guide gratuities — optional
- Travel and medical insurance — recommended
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If you’d like to join this climbing course in Jotunheimen, you have to have basic skills in climbing. There’s a detailed day-by-day plan worked out in the itinerary, so check it out to learn about the skills covered and outcomes. You don’t need any prior knowledge of traveling and climbing on glaciers, but you do need to be in decent physical shape and enjoy being outdoors in all kinds of weather. Ultimately, your guide will do their best to tailor the course to the participants’ preferences.
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Even though it’s summer, you may experience both snow and sleet. Therefore, dress as if you’re coming to the mountains in the winter. For this course, you will need the following clothing and equipment:
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- Fleece or wool hat
- Balaclava and a buff
- Neck gaiter
- Hardshell jacket with hood (Gore-Tex or equivalent)
- Expedition-weight bottoms
- Lightweight wind shell
- Down or synthetic jacket with hood
- Long-sleeved base layer
- Gloves — lightweight synthetic, windstopper gloves, big mountain gloves and mittens
- Long base layer pants
- Lightweight trekking pants
- Expedition-weight bottoms
- Hardshell pants
- Softshell pants (wind-proof or wind-resistant)
- Quick-dry shorts
- Liner socks, hiker socks and warm socks
- Mountaineering boots that work with crampons
- Hiking shoes
- An internal frame backpack (35-45L)
- Glacier glasses and goggles
- Water bottle
- Food you can eat on-the-go
- Pocket knife
- Toiletries (sunscreen, hand, blister kit, toilet paper, pee bottle, etc.)
For technical climbing and glacier equipment, you will need:
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- 1x sit harness and chest harness
- 3x screw carabiners
- 2x single carabiners
- 1x belay device
- One climbing rope per participant (this should be 45-60 m, single rope 10-11 mm or half rope 8.2 – 9 mm)
- Helmet
- 2x long slings (preferably two 120 cm slings, possibly knotted from 9mm rope)
- 2x prusik cord slings (6-7 mm cord, approximately 40 cm pre-tied)
- Climbing shoes
- 1x glacier travel ice axe
- 1x crampons
Most of this equipment can be borrowed from your guides, apart from climbing shoes. Feel free to bring your own equipment. Let us know upon booking if you’d like to borrow any equipment.
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You can borrow equipment from your guides for free! Feel free to bring your own equipment if you have it (see the list above), but let us know upon booking if you need anything.
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Group sizes and pricing
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- For this climbing course in Jotunheimen, the usual client-to-guide ratio is 3:1.
- Three participants is also the maximum group size, as well as the minimum for the course to operate.
Climbing courses in Jotunheimen can be arranged for larger groups. Contact us to make arrangements.
Min. age requirements
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- If you are older than 18, you’re good to go.
- Minors younger than 18 may be permitted to join the course on a case-by-case basis, but must be in the presence of a parent or legal guardian. Minors can only join this course if it’s a private one, they cannot join open tours.
If your group has climbers under the age of 18, contact us prior to booking to make arrangements.
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To get to Turtagrø in Jotunheimen, the starting point of your climbing course, Bergen Airport (BGO) or Oslo Airport (OSL) are the two nearest international airports. It takes about 5 hours to reach Turtagrø from any of these airports by car. Taking buses and trains is also an option, but it takes several hours longer.
Alternatively, the nearest regional airport is Sogndal Airport (SOG), from which it takes about 1.5 hours to reach Turtagrø by car or 3 hours to reach it by bus.
Make sure to reach Turtagrø a day prior to starting your course. Accommodation on arrival day is included in the price of the course, seeing as you need to be fresh and rested for a week of climbing!
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We highly recommend that you cover all your bases with both emergency medical and travel insurance.
With medical insurance, if you have an accident or medical emergency on or off the mountain, you’ll avoid paying out of pocket for costly expenses. This covers everything from hospital treatments to emergency air transportation and more. Travel insurance covers canceled flights, natural disasters and other scenarios that may interrupt your travel plans.
We also expect you to respect local regulations and take measures to protect yourselves, your guides, and the communities you’re traveling to. If you need assistance selecting the right insurance for your group, let us know and we will be happy to help!
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