About The Basic Mountaineering School

Basic Mountaineering School (BMS) provides you with the skills needed to participate safely on non-glaciated CMC mountaineering climbs within Colorado in all weather conditions. These skills include navigation and route finding, planning and organizing climbs, rock climbing skills for following on fourth and fifth class routes, and snow climbing skills up to and including roped climbing with crampons.

The goal of the school is to graduate only members who can safely and competently participate in club mountaineering activities. As a result, BMS is a physically and psychologically demanding school for CMC members who are interested in high peak climbing or rock climbing. It teaches the knowledge and skills they need to pursue these sports safely and sensibly and it gives them an appreciation of their strengths and limitations with an understanding and respect for the mountain environment. These objectives are achieved through a time-intensive schedule of lectures and field trips. Significant personal effort (reading, trip planning, knot practice etc.) outside of class is also required.

Successful completion of Denver BMS (or its equivalent) is a requirement for a Denver Group D hiking classification and is a requirement for Trad Lead Climb School (TLCS) and the High Altitude Mountaineering School (HAMS).

The 2008 BMS Schedule (tentative) is as follows:

January 15 (Tues) - BMS Orientation Meeting - AMC Auditorium, 7:00 p.m.

January 21 (Mon) - BMS Orientation Meeting - AMC Auditorium, 7:00 p.m.

February 15 - BMS Applications due in CMC Office

March 24 - First Lecture Night - AMC Auditorium, 7:00 p.m.

March 31 - Second Lecture Night - AMC Auditorium, 7:00 p.m.

April 5/6 - Navigation Field Trip (All Day)

April 7 – No Lecture, night off

April 14 - Third Lecture Night - AMC Auditorium, 7:00 p.m.

April 19 or 20 - 1st Rock Day (All Day)

April 21 - Fourth Lecture Night - AMC Auditorium, 7:00 p.m.

April 26 or 27 - 2nd Rock Day (All Day)

April 28 - Fifth Lecture Night - AMC Auditorium, 7:00 p.m.

May 3 or 4 - Basic Snow Day (All Day)

May 10 or 11 – 3^rd Rock Day (All Day)

May 17 or 18 – Hard Snow Day (All Day)

May 31 or June 1 - (If required) 3^rd Rock Day Rain Day

TBD* Before July 1 – Successful Participation in CMC Qualifying Routefinding Trip (Moderate C minimum)

TBD* Before Sept 30 – Successful Participation in CMC Qualifying High Peak Climb (Overnight D minimum)

*The Routefinding trip and the High Peak Climb are planned and coordinated by students and scheduled on line by a BMS-qualified Trip Leader . A successful routefinding trip must be completed by July 1st. A successful high peak climb must be completed by September 30th.

PREREQUISITES: Admission to BMS is open to people who are at least eighteen years old and who meet the following requirements: 1) current CMC membership; 2) possession of at least a Denver group C hiking classification and 4) prepayment of the $195 tuition (An additional $10 for non-Denver Group members is required).

Potential BMS students do not need to possess any previous technical rock climbing experience. They do need to possess conditioning and stamina.

ORIENTATION MEETING/APPLICATON: On Tuesday, January 15 and Monday, January 21, 2008 at 7:00 p.m. in the CMC Auditorium in Golden, BMS orientation meetings will be held for prospective applicants. Attendance at ONE of the orientation meetings is required for application to BMS.

Application packets will be available at this presentation. The BMS application forms are due back to the CMC office no later than close-of-business Friday, February 15, 2008. You must include a check for the tuition with your application, or your VISA or MC number with the expiration date for your card.  Copies of C classification cards, classification change requests submitted, and/or waivers granted to the WTS/BPS prerequisites is recommended, in the event there are delays in processing.

Enrollment in BMS will be dictated by the number of qualified instructors available, in order to maintain the low student/instructor ratio (2:1). If more people apply than can be accommodated, priority will be based on the evaluation of the applicant’s responses on their complete and acceptable application and on service to the Club.

If you are not committed to attending all of the lectures and field trips please consider applying when you can make the full commitment. This will allow room in the school for those who are able to complete course.

If you have any questions regarding BMS, please contact the BMS Director, Frank Moore via e-mail (frank.moore@mindspring.com). E-mail is the preferred method of contact and will result in the most timely response.