Course Content - Basic Mountaineering

In total duration of 28 days for basic mountaineering course, the training is imparted in the form of classroom study and practice sessions. The practice sessions are conducted at various locations to ensure the real experience of mountaineering. It includes sessions at campus and at natural rocks in Darjeeling, base camp at Chowri Khang, and Rathong Glacier near base camp. After completion of all practice sessions, summit to Renok Peak (at around 15,000+ feet from sea level) is conducted. During the overall training, following topics are covered.

Classroom
1. Mountain manners and customs
2. Introduction to mountaineering equipments
3. Principles of rock climbing
4. Details of Ice-Axe and crampons
5. Mountain terminology
6. Awareness of mountain hazards and first-aid
7. Camp hygiene and sanitation
8. Introduction to Himalayan mountain range
9. Glacier
10. Avalanche
11. Map reading

HMI - Assembly area

Practice in and around HMI, Darjeeling
12. Physical training
13. Rocking climbing
14. Rappelling
15. Sports climbing
16. Ropes and knots
17. Tent pitching
18. Trek to Tiger Hills

Rappelling at Tenzin Rock, HMI

Around Base Camp - Chowri Khang (at around 14,600 feet from sea level)
19. Shoulder and Side Rappelling
20. Jumar Climbing - Rock
21. Self-arrest and group arrest (at a high slope mountain named as Dudhpokhari)
22. Bouldering
23. Suspension and teroline traverse
24. Summit to Renok Peak

At Rathong Glacier (at around 14,650 feet from sea level)
25. Rope Up Walk
26. Ice Climbing
27. Jumar Climbing – Ice
28. Crevasse Rescue (C-pulley and Z-pullet techniques)
29. Anchor preparation

Rathong Glacier at around 14,650 feet

Renok Peak (around 15,000 feet from sea level)
30. Summit to Renok Peak

Basic-282 after Renok summit (on March 24th, 2011)

The overall training is classified into four phases:
1. Phase I – Preliminary training at institute. This phase was of total seven days and it includes the classroom study, physical training, and basic practice sessions on climbing.
2. Phase II – Travel to base camp. The journey from Darjeeling to base camp at Chowri Khang is of total four nights and five days. It includes three-fourth of a day bus travel to Yuksum, and total three long treks on the ways viz. Yuksum to Bakhim (at 9,000 feet), Bakhim to Dozongri (at 12,960 feet), Dozongri to Chowri Khang (at 14,600 feet). Each of the treks was of six to eight hours long.
3. Phase III – Mountaineering training at Rathong Glacier. This phase was of total eleven days stay at base camp and involved multiple to & fro treks to the Rathong glacier
4. Phase IV – Return journey to HMI and departure from HMI. This phase was of total five days, includes two days of trekking back from base camp to Yuksum and reaching back to Darjeeling. The remaining three were spent at institute in finishing the pass-out activities.