Winter Mountaneering
in Tatras
Winter Wonderland
Winter mountaneering course in the Tatra Mountain
The Winter Mountaineering Course is designed to equip you with essential skills for elevated trekking and scrambling in winter and alpine environments. You’ll learn to use equipment like crampons, ice axes, and ropes as needed. Our main focus is on teaching you avalanche awareness and rescue methods. You’ll face the trials of terrain and weather, all while having a great time honing your abilities. This course will lay a strong foundation for your future growth as an alpinist.
Basic Information
Professional climbing instruction for an affordable price in Polish climbing paradise
Dates in 2024
6th – 9th February
12th – 15th March
9th – 12th April
Although we can be fully booked, please contact us anyway as customers drop off sometimes.
Course price
650 €
When only 2 people will book the course the price will increase to 750 €.
What's included?
full day of activities every day with licensed mountaineering instructors, winter mountaineering workshops, special winter mountaineering equipment
full support from the local highly qualified guide,
winter mountaineering instructions and technical advice,
avalanche set (avalanche device, shovel and probe),
all climbing equipment (karabiners, slings, ropes etc.),
harness, crampons, ice axe and helmet,
full day of activities every day,
indoor lectures/workshops.
Gear You Need
Required personal clothes for the winter mountaineering course:
mountaineering boots B1 or B2 suitable for C1 or C2 (semi-automatic) crampons,
waterproof Gore-Tex jacket and overtrousers,
softshell trousers,
down or synthetic down jacket,
base layers top and bottom,
warm Polartec fleece,
2 pairs of warm merino socks,
warm external gloves (mittens), five-fingers gloves, thin inner gloves,
hat or balaclava,
gaiters,
head torch, flask 0,5l, 35-45L backpack.
Our Plan
Winter climbing course program
Day 1
Metting at Zakopane at 10:00. Trekking to the Morskie Oko hut, winter equipment workshop.
Day 2
Avalanche outdoor workshop, crampons and ice axe skills, self-arrest practice, a workshop about climbing knots and rope work techniques.
Day 3
Winter ropework techniques, building stances for belaying using different snow and rock anchors, top rope ice climbing/dry tooling climbing and abseiling off practices, avalanche indoor lecture.
Day 4
Early start – moving together when roped on steep slopes and exposed terrain at grade II/III, possible summit attempt, building snow shelter. The course will end at 16:00.
Please note that program of the sport climbing course is subject to change due to weather conditions or other factors.
What you need to know
Important information about the winter course:
Flights and transport
You are responsible for booking your own flight to the place where we run our course. Flights to Poland are at the average price of €140 return (check budget airlines Wizzair and Ryanair). Please book your flight to Kraków airport. Why not combine this course with a visit to this historic city? I strongly recommend staying in Kraków few days! From Kraków, you can take a regular bus to Zakopane (2h). To maximize your time and have stress-free travel I strongly recommend coming one day before and flying back the day after the course. Zakopane is a busy resort and traffic jams occur very often despite very good transport.
Our meeting
We will collect you from Zakopane on the first day at 10:00. After the course, you can easily order a taxi from the central car park Palenica Białczańska back to Zakopane.
Mountain hut
We have pre-booked a friendly mountain hut “Morskie Oko” for our course. You will pay directly for the hut after your stay in cash. The average price is €18 per night (bedding, towel and local green tax included). You can buy breakfast (€10), dinner (€18) and snacks at the hut. Boiled water is free. Since this is a bunk bed-style hut, you will share the room with others.
Experience of Instructors
The course is run by a very experienced English-speaking Guide and Instructor of Alpinism (read about our guides more). Instructor-to-student ratio: 1:6.
Experience needed
To be able to take part in this course you should have summer walking experience, outdoor climbing experience, ability to belay and tie knots would be desirable. A good fitness level is required.
Important rules and information about the Tatra Mountains
The Tatra Mountains are Poland’s only alpine-type mountains forming a natural border between Poland and Slovakia and covering 785 square km. The highest summits are Gerlach (2655 m, Slovakia) and Rysy (2499 m, Poland). Thanks to the relatively small area of the Tatras compared to the Alps, there’s a cosy atmosphere, but you can also feel like you’re in really high mountains. The lower parts are covered by a beautiful and dense spruce forest. The upper parts are wide meadows with steep, rocky crags above them, where you may find a lot of caves. The landscape of the High Tatras is very interesting and is dominated by alpine-type ridges, towering walls and rocky peaks, which is a testament to the strong action of glaciers.
Ready to Plan Your Next Adventure?
Join us to perfect your winter climbing skills in a beautiful setting!
Your unforgettable winter journey starts here!