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Guide Book Basic Mountaineering Course

There are multiple institutes in India that give training to civil and army people about mountains. Its duration is 28 to 32 day. If you want to gain technical knowledge and training to do more difficult treks and expeditions, doing BMC is a good way for sure. This blog will give you general information about Basic Mountaineering Course (BMC).

Who can and should do Basic Mountaineering course

  1. A regular trekker or mountaineer
  2. An adventure and outdoor loving person.
  3. Professional trekker and mountaineer
  4. Solo traveller
  5. Anyone who wants to learn adventure skills in outdoors

Eligibility Criteria

  1. Age between 17 to 45 (differs per institute)
  2. Physically fit
  3. Fees 14,000 Rs to 17,000 Rs (differs per institute) Cost is different for foreign students
  4. For NCC students, every year some seats are allotted at NIM.

  1. NIM (Nehru Institute of Mountaineering)

Established in 1965 this is best institute of mountaineering in Asia. But It also have so much waiting for the course as batches are full up to one or two years.

Basic information

  1. Situated at Uttarakhand, Uttarkashi
  2. Build in 14 Nov 1965
  3. Training at – Dokrani bamak glacier
  4. Contact Info – Whatsapp No. : +91 – 7060717717

Email : nimutk2004@gmail.com

Address: Nehru Institute of Mountaineering, Uttarkashi 249193 Uttarakhand

  1. HIM (Himalayan Institute of Mountaineering)

One of the premier mountaineering institutes in the world.

Basic information

  1. Situated at Darjeeling
  2. Build in 4 Nov 1954
  3. Contact Info – +91 7602215312

Email : hmidarj@gmail.com

Address: HMI, Jawahar Parbat, Darjeeling – 734101. West Bengal.

  1. JIM & WS (Jawahar Institute of Mountaineering & Winter Sports)

This institute gives training on winter sports like skiing. Situated  in Aru valley of Pahalgam.

Basic information

  1. Situated at Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir.
  2. Built in 25 Oct 1983
  3. Training at – Thajiwas glacier
  4. Contact Info – +91 9906967830

Email : principal@jawaharinstitutepahalgam.com

Address Nunwan, Anantnag Dist., Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir 192126

  1. NIMAS (National Institute of Mountaineering and Allied Sports)

Established in 2013

Basic information

  1. Situated at Arunachal Pradesh, Dirang
  2. Build in 1965
  3. Training at – Merathang glacier
  4. Key points – Army qualified trainers
  5. Contact Info – +91 9774731855

Email : info@nimasdirang.com

Address: NIMAS, Pin 900194 c/o 99 APO

  1. ABVIMAS (Atal Bihari Vajpeyee Institute of Mountaineering and Allied Sports)

Situated at Uttarakhand, Uttarkashi. Build in 1961

Contact Info – +91 902252342

Address: MDR 29, Aleo, opp. to Hotel Honeymoon, Manali, HimachalPradesh, 175131

Training pattern

This course gives you technical knowledge, high altitude trekking experience and practical training of climbing on ice and snow. Though every institute have their own program and syllabus of teaching, main frame of training is almost same. Every day is well planned by the instructors. They guide you for daily work out.

Training will start with light physical work in the beginning. It will get hard gradually.

Theoretical lectures conducted are:

  1. History of mountaineering
  2. Weather
  3. Flora and fauna in high altitude
  4. Glacier
  5. Avalanche
  6. Mountain manners and customs
  7. Mountain hazards
  8. Map reading
  9. Mountain terminology
  10. Survival
  11. Medical lectures

Practical sessions conducted:

  1. Rock craft: Alpine rock climbing involves technical skills including the ability to place anchors into the rock to safely ascend a mountain. Rock climbing, rappelling, zumaring, pitch climbing, anchoring and belaying are covered during this session. Typically this training will be for 7-10 days.
  2. Ice craft: Compacted snow conditions allow mountaineers to progress on foot. Glacier is unavoidable part of any high altitude expedition. Training on hard ice gets conducted with help of snow boots and crampons. Crevasse crossing, crevasse rescue, glacial march are some parts of ice craft.
  3. Snow Craft: Training on loose snow is different technique than hard ice. It covers same techniques such as, ascending and descending, rappelling, climbing, anchoring and belaying except, for the equipment and methods used in different way. Self arrest, group arrest are techniques covered during snow craft.
  4. Height Gain: Purpose of this training is to test physical capacity and an ability to trek in High Mountain.

Rules generally followed during training are:

  1. Time punctuality
  2. No littering
  3. No wastage of food
  4. Care and responsibility of personal and group equipment issued.
  5. Strictly trek friendly clothes and shoes
  6. Discipline and behavior