China Lake Mountain Rescue Group offers MOUNTAINEERING SAFETY Class every summer.

We've been teaching this class for almost 50 years. We can accomodate 40 students in each class, and class fills up fast! If you're interested, be sure to sign up early when we post the information, usually in early May.

The China Lake Mountain Rescue Group's basic mountaineering and mountaineering safety class begins usually 2nd week of June and continues each Tuesday and Wednesday through the end of July. During the seven-week class students will learn the fundamentals of mountaineering and rock climbing, including proper clothing and footwear, backpacking techniques, navigation and route finding, and rappelling.

Tuesday sessions are lectures given from 6:30 to 8 p.m. in the Kerr McGee Center. Wednesday sessions are practical applications of the lectures and are held at Wagon Wheel, Robber's Roost and Fossil Falls beginning at 5:00 p.m. until dark. As part of the class, students will have the opportunity to go on a day hike and an overnight trip in the Sierras to climb a mountain.

Students must be at least 14 years old (14 and 15 year olds will require an adult guardian to take the class with them; 16 and 17 year olds need parents/guardians release/permission). Class size is limited to 40 students; the cost is $35. Students are required to have access to the textbook "Mountaineering: Freedom of the Hills" 8th Edition. A UIAA certified helmet is needed, but a limited number are available for loan.

The following are information sheets for our 2011 class; 2012 will be very similar. All are pdf documents

Course Overview - what to expect, how we do things

Equipment List for class and hikes, overnight trip

Class Syllabus - schedule of lectures and climbs

Skills Checklist - skills you will learn during class; check um all off by the end of the course for a lovely certificate.