Alpinism/Mountaineering training

The aim of our alpinism training course is to learn the skills needed to navigate in mountaineous terrain, usually in order to reach the summit. Our training course involves both mental and physical aspects: you will learn to solve problems and handle situations that you may encounter in the mountains, and how to do so safely. During the rock climbing part of our course we will engage our whole body from finger muscles to toes. Rock climbing may seem physically demanding at first but with proper technique you will quickly get the hang of it as well as really start to enjoy it. In addition to rope-work and climbing we will do strength and conditioning training. So, the whole set.

The training courses are relaxed and enjoyable. It is also a place to meet like-minded individuals to embark on future adventures together. As you can guess, the main aim of our courses is to get you ready for mountaineering expedtions, which Elamus Pluss also offers (click here). So, come and try something exciting, new and extreme!

Our instructors speak English and are happy to translate. The working language is generally Estonian, unless a significant number of participants in the group speaks English.

What do we do in the course?

There are 3 sessions per week. The 3 main components of our courses are:

Rock climbing — you’ll learn how to climb vertical walls with a rope, which includes climbing technique and belaying skills (both top rope and lead climbing). Rock climbing is a great physical exercise that improves muscle strength, endurance, coordination and also problem-solving skills. We will mostly climb on indoor walls.

Rope-work — you’ll learn how to use climbing rope and other mountaineering equipment, and solve mountaineering-related problems. For example, we will cover how to do crevasse rescues, multi-pitch climbing, ascending a fixed rope, rappelling, ice climbing etc.

Strength and conditioning — to complement our rope-work skills and climbing workouts we will build muscle strength and endurance, because that is also an important aspect of mountaineering. One part of this is cardio training outdoors.

Training groups

Base course (beginners / level 1)

Our base course is meant for beginners who have no previous experience. We also recommend this course to people with some rock climbing experience but no mountaineering experience since a big part of our course is technical rope-work. The base course lasts for 4 months and training takes place 3 times a week: rope-work (incl. strength training) and climbing sessions are about 2,5 h and running (cardio) training about 1 h. See the timetable below for exact times.

The main topics covered in the base course are: climbing technique, top rope and lead climbing, belaying, essential knots, building anchors, ascending a fixed rope, rappelling, introduction to multi-pitch climbing, haul systems, crevasse rescue, and using an ice axe and crampons.

Participants should be at least 16 years old; underage participants need a written consent from a parent/legal representative. The maximum group size is 14.

Price: 300 € (4 month package)

See below for the payment info.

Upcoming base courses:

Base courses start in September and January. It is not possible to join the course mid-way through!

• Alpinism base course, spring 09.01.2024—28.04.2024 (closed)

• Alpinism base course, autumn 03.09.2024—22.12.2024 (open for registration)

level 2 course

To join the Level 2 course you need to have completed the Base course (level 1), or to have acquired the skills listed under the “Base course” section in some other way. The topics in the advanced group are more specific and complex. You’ll have to combine individual techniques and skills to solve a variety of mountaineering problems and situations. We will focus more on lead climbing and advanced climbing techniques.

Training takes place 3 times a week: rope-work (incl. strength training) and climbing sessions are about 2,5 h and running (cardio) training about 1 h. See the timetable below for exact times.

Participants should be at least 16 years old; underage participants need a written consent from a parent/legal representative. The maximum group size is 20.

Price: 300 € (4 month package)

See below for the payment info.

Upcoming base courses:

Base courses start in September and January. It is not possible to join the course mid-way through!

• Alpinism level 2 course, spring 09.01.2024—28.04.2024 (closed)

• Alpinism level 2 course, autumn 02.09.2024—22.12.2024 (open for registration)

Advanced Group (level 3)

To join the Advanced group (level 3) you need to have completed the Level 2 course, or to have acquired the skills listed under the “Level 2 course” section in some other way. In the Advanced group, you can attend any alpinism training session you want, including from the Base course and Level 2 course, and have one dedicated climbing session for the advanced group. This allows you to choose each week which training session you’d like to join depending on the time or topic, and with the unlimited pass you can attend up to 5 training sessions per week.

Training takes place continuously from September to May. It is possible to join at any time.

Participants should be at least 16 years old; underage participants need a written consent from a parent/legal representative. The maximum group size is ~20.

Price:

One-time pass — 12 €, 1 month — 75 €, 3 months — 195 €, 3 months UNLIMITED — 260 €.

NB! You can attend up to 2 rope-work/climbing sessions per week (from any course), except with the UNLIMITED 3 month pass that allows you to attend as many sessions as you like.

See below for the payment info.

To join the advanced group, write to allan@elamuspluss.ee and describe your previous experience and skill level.

Private lessons

It is possible to take private lessons. You can choose the topic, time and duration (minimum of 2 hours) of your lessons. If you just want to try something new, we can make a training plan or choose a topic for you based on your previous experience, if you have any. If you have something specific in mind, we will create a training plan together with you. You can take a friend or friends with you, and it is even recommended.

Price:

1 participant — 30 €/h, 2 participants — 40 €/h, 3 participants — 50 €/h, 4+ participants — 60 €/h.

See below for the payment info.

For a private lesson, write to allan@elamuspluss.ee and describe your previous experience and skill level, and detail what you want to learn.

Training schedule

SCHEDULE FOR 02.09.2024—22.12.2024:

Where do the courses take place?

Most of the sessions take place in the Ronimistehas rope gym (Tehase 23, Tartu). The rope gym has ~ 30 climbing lines, a rope-work room, gym, cafeteria and changing rooms. At times we will take our lessons outdoors to learn things in more realistic environments, at least as much as it is possible in Tartu.

Running training takes place outdoors in any weather. Usually either at Kassitoome (corner of Oru and Karl Ernst von Baer) or Tartu Song Festival Grounds (Laulupeo pst 23, Tartu).

Payment info

Course payments should be made by bank transfer to the following bank account:

Recipient: MTÜ Elamus Pluss

Account no: EE067700771009189060 (LHV)

BIC/SWIFT code: LHVBEE22

Details: Liikmetasu, [name of participant], [starting date or course name]

• Starting date: if you’re purchasing a 1 or 3 month pass, mark down the start date of the pass. If it’s not marked, the pass will start at the date of the payment. For the one-time pass, mark the date of using the pass.

• If you need an invoice for the payment, write to allan@elamuspluss.ee

• It’s possible to pause a monthly pass for a minimum of 2 weeks.

• The participation fee is non-refundable.

Climbing independently

See www.ronimistehas.com for information on entrance to the rope gym and prices.