It’s not often you get to train and/or study with a master, so when the occasion arises, give a thought to making it happen.
Vince Anderson is an internationally certified mountain guide and a member of the instructor team for the American Mountain Guides Association (AMGA). He’s also one of the fastest masters mountain bikers in Colorado–in short, he’s a world-class climber and ski mountaineer, as well as having a big engine. The perfect guy to learn the mental and physical aspects of alpine and ice climbing.
Vince offers custom guiding through his company, Skyward Mountaineering. I just noticed on his FB page, he’s also developed a “How to Train for Alpine Climbing Seminar” this season. Working with Steve House, another fully certified guide and Vince’s partner with whom he won the Piolet d’Or (climbing’s yearly award for the “greatest” achievement in the alpine), over the two days Vince will give you training advice on how to improve your fitness and strength, then tie you in for some expert instruction in how to climb more efficiently and effectively.
Day one covers the basics in the gym and introduces more complicated training topics. Day two you’ll head into the Ouray Ice Park for immediate feedback on technique and tactics. It’s a bit like getting to play pick-up with Cristiano Ronaldo or Michael Jordan–what better way to makes leaps and bounds in your technique than to learn from somebody who’s not only dialed…but willing to help you learn.
If it were anybody else, I probably wouldn’t urge you to attend…but having done my ski-mountaineering and rock-guide courses with Vince, I can assure you he’s an effective teacher and somebody worth listening to. Why? One of the first things you’ll notice is the total lack of dogma in his approach. Rarely does he teach “the way” to do something; rather, he’s great at giving you an assortment of techniques and strategies to get from point A to point B. Sure, if something’s sketch, he’ll tell you point blank…but usually you’ll hear him say, “Sure, that works. Now here’s another way…” I found his teaching style flexible and relaxed, while maintaining an exceedingly high standard. 
Steve House will also teach the seminar–often with Vince, House has done major first ascents around the world and has earned a reputation as one of the world’s most accomplished alpinists.
The level-one seminar runs December 14-15 this year or January 4-5, 2014, and costs $500. You can graduate to the level-two seminar February 22-23, 2014. If you’re serious about your climbing and have some cash, it might be worth your time. It’s not often you get to learn from the trade’s best people. Go see Vince…you’ll have fun and come out the other side stronger and with a much better sense of how to structure your training for optimal results.
