Alpine Mountaineering and Technical Leadership Part 3 (AMTL 3) from the American Alpine Institute is a key step in our four-part mountaineering course progression. This advanced alpine climbing program builds on the rock, glacier, and expedition skills developed in AMTL 1 and 2, turning them into efficient climbing systems that can be applied to longer, steeper, and more technical alpine routes in the North Cascades, Alaska, and beyond.
In AMTL 3, the program is built upon three modules within the 12-day program: aid and big-wall climbing skills; multi-pitch efficiency; and glacier travel, ice, and advanced crevasse rescue. Over the span of 12 days, climbers will master essential multi-pitch rock climbing skills, learn aid climbing and big wall techniques, and develop strategies for route finding, multi-pitch rappelling, hauling systems, and managing complex alpine terrain. Students will practice hanging belays, big wall logistics, and self-rescue systems while improving their speed and efficiency. The program ends with a student-led alpine climbing expedition, where participants plan the objective, make group decisions, and climb a committing route as a team. The modularized format allows the team to adjust the curriculum to make the most of the weather and conditions during their program. That being said, most sessions will start with the aid and big-wall portion, then choose the order in which the other two sections come.
This program is perfect for climbers who want to become independent alpinists capable of planning and leading big wall climbs, technical alpine ascents, and international mountaineering expeditions. Graduates leave prepared to take on long, committing climbs in ranges like the North Cascades, Canadian Rockies, or high-altitude ranges worldwide.
Whether your goal is to climb alpine big walls, tackle multi-day alpine routes, or prepare for expeditions to Alaska, Patagonia, or the Himalaya, AMTL 3 is the course that bridges the gap between intermediate skills and advanced, independent alpine climbing.
Alpine Mountaineering and Technical Leadership Course Progression
This flow chart shows how our series of AMTL courses flow, as well as how the curriculums of other course offerings fit into the overall progression. As you can see, while the AMTL progression is a series of longer, 12-day programs, there are a variety of ways that a climber can work through these skills. We recognize that climbers often have some kind of previous experience when the first come to us, but also often have gaps in their knowledge and skills. By offering these other programs, we can help you fill in those gaps so that you can more easily move into the main AMTL progression.
Curriculum
