The landscape surrounding Holderness School is ideal for winter mountaineering, with a wide range of terrain for beginners and advanced climbers alike. As the season changes, climbers encounter a variety of conditions, from rock to snow and ice. 

Similar to the rock climbing team, the winter mountaineering team provides opportunities through which students can set and accomplish personal goals. In the winter we frequent the same venues—Rumney Rocks and Franconia Notch—climbing single and multi pitch ice. We also spend many afternoons in Crawford Notch State Park, renowned for its high concentration of world-class ice and alpine climbs. On longer days we try to get above the tree line into the alpine zone. Students learn skills critical to survival in the wilderness, including navigation, trip planning, and thriving and surviving in cold weather.