Mountaineering Rulebook

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

• Components and Players
• Object of the Game
• Preliminary Things to Know: On the Path Up the Mountain
• Chart of Trouble Spots
• Equipment Cards
• Mover Cards
• Set Up
• Playing the Game: Moving
• Landing on a Trouble Spot
• Overcoming the Trouble
• If You Don't Have the Equipment or Mover Cards Needed
• Ending the Game
• Final Remarks
• Equipment Reference Chart

Components and Players

Ages: 7 to 14 Players: Alone or up to 6 players

Contents: Full colour gameboard, team marker, chart of trouble spots, mover cards, equipment cards, 2 elastic bands (for storing mover and equipment cards).

Object of the Game

Note that only one team marker is used. Everyone is trying to get this marker to the top.

1. Beginners game: Move the marker from Base Camp Tent exactly to the summit.
2. Advanced game: Move the marker from Base Camp exactly to the summit, then exactly back down to Base Camp again.

Preliminary Things to Know: On the Path Up the Mountain

1. Supply spots. These are the spots shaped like a tent. When landed on, the team can take three cards from supply (three mover cards, or three equipment cards, or a combination of mover and equipment cards). The player whose move got the marker to a supply spot takes the first card, and then the next two players each get to take a card on their turn.

2. Trouble spots. These are the circled spots with a number beside them. When landed on, the player whose turn moved the marker there consults the corresponding number on the Chart of Trouble Spots to see what trouble the team is in.

3. Note that at certain points on the path, the team has a choice as to which route it wants to follow.

Chart of Trouble Spots

1. Each numbered box has a large picture at the top indicating the trouble or danger encountered, and then underneath, in smaller symbols, players learn what equipment has to be used to deal with the trouble. In certain cases, players have to move back three spaces. In some cases only one equipment card will solve the problem, whereas in other cases a combination of several equipment cards is required. You must have all of the equipment listed for that numbered space.

The trouble spots, with the equipment each one needs (all listed items are required):

• 1. Hailstorm: Tent, Heater.
• 2. Rockslide: Rope, Hammer, Piton, Team.
• 3. Steep cliff: Piton, Rope, Team.
• 4. Steep cliff: Piton, Rope, Hook, Hammer.
• 5. Steep cliff: Piton, Rope, Link.
• 6. Steep cliff: Piton, Rope, Wedge, Team.
• 7. Hailstorm: Tent, Heater, Team.
• 8. Glacier: Boots, Crampons, Wedge.
• 9. Glacier crevasse: Axe, Rope, Team.
• 10. Glacier: Boots, Crampons, Team.
• 11. Injury: First Aid, Team.
• 12. Snowstorm: Move back three spaces.
• 13. Broken rope: Rope, First Aid.
• 14. Avalanche: Shovel, Team.
• 15. Glacier: Boots, Crampons, Hammer, Team.

Trouble spots 12 and 24 are the two cases where the team must move back three spaces. Spots 1, 2, 3, 9-13 and 19-23 were taken from the 1983 sheet, and spots 4-8, 14-18 and 24-28 from the 1984 sheet, and the English names are translations of the Swedish labels (for example "Kängor" = Boots, "Isbroddar" = Crampons, "Kil" = Wedge, "Karbinhake" = Link, "Syrgas" = Oxygen, "Spade" = Shovel).

Equipment Cards

1. Most cards are a collection of equipment. However, even if the trouble requires only one of the items on a card, the whole card must be played.

2. The TEAM card is a special card and represents "a team effort".

3. The card with the WHISTLE is also a special card. The whistle gives a distress call. If the team is ever stuck and needs to be rescued, they may play the whistle card. Sometimes players decide to play this card and continue to climb. The choice is yours, but if you do get stuck later without a chance to be rescued, the team is left stranded on the mountain and the game is over.

Mover Cards

1. Instead of dice, players use the cards with boxed spots. This gives players more opportunity to plan strategies than just the chance of rolling dice. The number of boxed spots on a card indicates the number of spots up the path the marker can be moved. (Tents [supply spots] count as one spot.)

2. Playing out of turn. If strategy warrants it, players may play mover cards out of turn. For example, on Player "A"'s turn, he discovers that he has only a "one" and that this will land the team on a trouble spot. He may ask around if anyone has something bigger. Player "B" may play her "two" card and move the marker safely past the potential trouble. Now Player "A" may decide to play the "one". Some teams like to court great risk and danger and do not use the PLAY OUT OF TURN rule. Once you have mastered the game, try a few climbs that way!

Set Up

1. Place the team marker on the Base Camp Tent spot.

2. Shuffle the mover cards and place the pile face down near the board where everyone can reach it.

3. Shuffle the equipment cards and place the pile face down near the mover pile where everyone can reach it.

4. Each player, in turn, picks one card at a time from either the mover or equipment piles until a total of 16 cards are portioned out. No matter how many players are playing, just 16 cards are taken to start the game.

Playing the Game: Moving

1. Players play out cards according to what is best for the team. Someone starts by playing a mover card. The marker is moved by this player according to the number played. Then, the player to the left plays the next mover card, and so on. When strategy dictates, you may play out of turn, as explained before. Players try to avoid trouble spots and try to land on supply spots.

2. Mover cards are played one at a time.

3. Mover cards played are put face up in front of the mover pile. When the mover pile is used up during the game, just shuffle the face-up pile, turn it over, and it becomes the new supply.

Landing on a Trouble Spot

1. Consult the Chart of Trouble Spots and find the corresponding number to see what trouble the team is facing, as well as what is required to deal with it. The team cannot go any further ahead on the climb until the trouble is overcome.

Overcoming the Trouble

1. Work as a team to solve it. Players share cards to come up with the necessary ones to deal with the problem. Equipment cards used are put face up in front of the equipment pile. If the equipment pile ever is used up during the game, shuffle the face-up pile, turn it over, and now you will have a new supply.

If You Don't Have the Equipment or Mover Cards Needed

When this happens, there are several ways to get new cards from the supply piles.

1. Backtrack to a supply spot. If the team has the right mover cards and needs equipment cards to solve a trouble, you can go backwards. Then you can pick up the three cards (equipment, mover, or a combination of them). If you get the equipment cards you need to take care of the unsolved trouble you backed away from, do the solving on the supply spot where you are. Then keep climbing. Watch out you don't land on that same trouble spot!

2. Abandon some equipment. When the team is really stuck with no equipment to solve a trouble, or perhaps with no mover cards left, then one option is left. Any player can discard any equipment card held, and in exchange the team picks up three cards from supply (equipment, mover, or a combination of both). The player discarding gets the first card, then the next two players in their turns each pick one more. Choose carefully what you discard, because any equipment card abandoned cannot be used again in the game. Put the discarded cards off to one side. When a player has played out all cards, they stay in the game. If possible, other players donate at least one card to that player. Sometimes that player has to hang in there until a supply spot is landed on. That player continues to participate in the use of equipment cards, which routes to take, and planning of other strategies.

Ending the Game

The Beginner's game is won if the summit is reached exactly. The advanced game is won when the team gets exactly down to Base Camp again.

The game is over if the team fails to complete the climb because it has no mover or equipment cards left.

Also, if you use the "whistle" to be rescued, you can decide to start a new game, or continue your climb from the point of rescue. If the whistle has been used or "abandoned" (see "Abandon some equipment"), your team joins the many adventurers who risked their lives and didn't quite make it.

Final Remarks

1. If any situation arises that is not covered by a rule, since this is a co-operative game, players should together create a rule to deal with the situation.

2. A list of the number of each item of equipment follows to help you in planning your strategies.

Equipment Reference Chart

Listed alphabetically, with the number of each item in the game:

• Axe: 3
• Boots: 2
• Compass: 1
• Crampons: 2
• Eye Cream: 1
• First Aid: 4
• Goggles: 2
• Hammer: 3
• Heater: 3
• Hook: 2
• Knife: 3
• Light: 3
• Link: 3
• Oxygen: 1
• Piton: 3
• Rope: 3
• Rucksack: 2
• Shovel: 3
• Sun Lotion: 1
• Team: 8
• Tent: 2
• Warm Clothes: 2
• Wedge: 2
• Whistle: 1