Mountain Climb™ is very easy to play. You’ll need 5 red pitons, 5 blue pitons, a pair of dice and a Mountain Climb™ game board. Facing each other, players move their pitons up the face toward the summit. Be the first to get all five of your pitons to the summit and you’ve won the game. But watch out. As you climb to the top, your opponent can knock you off your trail. You could end up back at the base camp.
Players roll a single die highest to see who goes first. All pitons start at the base camp. The pitons are moved up the Mountain Climb™ face using the numbers on the dice. Only one of the dice numbers can be used per piton unless doubles are rolled. e.g. roll 5 and 3, move one piton up 5 holes and another one up 3 holes. A player can combine the dice numbers and use them on one piton only when they roll doubles. That player also gets to roll again. As the player ascends, their piton must remain on the trail it started from.
Once on the face, players can push their opponent off and send them back to their base camp. This happens when their piton lands on a hole already occupied by the other player. A player can’t be pushed out with a move from the base camp. You must already be on the face. The players can also be knocked off the summit. Any piton may be moved if the dice roll permits. Players must reach the summit with the exact number rolled on the die (dice). Play continues until one player gets all five pitons to the summit. There are times during game play when the player can’t move their piton. This happens especially as they near the summit. The player must move if there is a possible move.
Remember…
- You can combine the two dice numbers and use them on one piton only when you roll doubles. You also get to roll again, as in backgammon.
- Stay in the trail you started in all the way to the summit.
- You can’t knock out your opponent with a move from the base camp, you must already be on the face.
- The other player will not pick up the dice until the player’s move is completed.
- Dice rolled on the floor or leaning will be rolled again.
Game Variations…
- For shorter game play time, try a “quick ascent”. Instead of having to get all 5 pitons to the summit first, try just 2, 3 or 4.
- You can also speed up the game by using 3 dice. When a triple is rolled, the player is allowed to combine the dice numbers on one piton. The player is also allowed to roll again. With doubles, the player is allowed only to combine the numbers to move a single piton.
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