During the Mountain Phase, students receive instruction on military mountaineering tasks as well as techniques for employing a platoon for continuous combat operations in a mountainous environment. They
further develop their ability to command and control a platoon size element through planning, preparing , and executing a variety of combat missions. The Ranger student continues to learn how to sustain himself and his subordinates in the adverse conditions of the mountains. The rugged terrain, severe weather, hunger, mental and physical fatigue, and the emotional stress that the student encounters afford him the opportunity to gauge his own capabilities and limitations as well as that of his "Ranger Buddies".

In addition to combat operations, the Ranger student receives five days of training on military mountaineering. During the first three days of mountaineering (Lower) he learns about knots, belays, anchor points, rope
management and the basic fundamentals of climbing and rappelling. His mountaineering training culminates with a two day exercise (Upper) at Yonah Mountain applying the skills learned during Lower mountaineering. Each student must make all prescribed climbs at Yonah Mountain to continue in the course. During the FTX, Ranger students perform a mission that requires the use of their mountaineering skills. Combat missions are directed against a conventionally equipped threat force in a Mid Intensity Conflict scenario. These missions are conducted both day and night over an eight day field training exercise (FTX) and include moving cross country over mountains, conducting vehicle ambushes, raiding communications/mortar sites, and conducting a river
crossing or scaling a steep sloped mountain.

The Ranger student reaches his objective in several ways: cross-country movement, airborne insertion into small, rugged drop zones, air assaults into even smaller landing zones on the sides of mountains or an 8-10 mile footmarch over the Tennessee Valley Divide (TVD). The stamina and commitment of the Ranger student is stressed to the maximum. At any time, he may be selected to lead tired, hungry, physically expended students to accomplish yet another combat mission. At the conclusion of the Mountain Phase, the students move by bus or parachute assault into the Third and final (Florida) Phase of Ranger training, conducted at Camp Rudder, near Eglin AFB, Florida.