Six Day Mountaineering Training Course

All six days are spent on the mountain.

These courses take place on Mt. Baker, Mt. Daniel, Eldorado Peak, Sahale Peak and throughout the

Cascades. We utilize a variety of locations to distribute land use and provide pristine, less populated

environs for our training. It also enables us to take advantage of the best possible mountain conditions

for each course.

 

AUG 13: We meet at our Seattle office for a 6:30 a.m. orientation and gear check. A big part of

developing your necessary skills starts with having the proper equipment and food to ensure a safe and

enjoyable experience in the wilderness. The guides will discuss each piece of equipment and ensure that

everything is in good condition and is a proper fit. Finally, the guides will evaluate conditions, discuss

weather with the group, and make last-minute adjustments before departing Seattle. This is an

invaluable part of the course and will often help eliminate many of the questions students have in

regards to both equipment and the flow of the course.

 

From the office, we will drive to Mt. Erie to learn about the basics of rock climbing in a spectacular

setting. The climbing areas on Mt. Erie overlook the Puget Sound, with panoramic views of the San Juan

Islands, the Olympics, and several of the Cascade volcanos. We will begin with an introduction to

technical climbing equipment and knots. Next, we will progress to belaying, rappelling, prussiking and

practicing climbing movement skills.

 

After a full-day of instruction, we will drive to a scenic campground on our way to our final course

destination. After a stove and tent demonstration, the evening will be spent reviewing the day’s

material, preparing for the next stage of the course, and an additional mountaineering lecture if time

permits.

 

AUG 14: We will get an early start, pack up, and drive to the appropriate trailhead. Here, we will discuss

the route, weather and potential campsites. We’ll hike to a camp at or above the tree line and practice

moving, pacing and standing with heavy loads. Often this is a strenuous move of several thousand

vertical feet and can take between three and six hours.

 

An integral part of mountaineering is being able to set up a safe and secure camp in an extreme

environment. As a group, we’ll practice these skills. Guides discuss the importance of personal

maintenance, hygiene and sleeping in cold environs, and Leave No Trace principles, and address any student concerns. Finally, instruction of proper hydration, including efficient snow-melting protocols,

nutrition, and backcountry-cooking techniques will be addressed.

 

AUG 15: We’ll work on the basics of traveling on snowy and icy surfaces. We start by working on a

variety of walking techniques for moving safely and efficiently over a variety of snowy slopes. Good

footwork, balance and rest techniques are invaluable skills that we use throughout the course. Guides

then introduce the use of the ice axe and students conclude by practicing a variety of self-arrest

positions.

 

After lunch, we’ll explore some of the more technical skills of mountaineering. Instruction will be given

on tying an assortment of knots useful in mountaineering and we construct our prussiks. After this, we

develop rope work skills: coiling, storing and changing the length of the climbing rope.

 

We’ll demonstrate a variety of snow and ice anchors useful for belaying, running protection and rescue

scenarios. Once students are comfortable constructing a variety of different anchor types and styles, we

put it all to test.

 

If you have ever wondered if you can rappel off a Snickers Bar, then this is the day for you! We fully

weight and test all of the student anchors to ensure they are constructed properly for our intended

purpose.

 

Then we put the anchors to test. Climbers belay and rappel off of the anchors they construct. We teach

a variety of belaying and rappelling techniques that are useful in mountaineering and vertical climbing.

We introduce a variety of hauling systems, with emphasis on understanding the mechanical advantage

each system employs.

 

We conclude the day with rope team travel as it pertains to classical glaciated terrain. If conditions and

time permit, we go for a short glacier tour, winding our way through seemingly bottomless crevasses in

both classical and echelon formations. Here, the emphasis is on proper rope interval, shortening and

lengthening the rope, communication, route finding and hazard assessment.

 

AUG 16: With the skills developed on the previous days – knots, prussiks, rope handling, anchor

construction, belaying and mechanical advantage systems – students should now have the necessary

skills and comfort to execute crevasse rescue. Crevasse rescue is an essential skill and considerable time

and emphasis will be placed on practicing it in this course. First, guides usually have everyone do a

“dry” run on the surface but then it is expected that each person demonstrate proficiency in holding a

real-life fall into a crevasse and preform an actual rescue. Our standard instruction is a 3:1 Z-Pulley

rescue system on a three-person rope team. We also demonstrate (if not practice) the 2:1 Drop-C on a

two-person rope team as well.

 

At this time, students also have the opportunity to practice ascending out of a crevasse, on their own

with the use of their prussiks. This gives a much more realistic feel of what self-rescue is all about.

Crevasses can be a hazardous environment, and care must be taken to mitigate the risks properly.

Guides emphasize climber safety and well-being. Nevertheless, this is an extremely memorable and

rewarding day.

 

AUG 17: At this point, students should have made the transition to becoming valuable members of a

rope team and the group is now ready to push higher on the mountain. Depending on conditions and

weather, we’ll either use this day to go for the summit or establish an advanced glacier camp.

Moving to a higher camp usually takes about one to two hours of travel time and helps solidify both

rope team travel skills and allows for practice constructing another safe and secure camp. This also gives

us the option to push the summit attempt back a day if the weather doesn’t cooperate.

The most important skills we’ll learn are how to prepare, plan and execute the summit climb.

Developing a route plan, assessing the hazards, preparing one’s summit pack, climbing and descending

safely through massive glaciers and seracs to an icy Cascades summit is a rewarding experience with

breathtaking views in every direction. Furthermore, it is a demanding day, both physically and mentally,

which provides great training for more advanced objectives students may encounter later in their

climbing careers.

 

AUG 18: The final day of the course is used for a summit attempt, if it was delayed. Or it can be used to

address additional topics such as: advance cramponing, ice climbing, climbing at altitude, and advance

rescue systems.

 

Finally, we break down camp in accordance with our Leave No Trace principles, and hike back down to

the trailhead and return to Seattle in the evening. It is often customary to have a group meal back in the

first town we come to and celebrate six great days spent in the mountains!

 

Topics such as navigation (GPS, map, compass, altimeter and white navigation), route-finding, and

glaciology will be incorporated into the curriculum throughout the entire course and are often not

designated for a particular time. Furthermore, throughout the course, emphasis will continually be

placed on checking and maintaining good self-awareness and well-being, in addition to ensuring that our

camps are always clean and secure.