6-day Mountaineering course on Mount Baker with glacier travel

We meet in our offices in Seattle at 6:30am to begin the course with a gear check and trip overview. This is a critical step, as it is important that you have appropriate, well fitting gear before departing on any mountaineering trip. You will also learn the ins and outs of each piece of equipment.

Next, vehicle transfer to the trailhead where we begin the approach to Mt. Baker. This will be a hike of moderate intensity ascending from about 3,400 ft to 6,000 ft through scenic landscapes with great mountain views.

Late afternoon/early evening, we arrive at our campsite, where you will learn how to set up a safe camp. Specific topics include: sleeping in the cold, hygiene, Leave no Trace, personal maintenance. We’ll also learn about the basics of backcountry meal prep and cooking.

We will hit the mountain today as we learn how to travel over icy and snowy terrain. We start with foot placement, rest spots, and balance before moving on to a lesson on self-arresting using an ice axe.

During the afternoon, we’ll work on some rope skills and learn different knots, coiling, and storage. Then, if there’s still time, we’ll hit the glacier for a traverse so that we can practice the skills we just learned.

Today’s instruction begins with constructing snow and ice anchors under different conditions and scenarios. Then, we will test your skills with some rappels (but don’t worry – we’ll check all anchors before putting any weight on them to make sure they’re safe!)

With our anchors constructed, we will practice belaying and rappelling techniques before discussing hauling systems.

We put together the skills we practiced during the preceding days and begin learning crevasse rescue systems. We will practice on land and in actual crevasses using a 3:1 Pulley rescue system and a 2:1 Drop-C. We will also practice self-rescue techniques.

It is important to note that safety is always a priority, and guides will take the appropriate steps to minimize risks.

Today we will test the skills we’ve learned as we ascend Mt. Baker. We will either head for the summit, or aim to build an advanced glacier camp, depending on weather conditions. This will allow us to practice our rope travel skills in a team, building a safe camp, as well as learning how to practice planning a summit push. This includes: creating a route plan, packing, ascending and descending past seracs and glaciers, and examining the hazards and risks.  It will definitely be a tough day, but a rewarding well as you will have a better understanding of what it takes to conquer a mountaineering objective.

We will make our summit push if we were unable to the prior day.  We may also have the opportunity to cover more advanced topics such as advanced crampon walking, ice climbing, climbing at high altitudes, and more advanced rescue systems.

Then, we will break down our camps using the Leave No Trace principles we previously discussed. We depart the mountain and can expect to return to Seattle sometime in the evening, ending the trip with an optional group meal