Mountaineers range far and wide within North America, venturing East, North and South from our home territory. The Pacific Northwest may be home to many wonderful places, but the rest of the country sometimes offers that little something that we can't find locally. We venture across the expanse of this great continent to find outdoor adventure.

Mt. Everest

But why stop at the continental shelf? Take your backpack, skis or kayak to distant shores with The Mountaineers and at rates which can rarely be beaten.

Past trips, led by experienced and skilled leaders, have included Nepal, Bhutan, Ireland, Scotland, England, Switzerland and France. They range from strenuous ski tours to treks to walking trails.

Information about both of these types of trips is provided below as well as in the monthly Mountaineer. In general, outings are announced anywhere from eight months to a year in advance and entail an initial deposit.

You must be a Mountaineers member to participate in all outings. Please refer to the North American Outings and International Outings sections in the Go Guide supplement to The Mountaineer for more details and prerequisites pertaining to participation.

Current North American getaways

Current International getaways

Click here for a trip preview

Have you ever seen the spectacular colors of the maples paint the landscape of New England?   If not, join us for a moderate or strenuous hike under a canopy of fall colors in the ancient Appalachian Mountains.  The brilliantly jeweled gold and ruby ridges of the White Mountains will be in your memory forever.

The Mountaineers’ Recreational Properties offers an 8-day adventure through the White Mountains of New Hampshire.  Since we will be hiking between the full service huts and lodges of the Appalachian Mountain Club (AMC) you will not have to carry a sleeping bag or food except for lunch.

Nate Shedd, an AMC naturalist who hiked with us this year , will hike with us again.  His  expertise will be the crowning jewel to this hiking adventure.

If you choose to do the Presidential traverse most trails will be doted with large rocks and may include short stretches of scrambling. Or you may choose moderate hiking on trails compatible with northwest trails.

We will begin the trip from Portland, Maine taking an AMC van, through the White Mountains of New Hampshire.  We will pass wooden covered bridges and white washed houses on our drive to Highland Center at Crawford Notch.  We will hike from Crawdord Notch to Franconia Notch  on the Appalachian Trail.

While at Highland Center  a multitude of conditioning hikes are available or you can be a tourist and ride the train up Mt Washington.  Once on the top of Mt. Washington, where the highest recorded winds of the states are found, one can hike down or ride the cog railroad down the other side of the mountain.

On Friday after a short hike from Greenleaf Hut we will take the van  to Cardigan Lodge, a stately old whitewashed home the New Hampshire Lakes Region. We guarantee you will long remember  Tom Fisher, Cardigan Lodge Coo Chief and those engaging ambassadors of New England’s oldest and largest version of The Mountaineers.

There will be an optional Adventure Day  including an Art walk Friday night in Portland, Maine, and on Saturday October 2nd exploring Peaks Island  with bikes  or hiking, a happy hour at the home of the Ericksons, Mountaineers living on Peaks Island, ending with a Maine lobster dinner or other entre before taking the little island hopping ferry back to Portland, Maine.

Cost: approx. $810 for land costs including all meals except one lunches, private bus transfer, transfers by AMC and lodging in AMC lodges and mountain huts.

Lodging: Lodges with linens and showers and huts offer bunkhouse accommodations where a sleeping sheet is needed.

Requirements: Trip limits will be a minimum of 12 and a maximum of 16. Open to all Mountaineers. Participants must be able to hike trails of at least moderate difficulty. Leader’s approval necessary.

The leader, Patti Polinsky, has led numerous hiking, climbing and European Trips for the Mountaineers.  She has led 5  Fall colors Adventures. She is also the director of the Meany Lodge Sports Center..

Reservations: A deposit of $400 is required per person to reserve a space on the trip; balance due in full by June 1. In the event of cancellation, non-recoverable group expenses incurred will be borne by the canceling participant. If cancellation is made prior to June 1, full refund will be made, less $100 plus any non-recoverable expenses. After June 1 there will be a cancellation fee of $250 plus any non-recoverable expenses.

The leader or The Mountaineers reserve the right to cancel the trip or to make changes in the itinerary, and the extra cost, if any, shall be paid by the trip members.  The right is also reserved to decline to accept or retain any person as a trip member should such person’s health, mental condition, physical infirmity or general deportment impede the operation of the trip or the rights or welfare and enjoyment of other trip members, and refund of unused trip services will be the limit of liability of The Mountaineers

More details: Contact Patti Polinsky, MeanySports@mac.com, 206-525-7464.

A travel adventure: Downhill or cross-country skiing in the shadows of Monte Rosa at Champoluc, Italy, and in Andermatt, Switzerland. Visit Milan and Zurich. Fee: $3,495. Not included: airfare of about $880, travel insurance, lift tickets (about $40/day), lunches, dinners in Milan and Zurich, and evening beverages.

Trip details: This Mountaineers adventure will begin with two days of exploration in Milan, founded by the Romans. Centrally located are Leonardo da Vinci's painting, "The Last Supper," and the Duomo Cathedral with 135 spires and over 3,500 statues near our four-star hotel.

After the opportunity to recover from jet lag in Milan, the adventure will continue to Champoluc, Italy, one valley over -- eastward -- from the Matterhorn Valley of Cervinia. This little-known area boasts access to two more valleys to the east. The skiing features long cruising runs. For the off-piste skier, this will seem like heaven -- no people, no lift lines, and endless untracked snow. For all, the small family-run restaurants found along the runs are a delight.

Champoluc is as well known for its cross-country skiing as it is for its downhill skiing. Set tracks connect the two major winter sport areas of this valley, Chanpoluc and Brusson. While in Champoluc an optional day of skiing at Cervinia and Zermatt will be offered.

Our hotel in Champoluc is a family-run hotel that is located within 50 horizontal feet of the lift. Dinner is not a two-hour affair. White-capped chefs serve the antipasto (which can be dinner in itself), the soup and entree, and the desserts from the grand buffet.

After a week in Champoluc, this adventure will travel by private bus to Andermatt, a small town that imparts the true feeling of Switzerland. Andermatt, founded in 1170 by the Celtics, is centrally located. Lucern is only 41 miles to the northeast and is easily accessible by train for a day trip, as is Zermatt and the Matterhorn (via the Glacier Express train). Cross-country ski destinations are accessible by train, so you can ski on groomed tracks as far as you want and take the train home. For downhill skiers, three unique areas are accessible by train.

The Gemsstock cable car in Andermatt takes you to mid-mountain where the facilities are located. There is another cable car that literally puts you on top of the world. From here there are two packed runs but miles and miles of off-piste skiing down the valley and back to town. This run is an incredible experience.

Our family-run hotel, in the center of this small town, is alpine-styled with wood interiors, small paned windows and a huge ski room. Because the city is small and boasts snow from November to May, you can often step out of the hotel door and ski down the main street of town to the cable car.

This travel adventure will depart Andermatt on a private bus to Zurich for the final day in Europe. Sunday morning, March 20, we depart for Seattle. You may extend your trip on your own.

The trip leader is an experienced trip organizer for The Mountaineers. She is the director of the Meany Winter Sports Center and is an active downhill, cross-country and telemark skier, and snowshoer.

This tour will be limited to 16 people, including the leader and assistant. The price (about $3,495) includes hotels (double occupancy), tips, land transportation, club and leader fees and administrative costs. Not included: airfare of about $880, travel insurance, lift tickets (about $40/day), lunches, dinner in Milan and Zurich, and evening beverages.

Cancellations: The refund will be made less a $100 International Outings fee, plus any non-recoverable expenses. This price is based upon an exchange rate of $1.35/Euro.

For further information contact Patti Polinsky, MeanySports@mac.com, 206-525-7464. Application available by e-mail. Deposit: $1,000 with the application. The remainder is due on Nov. 1, 2010.

Three Weeks Hiking in Italy's Dolomites
August 25 to September 15, 2011

The Dolomites of northern Italy, known as the "pale mounts" and renowned for their enrosadira sunsets when the mountains turn spectacular hues of pink, encompass some of the most beautiful hiking areas in the world. Green alpine meadows, stretching between charming village-studded valleys and craggy, awe-inspiring karst mountains provide visual feasts in every direction. Mountain walkers trod an extensive network of well-maintained and interconnecting footpaths, and visit interesting villages and well-placed refugios (high altitude mountain huts).

Our 3-week adventure begins with flights to Munich and land transport to the scenic village of Selva/Wolkenstein in the upper reaches of the Val Gardena, where we are housed in a flower-bedecked hotel. For our weeks in the Val Gardena, in the Pustertal/Val Pusteria, and near the Seiser Alm, we stay in double rooms in 3-4 star hotels, where we are served bountiful buffet breakfasts and delectable multi-course dinners. Our hiking days are spent in areas devoted to protecting and preserving the unique alpine areas of the Sesto Dolomites, the Puez-Odle, and the Schlern/Sciliar, one of the largest upland alpine areas in Europe. Following our week hiking in the upper reaches of the Val Gardena/Grodnertal area, near the huge mountain massifs of the Sella and the Sassolungo/Sassopiatta, we move to the Sesto-Sexten area in the High Pustertal region between the Austrian border and Cortina. Our final 4 nights before returning to Munich find us housed in a village centre under the massive wall of the Schlern/Sciliar on the edge of the alpine meadows of the Seiser Alm/l'Alpe di Suisi.

Most of our time will be spent in the South Tyrol, scene of vicious World War I mountaintop battles which preceded the formerly German-speaking area of the Austro-Hungarian Empire being ceded to Italy as the region of Trentino-Alto Adige. The German language survives as the area's first language to this day, along with the ancient Romansch Ladin language, and Italian.

Trip classification is upper moderate to strenuous. Hiking days are long, usually 7-8 hours, and pace is moderate. Elevation gains can be 3,000 feet or more, although lifts and cable cars are used when practicable to ascend or descend and to spend an abundance of time at altitude. Miles traveled are of no consequence in the Alps - only elevation and travel time from place to place is of concern. Participants must be physically able to handle the requirements of the trip and participation is subject to leader approval. A valid passport is required. Lunches are generally eaten at private or Alpine Club high mountain huts (rifugios) or in simple farmers' alm huts on summer alpine grazing pastures. During our stay, we will visit many popular and famous mountain huts, including Rifugio Locatelli on the Tre Cime de Lavarado/Drei Zinnen circuit, as well as Rifugios Comici, Bolzano, and Firenze/Regensberger, to name a few. We may also have opportunity to walk (using lifts, cable cars, and buses) the famous ski-round of the Sella Ronda - an incredible accomplishment on foot.

Trip dates are as follows: Depart Seattle Thursday, 25 August. We meet and spend the night in Munich on 26 August, spend week of 27 August to 03 September in the Val Gardena area, spend week of 03 September to 10 September in the region of the High Pustertal, spend 10-14 September in Castelrotto/Seiser Alm area, and return to Munich for one additional night on 14 Sepember. Group returns to Seattle on 15 September.

Trip cost is $3,300, covering 3 full weeks with all nightly accommodations in 3-4 star hotels, generous buffet breakfasts and multi-course dinners nightly (except in Munich), all group ground transportation, maps, Mountaineer Foreign Outing and leader fee, administrative and other miscellaneous fees. Not included are lunches, beverages, 2 dinners in Munich, basic travel/evacuation insurance (required), airfare to/from Munich/Seattl (estimated at $900-$1,200), and any diversions from the group itinerary. A deposit of $2,000 is required to reserve a spot after obtaining leader approval. Applications may be obtained by contacting leader as below. Final payment of $1,300 is due on February 15, 2011.

Sign up with the leaders, Shari Hogshead and Paul Gauthier, directly by calling 425-957-4548 or by e-mail on skimntr@aol.com. Shari and Paul have resided a few hours from this area and have traveled extensively in the Dolomites. This is Shari's 30th Mountaineer foreign outing to Europe, including 6 Mountaineer winter ski outings and one summer outing to the same areas of the Dolomiti/Sudtirol.

Nepal: Mt. Everest to Rolwaling Trek
Oct. 11-Nov. 11, 2011

Namche Bazaar and Tengboche Monastery (l to r)

Trip summary: This outing combines the world’s highest mountain, Himalayan culture, an optional peak climb, and a remote valley.

Our trek begins with a mountain flight to one of the world's most amazing airstrips--Lukia. A layover day at the famous Sherpa capital Namche Bazaar will allow us to experience the culture. At Tengboche Monastery, you can hear the Buddhist monks chant prayers and play music. Next we will hike to the Mt. Everest classic view and base camp.

Two high passes take us to Nepal’s largest glacier and the beautiful Gokyo Lakes. Now that we are acclimated, we will trek over a very high pass, and optional climb of Pachermo Peak. Lastly we trek down the wild and little-visited Rolwaling Valley near Tibet.

This is a very strenuous hike because of the altitude, but porters will haul your overnight gear, so you carry only a daypack.

Itinerary: This is a good time of year because there is usually excellent weather for views and photography. Fly from the USA to Kathmandu. Option to raft the Trishuli River (not sponsored by The Mountaineers). Tour three world heritage sites. Fly from Kathmandu to Lukla. Trek from Mt. Everest to Rolwaling (24 days) rated very strenuous, four layover days, highest altitude 18,900 feet: Namche Bazaar, Tengboche monastery, Mt. Everest Base Camp, over Cho La, beautiful Gokyo Lakes, over Renjo La, scramble over 18,900-foot Tashi Labsta, optional glacier climb to Pachermo Peak (20,581 feet), down Rolwaling Valley. To help conserve the environment, the leader will clean the trails. Bus from Rolwaling to Kathmandu. Fly from Kathmandu to the U.S.

Accommodations: Hotels in Kathmandu. On trek, lodges in the Khumbu region and camping tents in the Rolwaling Valley. Double occupancy, with optional single supplement.

Food: Most meals are provided. They are a nutritious variety of Himalayan and Western cuisine. In Kathmandu, some meals are on your own to give you the freedom to explore the delicious cuisines of Asia.

Limit: Maximum 12 Mountaineers.

About the leader: Craig Miller has led 12 different Himalayan treks for The Mountaineers (craigfmiller@comcast.net or 206-285-2399).

Price: The price includes almost everything: roundtrip airfare from Seattle; Nepal visa; airport transfers; Kathmandu hotels; domestic airline flight; buses; trek permit, Trekker Information Management card, Sagarmatha National Park fee, guide and sherpas, porters, food, lodges, tent, peak climbing permit, rescue insurance; Nepal departure tax; The Mountaineers outing fee; and a portion of leader cost. Price excludes your valid passport, medical immunizations, some meals, personal items, and gratuities.

11-12 total people: $5,500

8-10 total people: $6,000

5-7 total people: $6,500

Registration: Please download and complete the application form, and then email it to the leader. After the leader's approval, please telephone The Mountaineers; give them your credit card number and $2,000 deposit by March 1. After your deposit is received, the leader will send you a series of three letters with information to help you prepare for this outing. Your balance is due July 1.

Cancelations: If you cancel because of an emergency, you may receive a refund less expenses incurred and $100 administrative fee.

Back to top