Course Description

The Seattle Mountaineers' Intermediate Alpine Climbing Course presents the techniques necessary to lead climb the rock, snow, and ice typically found in the Cascade and Olympic mountains of the Pacific Northwest. In addition to climbing techniques, the course emphasizes leadership, safety, and climbing instruction. Course graduates will have the knowledge and skills to organize and lead basic-level climbs and to participate in intermediate-level alpine, rock, and ice climbs. The Intermediate Climbing Course is also offered by the Everett, Kitsap, Olympia, and Tacoma branches of The Mountaineers.

Prerequisites

Am I ready for the intermediate class?

I'm sure you're asking yourself whether you are ready for the intermediate class and what does it mean to have prior "scrambling and climbing experience"? In order to have a good time at the intermediate class, you will want to have a decent level of experience in hiking, backpacking, scrambling, and basic climbing. Having done 3 basic climbs as part of your basic class is definitely not sufficient to succeed in the intermediate class (or to get you admitted). Here are some guidelines to give you an idea whether you are ready.

Scramble skills:

You need to be very comfortable in your scrambling skills &endash; especially around class 3 and 4 scrambles with exposure. Remember, when you are in the intermediate class, you will be the person who needs to set up hand-lines for students and then be the last scrambling down without that support yourself. You also don't want to be the slowest on the team when crossing boulder fields or descending climbers trails.

Alpine climbing skills:

Our advice is that you have at least a full season of basic climbs behind you (several glacier, rock, alpine climbs). Be sure to have your navigation skills down; you'll be mapping out the routes and be the main navigator on climbs (with the assistance of the leader of course). Remember, in case your leader gets incapacitated, you will be in the lead role. This is a big responsibility and you will want to draw on prior experience of having done a good number of climbs in the past.

Rock climbing skills:

Good rock climbing skills are critical before being able to lead comfortably and safely. The easiest basic rock climbs are alpine 5.4's; intermediate climbs start at alpine 5.5 but many are alpine 5.6 and 5.7+. In order to comfortably lead a 5.5 alpine climb, you need to be able to top-rope at least 2+ levels higher (in this case 5.7 alpine). A 5.7 alpine rock climb compares to a 5.9+ gym climb. So be sure that you can easily top-rope 5.9 to 5.10a in the gym and that you have significant indoor and outdoor rock climbing experience. This can either be by having followed alpine rock climbs or also cragging.

We do recommend the crag class strongly prior to joining the intermediate class. The crag class will teach you leading on rock in detail and will give you solid experience prior to attempting alpine rock climbs. As a crag lead, you may skip the intermediate rock lecture and field trips as an added benefit.

We, the intermediate sub-committee, look at all three components when reviewing your application and expect to see all three of them at the level specified. This is as much for ensuring your enjoyment in the class as well as your and your climbing students' safety. Feel free to contact us if you have questions around this.

Course Content

The course consists of both classroom and field components. Lectures and field trips begin in November 2010 and extend through September of 2011. Course content consists of:

2010 Schedule

Lecture Schedule:

Field Trip Schedule

2011 Class Schedule

Lecture Schedule:

Field Trip Schedule:

How to Register

1. Register for the course at the Mountaineers Activity Database and search for: Intermediate Climbing Course - Seattle
2. Download the application form (2011 Intermediate Application), fill out, and either email to SeattleIntAdmin@MountaineersForums.org (much preferred) or mail to:

   The Mountaineers
   Attn: 2011 Seattle Int. Climbing Course
   7700 Sand Point Way NE
   Seattle, WA 98115

Note that registering on-line and submitting an application form does not guarantee that you have been accepted into the course. After your application has been received, it will be reviewed by the Intermediate Administration Subcommittee; you will receive a reply letting you know whether or not your application has been approved. If there are more students submitting applications than there are available spaces in the course, we will review applications and select the candidates most likely to succeed in the course. If we are not able to admit you into the course, you will receive a full refund of the application fee.

Level 1 Avalanche Skills:

Students are required to complete a Level 1 Avalanche Course certified by the American Institute for Avalanche Research and Education (AIARE) in order to graduate the intermediate climbing course. This requirement is waived for intermediate students who have completed an AIARE-certified Level 1 Avalanche Course within five years of beginning the intermediate program.

The Seattle Mountaineers will offer an AIARE-certified Level 1 Avalanche course which includes 24 hours of instruction (3 lectures and a field trip) this upcoming winter 2010/2011. Please sign up for the Level 1 Avalanche course separately; the course fee of the Level 1 Avalanche course is not included in the intermediate class fee. To satisfy this requirement, you may take this course from any other provider in the community that offers an AIARE-certified Level 1 avalanche curriculum.

Intermediate students from 2009 and prior years who have completed the Winter Mountaineering Field Trip are "grandfathered" into this requirement and do not need to take any additional avalanche training to graduate the intermediate course. Intermediate students from 2009 and prior years who have NOT yet completed the Winter Mountaineering Field Trip are required to take an AIARE-certified Level 1 Avalanche course in lieu of the Winter Mountaineering Field Trip requirement in order to graduate. Since this requirement did not exist prior to 2010, students from 2009 or prior years will not be charged a course fee to take the AIARE-certified Level 1 Avalanche course to be offered by the Seattle Mountaineers in February 2010. They may also take an AIARE-certified Level 1 Avalanche course (at their own cost) from any other provider in the community to meet the requirement. If you are an intermediate student from 2009 or a prior year who has not yet taken the Winter Mountaineering Field Trip and you wish to take the February 2010 AIARE-certified Level 1 avalanche course through the Seattle Mountaineers at no charge, please contact SeattleIntAdmin@MountaineersForums.org stating the year you started the intermediate class and you will be pre-enrolled in the next Level 1 Avalanche course.

2011 Avalanche Level 1 Class Schedule:

Continuing Students

This activity is only for intermediate students who started the course in 2006 or earlier. There is no limit on the number of years a student may take to complete the course; however, an annual continuation fee is required to remain enrolled. In order to add another year to your intermediate course, please contact the Intermediate Administration Subcommittee at SeattleIntAdmin@mountaineersforums.org and sign up online for the extension.

Questions, Comments and Suggestions

Please contact the Intermediate Administration Subcommittee:

SeattleIntAdmin@mountaineersforums.org