Fear of Heights? Climb Baker    By Colleen Christensen
I have a profound and at times paralyzing fear of heights. (My friends were alternately amused and appalled by my decision to take the Basic Climbing class.) I did know that my fear of climbing in snow was not nearly as strong as my fear of rock climbing, so I signed up to climb the Easton Glacier of Mt. Baker.

The most physically demanding part of the Baker climb was the approach to base camp (6800 feet) - summit day was relatively easy. We had the great good fortune to start our climb to the summit on a clear night with a full moon in early July. The trip over the glacier was extraordinarily beautiful - we could see the moon, the stars, and the lighted strings of rope teams behind us. As the sun rose behind the summit, we could see the shadow of Mt. Baker silhouetted in the mountains behind us. Everything looked so magical that morning that I smiled most of the way to the top. The Roman Wall, which is the steepest portion of the climb before the summit, was not scary because there were nicely cut steps in the snow. I was much more frightened by what we did during Rock I than anything that happened on Mt. Baker. I highly recommend Mt. Baker as a first glacier climb, especially to anyone who is afraid of heights. There is nothing like conquering your fears and earning the view.

Kangaroo Temple and Its Heart-stopping Rappels    By Ken Hahn
Located in the beautiful Washington Pass area, home to many Basic experience climbs, this one was the jewel of my climbing season. Very enjoyable face climbing on an interesting ledge system leads you to a tip-toe friction traverse around an exposed corner. But wait, the best was yet to come. After a short stay at the summit enjoying views of the Early Winter Spires, Liberty Bell and Silver Star Mountain, we did 3 breathtaking rappels (two double rope). Add the anxiety of playing "beat the weather" on a somewhat tricky approach, and a very cohesive group of people, and it was the makings of an exciting day in the mountains I will not soon forget.

As the Basic Course climbing guide states, don't make this climb your first if you've never dealt with moderate exposure. However, if you want to do a Basic climb with sustained 5th class moves, interesting traverses, and several heart stopping rappels, this one's for you. I can't wait to lead it as an intermediate student next year!