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What are Alpine Scrambles?

Alpine Scrambles are off-trail trips, often on snow or rock, with a 'non-technical' summit as a destination.

What is a 'non-technical' summit ?

A non-technical summit is one that is reached without the need for certain types of climbing equipment (body harness, rope, protection hardware, etc), and not involving travel on extremely steep slopes or on glaciers. However, this can mean negotiating lower angle rock, traveling through talus and scree, crossing streams, fighting one's way through dense brush and walking on snow-covered slopes.

Who are Scrambles open to?

Alpine Scrambles are open to Mountaineers members who are Scrambling students or graduates, Basic & Intermediate Climbing graduates, and Scrambling and Basic Climbing equivalents.
For additional Winter Scramble detail & requirements, see Trips Overview, Winter & Advanced Scramble pages.

How does the rating system work?

Trips are classified by type: S=snow, R=rock, O=other.  They are also classified by strenuousness on a 1-5 scale, and on technical difficulty/exposure, also a 1-5 scale.  Hence, a rating of SR 5-3 indicates a trip involving both snow and rock, exceptionally strenuous, and with an average amount of technical difficulty/exposure.

How do you get peak credit for graduation?

Yes - that is the 'Regular Season' timeframe. However other types of trips are offered to complete the year. From late November to early April,  many off trail Trips are scheduled by the Snowshoe Committee. These dates are arbitrary -  conditions vary greatly from year to year. Sometimes snowshoes are required in October and/or through to May depending on the destination - other years snowshoes may not be needed, even in mid-winter !

NOTE -  Begun in December 2004 - all  trips rated as WS (winter scrambles), were scheduled by the Scramble Committee - that will continue. See added info to Trips pages.