***Formerly called Introduction to Water Ice*** Description: Explore the world of vertical ice climbing in this introductory course. One evening in the classroom plus a one-day field trip on serac ice will provide you with a foundation of water ice climbing skills. You will learn about safety considerations specific to ice climbing and how to move efficiently on steep and varied ice. Small class size, 2:1 ratio of participants to leaders, and a top-rope environment means you'll have plenty of time to climb and work with mentors on ice technique. Schedule: •Class Meeting & Gear Check – Tue, Sept 25, 7-9:30 PM at The Mountaineers Program Center, Goodman C •Field Trip – Mt. Baker, Coleman Glacier Seracs. Sun Sept 30 OR Sat Oct 6. Gear: Ropes are provided but personal climbing equipment (harness, helmet, crampons, ice tools, etc.) is not. Purchase, rent, or borrow the required equipment. Make sure your crampons fit securely on stiff boots. We will provide more details about gear prior to the class meeting, and we will be checking your gear that evening. Eligibility: Completion of The Mountaineers Basic Alpine Climbing course or equivalent experience is required. The course is limited to 16 participants (8 per field trip).