Intermediate Snowshoeing Course

The Intermediate Snowshoeing Course is designed for adventurers who want to gain the skills and experience to handle more challenging snowshoe routes and terrain. Intermediate and Strenuous trips are, in many cases, non-technical mountain-climbing routes with mountain peaks for destinations. The course will cover material needed to survive in backcountry terrain, including introductory avalanche awareness and response, incident response, emergency shelters, self-belay and self-arrest skills. This course is open to graduates of Basic Snowshoeing and also to graduates from Alpine Scrambling or Basic Climbing.

Financial Assistance

The Mountaineers strives to serve everyone, regardless of ability to pay. We are committed to providing access to outdoor recreation, education and conservation opportunities for all members and youth in the communities we serve. If you would like to take this course and are experiencing financial hardship or limitations, please apply for financial assistance. Here is more information about the Mountaineers Financial Assistance Program.

What to Expect in the Course

This course includes the lecture on 1/22 and two field trips on 2/1 and 2/8. Please note that you must attend the lecture before you can participate in the field trips.

Current students and graduates of Intermediate Snowshoeing will be eligible to participate in Intermediate and Strenuous snowshoe trips after successful completion of the field trips.

You must be fit for the more physically demanding courses like Snowshoeing, Alpine Scrambling or Basic Climbing. Try hiking up Mt. Si (8 miles round-trip; 3,550 ft. elevation gain) and see how you do. If you can get to the top of Mt. Si (to the view points in the haystack basin) in 2½ hours or less (barring icy conditions), you are probably in adequate condition for this course.

An ice axe is required for this course. Guidelines on how to choose a general ice axe (not for technical ice climbing) will be provided to you at the lecture, or students can go to a local outdoor retailer and request sizing assistance.

Students have three years to complete their requirements for graduation, which are:

• Attendance at the lecture and satisfactory performance at both field trips
• Wilderness Navigation 
• Stewardship 
• Successful completion of 3 snowshoe trips, at least two of which must be Intermediate or Strenuous. 

 Although not required, please consider taking some of the Avalanche Safety courses: Avalanche Awareness (free), AIARE Avalanche Rescue or AIARE 1. 

For additional questions, please email Seattle Snowshoe Courses Subcomittee.