Scrambling Courses

Scrambling Courses

A bridge between hiking and technical mountaineering, alpine scrambling leaves most of the technical climbing tools aside while navigating off-trail to a summit. Scrambling takes the adventurous, high, off-the-beaten path to summits in the Cascades and Olympics - sometimes on moderately steep rock and snowfields.

Alpine Scrambling Course

ef43fa32-42dc-4a7e-a225-2d6465c261fc.jpegA course with mutiple workshops and field trips designed to prepare you for conquering summits and traveling safely in the backcountry. Instruction covers proper equipment and clothing, route-finding, avalanche awareness and avoidance, rock and snow travel, ice-ax arrest, glissade techniques and wilderness ethics. The course has a series of lectures and corresponding field trips throughout the spring to prepare students for completing three summits during the summer. Wilderness First Aid and Basic Navigation are co-requisites for completion of the course.

Typically Offered

The course generally opens for registration in mid-fall and begins in February or March. It is offered by Everett, Kitsap, Olympia, Seattle and Tacoma branches.  

Additionally the Seattle branch offers a compressed version of the course typically in April or May which combines the field trips and lectures into a three-day weekend plus an experience field trip in addition to the required summits. Please note since this is a shortened duration there is an expectation of having a higher fitness level initially rather than the regular course listing which is designed to help you build fitness as you go.

Badges you can earn

This badge represents successful completion of our Alpine Scrambling Course which involves travel on and across low or moderately-exposed snow and rock terrain that does not require rope or protection.

 

 


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