Olympia Basic Alpine Climbing
The Basic Alpine Climbing course emphasizes basic climbing and mountaineering skills, including navigation, rope handling, knots, crevasse rescue, and belay and rappel techniques. Throughout the course, students will gain an appreciation for wilderness ethics and conservation.
The instructional portion of Olympia’s Basic Climbing Course is designed to be completed over six months. The course is divided into the following sections: Wilderness Skills, Introduction to Climbing, Rock, Glacier, and Mountaineering Oriented First Aid (MOFA). Students must also complete a conservation or trail maintenance project and complete a navigation course. After finishing the related instructional course work, students must successfully complete the following types of experience climbs: conditioner, alpine, rock and glacier. Equivalencies for one or all of the sections can be granted pursuant to strict guidelines upon application.