Basic Alpine Climbing Course

This course is currently underway. Cancellations received after Jan. 14 will not be eligible for a refund.

Interested candidates should consider taking the course at another branch. The Seattle branch also offers excellent Alpine Scrambling and Glacier Travel courses.

DO NOT REGISTER FOR THE COURSE UNLESS YOU HAVE explicit permission TO DO SO. 

We ask that applicants to the 2016 Seattle Basic Alpine Course take a brief Application Survey. The survey takes approximately five minutes. Most applicants will be notified within a few days whether their application has been approved. In a few instances we might have follow up questions. It is important that you do not register for the course before you have explicit permission to do so.  Applicants who register without permission will be removed from the roster and will have to wait till all other applications have been processed, which means you are likely to end up on the waitlist. 

Discount for Glacier course Graduates

We offer a discount to graduates of the Seattle Mountaineers Glacier Course. Email basic.climbing@gmail.com to receive a discount code before you register.  

Course Description

The Basic Alpine Climbing Course is a year-long program preparing students to be solid and competent climbers reaching rock and glacier summits of the Pacific Northwest. The course format is a combination of class lectures, in-town field trips, small group instruction at local crags and alpine climbs in the mountains during the summer. The course includes 5 lectures and 7 field trips plus readings.

After the "in-town" training, students start going on climbs, always with carefully selected, experienced leaders. We expect students be able to hike Mount Si or equivalent (3300 feet of elevation gain) in two hours or less from the trailhead to the base of the haystack carrying 15% of their own body weight by the end of March 2016. This is the minimum fitness requirement to ensure students are physically able to participate in climbs. 

Skills taught in the course include belaying, rappelling, rope handling, 5th class rock climbing, snow climbing, glacier travel, back-country camping including on snow, guidance on gear purchases and conditioning, and more - lots more.

NOTE: FIELD TRIPS AND COURSE MATERIALS ARE STILL BEING ADDED.

The course is a significant time commitment and also requires the purchase of several hundred dollars of clothing and equipment, especially for those who do not already have hiking or backpacking gear. Even those who have some equipment already can expect to spend at least $500 on gear, and the course fee is $550.

Not all things need to be purchased right away, however, and some things can be rented from local mountain shops or borrowed from friends. But be aware our course requires an investment of both time and money. Some things to keep in mind: This is not rock climbing at the crags, it's summit-oriented alpine climbing in the mountains on rock, snow and glaciers. There are no refunds beyond the first class meeting in January.

Alpine climbing with The Mountaineers is an awesome opportunity to confidently and competently visit places where few can go; to experience levels of instant trust, bonding, and community not commonly experienced in everyday life, all while pushing your physical limits and achieving personal goals. Welcome to your new adventures. We look forward to sharing them with you.

Frequently Asked Questions

NOTe: Field Trip registration generally begins "2 mondays" before the first Field trip session.