Courses & Activities

Get to know this week's member spotlight! Read more…

“Almost 60 years after the first successful American ascent of Mount Everest, a team of U.S. climbers aims to make history once again on the world’s highest peak. Led by Phil Henderson, a former instructor at the National Outdoor Leadership School and a veteran  mountaineer, this group, made up of athletes from across the country, aspires to be the first all-Black American expedition to reach the summit.” wrote James Edward Mills, Mountaineers Books Author and freelance journalist, in an article for Outside Business Journal announcing the project in late August 2021. Read more…

No one ever thinks they’re going to get old. As Kenny Chesney reminds us - “don’t blink, because life goes by faster than you think.” And fast it goes. Read more…

Steve Swenson and Scott Johnston, both 67, have a combined 103 years of climbing between them. Steve is still making first ascents in the Karakoram, and Scott is an active climber and co-founder of Uphill Athlete, a service that offers educational resources, training plans, and coaching to amateur and professional mountain sports athletes. Read more…

Have you ever wanted to explore the world with a group of active, capable outdoorspeople? Or are you a trip-planning master hoping to share your skills and knowledge with a group of excited participants? Join us for our upcoming Global Adventures Info Session on November 1 to learn all about our program!  Read more…

Jason Hardrath is an Oregon schoolteacher and an enthusiastic Fastest Known Time (FKT) participant. His passion for fitness began in middle school, where he set the audacious goal of achieving a sub-6 minute mile, and carried him into his mid-twenties as a runner, triathlete, and climber. Then a horrific car accident changed his life in an instant. He fought for years to recover, using the mountains as a place for motivation and healing. Read more…

The last brilliant fuchsia tones faded away from the slopes of Cerro Tronador as we looked across the deep chasm of the Rio Alerce. We were perched on the porch of the Otto Meiling Hut, and the 3,470m mountain (translated to “The Thunderer”) was the seventh stop on our nine-day trek. Read more…

The car is locked, and the keys are inside. Having already endured a 3am start, many miles of skinning in tough conditions, and a sporty ski and hike back to the car, the disappointment at not reaching Shukan’s summit is now dwarfed by the locked car doors. Facing the prospect of hiking another 10+ miles out in ski boots, we get creative. Read more…

When our volunteers designed our donor-funded Seattle Program Center (SPC), which opened in 2009, the goal was to create a top-notch instructional center to teach outdoor skills. As we've grown, we continue to add new features and spaces for experiential learning. In total, the Seattle Program Center has nearly 400 bolts around the building, and we've been able to decrease our trips into the mountains by 40%, decreasing our carbon footprint on our wild places. Read more…

You’re six weeks out from your big multi-day summer adventure. You want to be in peak condition before you go, and you have an opportunity to simulate your outing once or twice to check your preparedness and adjust your training program. Read more…

If you’ve ever visited the Sunrise Lodge at Mount Rainier, you have likely stared directly at one of Mt. Rainier's proudest features: Steamboat Prow. This 2,950m tall, glaciated, andesite protrusion splits the Emmons and Winthrop glaciers like the prow of an icebreaker. Fifty vertical meters below sleeps Camp Schurman, which serves as the northeast high camp on the mountain and the launch point for hopeful summiteers on the Emmons glacier route. Read more…

You’ve been day hiking and are ready to have your first overnight in the wilderness, but you’re not sure where to start. Below are a few steps to take before you go to maximize your chances of having a fun, successful trip:   Read more…

For our third installment of the Oregon Winter Adventure series, we take a look at Cape Perpetua and the geological marvels that it holds. Learn about this gorgeous spot along the Oregon Coast, and how to maximize your visit if you choose to head south for some seaside adventures.  Read more…

Do you hike, climb, bike, hunt, picnic, or otherwise spend time outdoors in Washington? We need your help! Our partners are working to help the US Forest Service improve their data collection related to visitor use in Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest. Information about outdoor recreation is critical for maintaining and advocating for recreational opportunities on public lands. Read more…

I’ve been hiking and backpacking for more than 40 years now. Along the way I’ve learned a few things from research, the guidance of others, the trials of my own errors, and random luck. It’s not only helped make me a successful guidebook author, but a confident hiker, backpacker, and trail runner. Below are a few of my hard-earned, trail-tested tips on how to have a pretty darn good hiking adventure. Read more…

It's officially summer in Washington and we're so lucky to live in a state full of a never-ending bucket list of things to do. We put together this list of just a few ways to explore the area and get the most out of your summer!  Read more…

We make our way across a questionable snow bridge perched precariously near a waterfall of melting snowpack. Our team of three snow scrambling students and two course leaders move slowly, taking turns crossing the snow bridge one at a time. When the last person steps off the bridge, we share a collective sigh of relief that our group decision was a safe one. I’m grateful to have my helmet on and ice axe in hand. Read more…

As we neared the ridge crest, the wind blasted snow pellets into my face like hot shrapnel. Just ahead of me, Bob’s blue pack cover snapped once, hard, then blew off his pack and into the white. Read more…

Last Sunday, search and rescue teams responded to an emergency call from a popular early-season climb in the Olympic mountains. Two climbers slipped on a steep snowy slope while climbing The Brothers. One fell “into an opening in the snow and over a rock face with running melt water,” and sadly did not survive. This tragic accident has brought an annually recurring hazard back into the thoughts of everyone within the outdoor community: the danger posed by snow bridges.  Read more…

As Mountaineers, we are committed to learning from our experiences. We examine every incident that happens on a Mountaineers trip for opportunities to improve the ways we explore and teach. Our volunteer safety committee reviews every incident report and picks a few each month to share as examples of ‘Lessons Learned’. The trip report below describes what happened on this trip, in the leader’s own words, and outlines the lessons the leader has identified. In some cases, we offer additional key learnings from the incident. Read more…

From Chapter 2: Clothing and Equipment of Mountaineering: The Freedom of the Hills, 9th Edition. Read more…

As we continue to reopen and restart our programs, we’re excited to welcome back our Seattle Mountain Workshop partners after nearly a year of hiatus - and we need your help! Read more…

As Mountaineers, we are committed to learning from our experiences. We examine every incident that happens on a Mountaineers trip for opportunities to improve the ways we explore and teach. Our volunteer safety committee reviews every incident report and picks a few each month to share as examples of ‘Lessons Learned’. The trip report below describes what happened on this trip, in the leader’s own words, and outlines the lessons the leader has identified. In some cases, we offer additional key learnings from the incident. Read more…

What I find fascinating about the Oregon Coast is that geological events helped shape what we see today. The Colombia River Basalt Group is a series of flood basalts similar to what is found in Hawaii, where large amounts of basalt erupt and cover an extensive area. Read more…

Family vacations, unique experiences, adventures near and far - good things are coming in 2021!

The sun is shining again in the Pacific Northwest and our community is itching to travel beyond their backyards. There is hope on the horizon for new experiences and adventure travel! And there is no better way to kickstart your plans than through The Mountaineers Annual Gala: Adventure with Purpose. With over 50 auction packages, including adventurous getaways, beautiful artwork, and awesome outdoor gear, you can feel great knowing that your next vacation or new swag benefits a cause you care about! Read more…

It was 4am in the Yarigatake Hut, nestled high in the snowy mountains of Japan. All who had persevered through the previous day's steep trek up to the hut  (elevation 9,908ft) started stirring in the large open sleeping quarters, struggling to fold the futon beds by our feet as silently as possible. The numbering system posted above the sleeping positions were very close together - one wonders during the crowded season how anyone can sleep without disturbing their neighbors!   Read more…

Everybody poops... but not everyone knows how to poop in the wilderness in an environmentally friendly way. The Mountaineers are addressing this challenge with a new course launching April 1, 2021, just in time for summer: Wilderness Pooping.   Read more…

Ready to get out and explore all those amazing places you’ve seen photos of, but not sure how to get started? Join us for our virtual Introduction to Hiking seminar, which will provide you with the basic knowledge necessary to enjoy outdoor adventures in the Pacific Northwest and return home safely. Read more…

While traveling solo to remote and wild places, I had been in some dicey situations. The risks were real, but I knew of no one else interested in exploring the nether regions of wilderness, nor the Himalayan front range from east to west, nor the ancient trade routes that connect Tibet to India through massive ranges, passes that cut deep, from north to south where borders often go unmarked – and so I had gone alone. Read more…

The last patch of shade disappears in a wavering blue line, distorted by the heat. I sit on the scorching sand in exasperation. We are still five miles from the car, and I feel like garbage. I’m dizzy, a bit nauseous, and have a headache. After a year of hiking in the Northwest, I’ve forgotten about the unrelenting desert sun and my 2.5 liters of water was not nearly enough... I am dehydrated, and badly. Read more…