Courses & Activities

Courses & Activities

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Announcing 'Jim Whittaker Day' + "Return to Mount Kennedy" Film Premier - Feb 19, 2019

In 1965 Jim Whittaker led Senator Robert Kennedy to the first ascent of a remote mountain in the Yukon named after the late president JFK. Fifty years later, the sons of the original climbing team—a raucous band manager, a candidate for governor, and a young mountaineer—embarked on an expedition to the mountain to celebrate the special bond that connects them all. This expedition is captured in the film Return to Mount Kennedy, and was screened in front of packed house in Seattle on December 9, 2018, and will be featured again on February 19, 2019, at our Seattle Program Center. Read more…

Photography Committee 2019 Calendar

Our Photography Committee is back for another round of  exciting ways for new photographers to get their feet wet, and wise hands to build on their existing skill set. With a wealth of options for activities, classes, and events, we have something here for everyone.  Read more…

Q&A with Jeremy Collins

Artist Jeremy Collins roams the globe with sketchbooks in hand, dumping his soul into their pages. In the folds of those pages  his particular worldview was born—from authentic travel and adventures as an exploratory rock climber to award-winning filmmaker and author. Read more…

Flying to Denver? Check out these wild Dave Showalter photos!

Braided River, the conservation imprint of Mountaineers Books, is proud to present a brand new photography exhibit "Colorado: Sage Spirit and Roaring Rivers" in Concourse A of Denver's International Airport. An award-winning photographer, Dave Showalter has captured the spirit of Colorado wildlife and paired them with stories of Westerners working to preserve the land they love. Read more…

Retro Rewind | Mary Anderson, Decades of Inspiration

Born Mary Gaiser on December 7, 1909, in Yakima Valley, Mary loved Washington and the natural world from a young age. She moved to Seattle and taught grade school until the mid-1930s, all the while sharing her love for wild places with her students. She was especially passionate about biology and natural history. Read more…

How to Safely Go Bear Spotting in Washington

We are fortunate to have large National Parks and Wilderness areas in Washington State, and with them come an incredible array of wildlife. Among the more mysterious and hard-to-spot creatures are the bears populating our forests and rivers. I've had the opportunity to see over 50 bears in Washington over the last 15 years, and another dozen or so outside the state. I’ve written down every memorable encounter and have learned a few things about where to find them, how to spot them, and what to do (and not do).  Read more…

Three of the Best Hikes on Whidbey Island

The following is excerpted from Urban Trails: Everett by Craig Romano, and features three great hikes on Whidbey Island: Ebey's Landing National Historic Reserve, Trillium Community Forest, and Dugualla State Park. Edited for space and clarity. Read more…

Remembering Mountaineer Steve Biem

With great sadness we share the news of the passing of Steve Biem, a cherished member of our Seattle Branch climbing community and beloved father. He succumbed to high-altitude pulmonary edema (HAPE) at Camp II on Ama Dablam this morning, after summiting with a team yesterday afternoon. Read more…

Did You Know? Tumwater Falls Park

Tumwater Falls is a small historical park set in the midst of two bustling city centers. The falls, as it is locally known, is a great in-town walk anytime of the year. This means that even in the worst weather, you can still enjoy the falls and the park. Read more…

How To: Get Ready for Winter

Though we’ve been teased with temperate days this October and November, autumn is rapidly coming to a close - and with it comes biting wind and cherry red cheeks. Bring your a-game this season by being fully prepared to handle the cold and any unexpected surprises father winter may throw your way. From winter trail running to cross-country skiing, we have you covered. Read more…

Traversing Blowdowns in the Pasayten Wilderness

My husband Bri and I love backcountry adventures, particularly to remote places without crowds and high routes without trail. We’ve explored much of the Cascades, but when we eyed a trip into the Pasayten Wilderness we felt that the driving distance and spectacular scenery warranted a longer expedition than usual. We decided to go before Slate Pass Road opened, when the high peaks in the area still had snow blanketing their scree slopes and the travelers on horseback had not yet arrived.   Read more…

Leader Spotlight: Tab Wilkins

For our Leader Spotlight this month we talked to Tab Wilkins, a volunteer leader with the Foothills Branch who encourages our leaders to be more collaborative, to learn from and recognize near-misses, and to embrace opportunities for feedback. Read more…

Keep Calm and Learn to Climb: How Mountain Workshops Improves Life Skills

“You should have seen my classroom before we started with The Mountaineers,” says Robin Gannett, a teacher at Aki Kurose Middle School. “It’s a completely different classroom now.” Read more…

Tips and Tricks for the Vegan Backpacker

So you're vegan - no meat, no fish, no dairy. Whether you do it for your health, the environment, or animals rights reasons, it's not always convenient to have a plant-based diet. This is especially true in the world of backpacking, where beef jerky is its own food group. But I have good news- it's entirely possible to eat vegan and eat well in the backcountry. All it takes is a little extra planning and a lot of legumes.  Consider these tips the next time you hit the trail: Read more…

Introducing a New Affinity Group: Mountain-Queers

The first outing of the Mountain-Queers took place in September – a scramble trip to Three Way Peak, led by Louise Suhr. The group is looking forward to scheduling more trips and events soon, and wants to hear from folks who are interested in getting involved! Read more…

Outside Insight | A Life of Adventure Education: An interview with Ken Wylie

A massive avalanche buried thirteen climbers below La Traviata peak near Revelstoke, British Columbia in 2003, killing seven in its wake. It made international headlines. Ken Wylie was among those buried; he escaped with guilt weighing heavily on his conscience, as he was one of the mountain guides responsible for decision-making on that trip. Ken wrote a popular book titled, Buried, about his experience surviving that avalanche, and the soul-searching life lessons which ensued. I have been learning from Ken for almost twenty years - starting at Outward Bound, then at the Wilderness Risk Management Conference, and most recently as a speaker at our Mountaineers Leadership Conference in 2017, where he gave a profoundly moving presentation about leadership, loss, and the healing that comes from courageous vulnerability. I sat down with him to learn more from his experience. Read more…

Walking to the End of the World

The following is excerpted from Walking to the End of the World:  A Thousand Miles on the Camino De Santiago, Beth Jusino.

I climbed the narrow stairs to the upper level of the train, my backpack strapped over my shoulders, a bag of sandwiches clutched in my hand, and my husband a few steps behind me. The car was empty as I settled into a forward-facing seat, feeling smug. Everything was going exactly as planned. Read more…

The Dawn Wall - December 18

Join us on December 18, in partnership with Washington Climbers Coalition, to see The Dawn Wall, a film capturing the captivating free climb of Yosemite's Dawn Wall. Read more…

Global Adventures | We Aren’t in Kansas Anymore: Trekking in Tasmania

Perhaps it was the splash of the shy platypus as it swam away after a close encounter with us on the trail, or the snarl of Tasmanian devils feeding on carcasses and biting each other at a sanctuary near the start of our trek. Or maybe it was the zzzzzzzzip of a big, black currawong bird unzipping a backpack and helping itself to the snacks in our backpacks, or the THUMP of the Bennett’s wallaby jumping away with a joey in her pouch as we watched from our hut. One thing was certain: we weren’t in Kansas anymore. Read more…

Low-Trash Backpacking

Backpacking provides isolation, time away from the stresses of work and home, and a window into the natural world. However, there is one element of backpacking that’s incongruent with its value set: trash. Read more…

How To: Extended Rappel

The Mountaineers recommends using a dedicated extension when rappelling in an alpine setting. This method provides maximum flexibility and efficiency, allows you to move freely near the anchor while being clipped in, and maintains the extension within arms reach while on rappel. Read more…

Staff Picks: Favorite Books for Fall/Winter 2018/2019

We asked our staff for their recommendations from this season's new books. It was hard to play favorites, but here's what we're really excited about!  Read more…

Foothills Volunteer Spotlight: Gabrielle Orsi

Meet Foothills Trail Running Committee co-chair Gabrielle Orsi. A San Diego native who relocated to Washington State from Colorado in 2013, she leads trail running, hiking, backpacking, and snowshoeing trips for the club in addition to her committee work. Read more…

Women on Top: Ups and Downs in the Himalaya

“You have to love the process.”

I repeat these words of climber Ueli Steck in my head over and over as I fight back tears and listen to the thump of helicopter blades getting closer. I have been on this journey for almost four weeks now with the ultimate goal of standing on the summit of Ama Dablam, a 22,349-foot tall peak in the Khumbu region of Nepal. Now I get to watch her spectacular summit and jawdropping ridgelines disappear behind me as I am whisked away to Kathmandu for x-rays and hospital visits. Read more…

Backpacking Blunder: Headlamp-less in the Alpine Lakes Wilderness

When my fiancé Chelsea and I moved to Seattle, we were thrilled to enjoy the amazing hiking and backpacking opportunities the Pacific Northwest has to offer. We decided to explore the Alpine Lakes Wilderness, having purchased the map shortly after moving. Our plan was to start near Stevens Pass, ascend along Surprise Creek, then join up with the Pacific Crest Trail to Deception Pass. We would then head up to either Marmot or Jade Lakes to camp. Read more…

Introducing Mini Mountaineers: Getting the Next Generation Outdoors

After every youth program, we see young Mountaineers leaving standing taller and waving goodbye to new friends. Outdoor experiences create a supportive environment for self discovery where kids are encouraged to challenge themselves and grow. Youth adventures are thrilling, complex, and social - they’re transformational, and necessary, and that’s why we’re expanding our youth serving programs with a new family-oriented program: Mini Mountaineers!  Read more…

Top Five Fall Hikes in Portland

The leaves are changing, the temps are dropping, and the days are getting shorter. It’s time to get outside before we enter the long dark of another Northwest winter. Grab your boots, a jacket and your favorite warm, pumpkin-spiced beverage and go. Here are five great fall walks around Portland. Read more…

Seattle Intermediate Alpine Climbing Course Accepting Applications through Oct 31

The Intermediate Climbing Program is where I grew from a backcountry hiker to an alpine climber. It's where I met an incredible group of friends, mentors, and folks who inspire me to visit new places and to volunteer regularly with new programs. And now it's where I spend a lot of time volunteering to help others discover the power of the outdoor experience. Read more…

Trail Talk | Morning on Mount Bonaparte

Eastern Washington’s third highest summit, 7,257-foot Mount Bonaparte rises all alone in the Okanogan Highlands. Bonaparte is a monadnock (also known as an inselberg) — a geological term taken from Mount Monadnock, a popular southern New Hampshire mountain memorialized by 19th century writers Ralph Waldo Emerson and Henry David Thoreau. The word monadnock is of Abenaki origin translating to isolated mountain. Monadnocks are lone isolated mountains standing above their surroundings. They have fared better than their environs in surviving the agents of erosion. Broad lofty Mount Bonaparte indeed stands alone, and with a 3,500-foot prominence, is distinguishable from quite a distance away. Read more…

Ten Commandments for Staying Alive in Avalanche Terrain

The trick to staying alive in avalanche terrain is to stay away from dangerous conditions. Here are Bruce Tremper's "10 Commandments of Low-Risk Travel". The following is excerpted from the new  Staying Alive in Avalanche Terrain, 3rd Edition and has been edited for space. Read more…