News & Events

SheJumps and The Mountaineers are pleased to present Wild Skills Day again this year - a free day camp for young girls (age 6-12) to learn the skills they need for outdoor adventuring. You can read more about this exceptional experience from Wild Skills Director Christy Pelland. We still have a few spots left to join us in Tacoma on June 8, 2019. Read more…

When  Mountaineering Club debuted earlier this year, rumor had it that The Mountaineers had opened a new bar on the roof of Seattle's Graduate Hotel! While the rumor isn't true, we're still excited to share that we'll be partnering with Mountaineering Club throughout the year on a handful of parties and projects. Up first - a summer kick-off to celebrate the new season of warm-weather activities! Mark your calendars for June 12! Read more…

On May 22, 2019, we hosted an "Electric Celebration" at the Seattle Program Center to commemorate the official launch of solar power and say thank you to  the donors, super volunteers, and key leaders in our community. As part of the event, guests could take tours of our roof to observe the solar panels firsthand, and heard from Charlie Michel, who along with his wife Carol made the solar panels possible, and Greg Hill, the "Electric Adventurer".  Read more…

Yosemite, September 1998. Marie, Andrew, and I are standing at a trail junction in northern Yosemite National Park, unable to decide which trail to take. We've had a spectacular week of high country, off-trail rambling in beautiful, high basins. Now we're making our way back to Tuolumne Meadows on-trail. The plan was to go left at this junction and do two more days of hiking through a valley none of us have visited. Now that we're at the junction, we realize we have the option to go right and make it back to the car this evening. Tempting. Read more…

The Mountaineers and Adidas Terrex are pleased to present climbing phenom Molly Mitchell on May 14 at the Seattle Program Center. An accomplished 5.13+ trad climber and youth coach to aspiring climbers, Molly values fighting hard, trusting the process, and measuring success - even in the smallest of increments. Come learn how she celebrates success while being vulnerable and battling an anxiety disorder. Read more…

Join us for The Era of Megafires with Dr. Paul Hessberg, a research landscape ecologist with Pacific Northwest (PNW) Research Station. In this multi-media presentation, Hessburg explains how over the past decade the number of large, severe wildfires has been on the rise. These megafires burn more than 100,000 acres at a time; they can destroy communities, wildlife habitat, and natural resources. This special presentation conveys the conditions that lead to megafires and how they might be managed or mitigated. Read more…

Our Mountaineers naturalist committees offer opportunities to learn about the plants, animals, marine life, and geology of the Pacific Northwest. To help you get involved, the Olympia Naturalist Committee is offering new activities in May and June to help you learn more about the birds of our region. Read more…

Happy Earth Day, Mountaineers! We are proud to be one of Washington’s leading voices for protecting the outdoor experience in the Pacific Northwest and beyond. To achieve our goals, we partner with a number of environmental and outdoor industry groups and coalitions, and work closely with land managers and lawmakers to fight for public lands. Our strength comes from our members, who are inspired by the wild places they explore everyday. Join us in our stewardship efforts by volunteering at one of our many upcoming  opportunities with partners this spring. Read more…

Outdoor experiences with The Mountaineers are transformative. We are explorers who seek adventure and challenge. We teach skills and inspire new generations of adventurers, building community and creating lifelong memories. New leaders are forged on windswept ridges and in deep, forested valleys. We come home with a passion to share and a resolution to protect wild places - the places we love. Our outdoor experiences are imbued with commitment and conviction. In short: we adventure with purpose.  Read more…

I led Mountaineers groups to trek through Peru's Cordillera Blanca in 2014 and Cordillera Huayhuash in 2016. After experiencing some of the most famous trekking adventures around the world, these remain two of my very favorites. I invite you to join me on a photo journey from these two adventures at our next Walking the Wild presentation on April 24 at the Seattle Mountaineers Program Center.  Read more…

Each year we celebrate and support our Mountaineers community at the annual fundraising gala. And, each year the auctions are packed full of spectacular packages.  Here's your sneak peak into what our live auction has in store for you. Get ready to bid on exciting packages full of world-class adventure destinations, once-in-a-lifetime opportunities, and the best gear in the business! Read more…

We're shocked and saddened to share the news that Tab Wilkins, former Board President, Peak Society member, activity leader, and 19-year member, has passed away. He was skiing in the Blackcomb backcountry when he fell. Even though he was wearing proper safety equipment, he did not survive. He was 59 years old. Read more…

Jim Whittaker, a living legend among mountaineers worldwide, is a father, husband, environmentalist, and author. He is recognized as one the most influential climbers in American history, and is a visionary business and community leader in Seattle and the Pacific Northwest. We're proud to count 'Big Jim' as a Mountaineers member, and invite you to join us in wishing him, and his twin brother Lou, a very happy 90th birthday today!   Read more…

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 - embark on an expedition to the mountain to celebrate the special bond that connects them all. Featuring unreleased instrumentals by Eddie Vedder and never before seen footage and photos of Robert Kennedy, the feature-length documentary sits at the intersection of politics, human rights, environmentalism, and adventure. Read more…

Climbing mountains requires a lot of energy, risk management, and the ability to lean into difficult situations. In this new speaker series, sponsored by the Seattle Climbing Committee, hear from four local outdoor experts in a series of seminars on nutrition, high altitude travel, mountain weather, and dealing with head trauma. Read more…

Calling all “go big or go home” winter enthusiasts! Get ready to get goosebumps while you “Ooh!” and “Ahh!” at the impact and importance of our winter wildlands through this collection of short films. The fourteenth annual Winter Wildlands Alliance Backcountry Film Festival will screen in  Bellevue on January 10 and in Seattle at The Mountaineers Seattle Program Center on January 21.  Read more…

In 1955, at the age of 67, Emma Gatewood told her 11 children (who were by then adults) that she was going for a walk. They did not ask where or for how long. She wore Keds and carried an army blanket, a raincoat, and a plastic shower curtain in a homemade denim bag slung over one shoulder. She returned home as the first woman to solo thru-hike the 2,050-mile Appalachian Trail. Read more…

In this one-of-a-kind evening workshop, acclaimed writer and mountain guide Charlotte Austin shares some of the secrets that she swears by to turn the creative sparks from her experiences into stunning narratives that are published across a wide range of journals. Read more…

We gathered 146 Olympia Mountaineers and guests at Saint Martin's Pavilion for the Olympia Mountaineers Annual Awards Banquet, held on Oct 27. We celebrated a year of hard work, connected with new friends, shared a delicious meal, and remembered friends we lost this year. Read more…

We're devastated to share the news of the passing of Corey McCarty, a beloved Mountaineer - a 19-year member, Super Volunteer, and valued member of our Seattle Climbing community. He was killed in a work-related accident on Friday, December 14, 2018.  Read more…

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…

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…

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…

For five years, The Mountaineers has been proud to present our BeWild Speaker Series, putting passion and adventure on the stage! Come to these talks to unlock inspiration to seek adventure, connect with nature, and work to protect the wild places we cherish. This year we welcome an arctic explorer, Caribou photographer, record-setting thru hiker, and barrier-breaking rock climber. Read more…

Please join us for an evening of fun, camaraderie, and festivities as we celebrate the accomplishments and contributions of our fellow Tacoma Mountaineers! This year’s Tacoma Branch Awards Banquet will be held on Friday, Dec 7, at the Tacoma Mountaineers Program Center. We’ll be honoring some of our most dedicated volunteers, awarding Peak Pins, and enjoying a special presentation by Tacoma Mountaineer Tom Shimko on his epic mountain bike ride of The Great Divide. Read more…

The world-renowned Banff Centre's Banff Mountain Film Festival celebrates its 42nd year, continuing to bring the best action, environment, and adventure films to audiences in Banff and no less than 40 countries across the globe. Read more…

It's autumn in the Pacific Northwest yet sunshine still warms a constellation of colorful tents. Black, brown, Asian, and indigenous folks sit around a bonfire by a grassy meadow along the banks of the Snoqualmie River. Some have traveled across the region and some across the country by car, bicycle and plane. Read more…

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…

It's hard to believe that it is only one year since we were in the Himalayas, chasing what at times seemed a near-impossible dream. In the Khumbu Region of Nepal we slowly made our way through the deep valleys with tall peaks towering all around us, and the tallest mountain on earth looming in the background. The most majestic peak of them all, however, was our objective –Ama Dablam. Peering up at this 22,349 feet tall peak with its near vertical summit sent chills down our bones and instilled us with doubt. What on earth had we gotten ourselves in to? Read more…

The Seattle Mountaineers Photography Committee is launching a new photo presentation series to celebrate the extraordinary photography adventures our Mountaineers members (and others in the Seattle area) have experienced around the world. We will be hosting these presentations to share photos, videos, and storytelling from the photographers among us. Read more…