Wilderness Risk Management Conference

The core objective of the annual three day Wilderness Risk Management Conference is to offer an outstanding educational experience to help mitigate the risks inherent in exploring, working, teaching, and recreating in wild places. Brent Williams was one of two Mountaineers members awarded a scholarship to attend the 24th annual WRMC conference in Portland, Maine. Read more…

In July of last year, The Mountaineers community experienced the tragic loss of Sue Bennett, a cherished super volunteer and extraordinary leader of the Bellingham climbing community. As a result of the incident, which occurred on a Mountaineers trip, The Mountaineers initiated a critical response process including the formation of an incident review committee. Read more…

Managing risks as an organization devoted to outdoor adventure and exploration is a conundrum. To fulfill our mission of Explore, Learn, Conserve, we must take risks. But what are the right risks to take, how do we measure those risks, and what happens if we take risks that have unintended consequences?  Read more…

In our Mountaineers climbing and alpine scrambling courses, an essential skill we are always trying to instill in our students is what I call “mountaineering judgement.” To be safe outdoors and in the mountains, one always needs to be aware of - and alert to - risk factors, changing conditions, and issues with other party members. Because of this, courses in activities like climbing, scrambling, and kayaking could just as easily be called risk management courses. Everything students learn in these courses reduces risk and makes the activity safer. Read more…

The National Outdoor Leadership School's (NOLS) 22nd Annual Wilderness Risk Management Conference will be held in Portland this October. The conference is an invaluable source of training and professional development and The Mountaineers are investing in its volunteers by sending four volunteer "ambassadors!" Read more…

Starting in Spring 2016, The Mountaineers will be offering Wilderness First Responder and Wilderness First Responder Recertification courses!  Read more…

We’ve all been there: a near-miss during a trip. They’re a possibility even with the best safety planning. But rather than categorizing them as bad luck, paying close attention to near-misses will offer insight into why they happen, and how you can prevent them. Read more…

Represent The Mountaineers at this year's Wilderness Risk Management Conference (WRMC). Join us to foster an environment of open dialogue and enhance our organization’s understanding of risk management practices. As a WRMC attendee, you'll acquire valuable skills in risk management, connect with fellow industry experts, share field and administrative techniques, and contribute to the establishment of standards for risk management in outdoor adventure and education. Read more…

In the summer 2016, The Mountaineers hired Outdoor Safety Institute (OSI) to evaluate how we manage risk in our Global Adventures, Climbing, and Scrambling programs. OSI outlined a number of recommendations, and we have put together a plan to implement them. Read more…