Foothills Basic Alpine Climbing Course

The Foothills Basic Alpine Climbing Course  teaches techniques of roped climbing on rock, snow, and glaciers. We focus on basic climbing techniques and mountaineering skills, including rope handling, knots, belaying, rappelling, crevasse rescue and safety.

Please note, this is an Alpine Climbing course. If you're unsure if this is the right course for you, visit this page to learn about the different types of climbing courses the Mountaineers offer.

The course is demanding, but the rewards are great. These skills open the door to a lifetime of outdoor enjoyment. Course graduates are eligible to participate in Basic Climbs, Club Climbs, Cragging Trips, the Intermediate Climbing Modules, and other advanced climbing seminars periodically offered by the Foothills branch.

ELIGIBILITY & REGISTRATION

The course is open to any Mountaineers member at least 18 years old, regardless of branch affiliation. Applications are accepted and evaluated in the fall; Foothills Climbing strives to present a program that is welcoming and inclusive to people from diverse backgrounds, experience levels, and fitness levels. Mountaineers membership is required for enrollment.

Scholarships

The Mountaineers is committed to making our courses accessible to everyone, regardless of ability to pay. Our courses are priced to cover our costs, but we know that costs add up quickly, especially when students also need to purchase gear.  We encourage students to apply for our scholarship program, which is funded by generous donors to make courses more accessible. Applications may take up to 2 weeks to process and Financial Assistance can not by applied to courses or activities already registered for. You can learn more about and apply for a scholarship, and read about the new Liesl Waldhausen Basic Alpine Climbing Scholarship. 

Read about Skye's experience with scholarships through the Mountaineers here!

PREREQUISITES

Applicants should be experienced in off-trail hiking and camping. You must make a significant investment in time, energy, psychological preparation, and money. Solid overall physical conditioning and psychological ability to handle vertical exposure is essential. If you lack these basic skills and conditioning, please consider enrolling in the Mountaineers Alpine Scrambling Course before taking the Basic Climbing Course.

Those that have alpine rock or glacier travel experience may want to apply for Basic Climbing Equivalency through the Everett, Seattle, or Tacoma Branches. Foothills does not currently have an Equivalency program.

Corequisites

In addition to this classes lectures and field trips, you'll need to take Wilderness Navigation, Wilderness First Aid, Low Impact Recreation, and participate in a trail or lookout maintenance event. We recommend that you complete these in the early season, prior to Snow 2. Once  you pass Snow 2 you'll be trying to get on climbs every weekend to graduate, so finish these early!

• Wilderness Navigation
• Wilderness First Aid
• Low Impact Recreation
• Stewardship or WTA Work Party (check with the Stewardship committee to make sure it counts!)

EQUIPMENT

Required equipment will cost several hundreds of dollars. Please do not purchase any equipment prior to this course. We provide a complete list of required equipment on the first night of the course. Equipment must be rated for alpine climbing, including proper footwear, clothing, pack, climbing helmet, seat harness, carabiners and related climbing hardware, ice axe, crampons, and a variety of other gear. While some equipment can be rented, most equipment will need to be purchased.

Textbook: The Freedom of the Hills, 9th edition. This book is required to study and prepare for lectures and exams.

GRADUATION REQUIREMENTS:

Graduation from the Basic Alpine Climbing Course requires completion of the following:

1. Attend all field trips and lectures.
2. Successful completion of all field trips.
3. Passing score on skills tests and on written exams.
4. Current Mountaineers membership.
5. Current Wilderness First Aid certification.
6. Completion of Mountaineers Navigation Course
7. Completion of a trail or lookout maintenance day
8. Completion of the Low-Impact Recreation
9. Completion of two (2) required experience climbs by October 1st. One must be a Basic Rock climb, one must be a Basic Glacier Climb.
10. Petition Climbing Committee by date listed in course schedule.
11. Climbing Committee approval