Alpine Scrambling Course - Kitsap - 2025

Scrambling Course

Alpine Scrambling Course

Alpine Scrambling - The area between hiking a trail and full protected (roped) climbing to the summit. Here we will explore how to safely travel those wonderful, off trail routes that go to many summits around us!

Please READ ALL OF THIS Before Registering 

This course gives preference to Kitsap, Olympic Peninsula and Gig Harbor area people. If you live outside the area please message the course leader to be added to the waitlist.

Alpine scrambling is non-technical climbing of ridges, peaks and mountains. While it may feel technical to someone coming from traditional basic trail hiking, it's an excellent way to add new skills to your existing strengths. Ropes are not typically necessary but are brought along for situations where added protection is desired or required. Glacier travel is not part of alpine scrambling and requires roped travel.

Trips with the Mountaineers can last from one to several days. Many Kitsap Branch scrambles take place in the Olympic Mountains. As a Scramble Course graduate and Mountaineers member, you'll be able to sign up for scrambles with any of the Mountaineers' branches.

No prior experience is required, though a background in hiking and backpacking will be greatly beneficial. Scrambling is the next level.

Generally speaking, good physical fitness is expected. This doesn't mean you need to be in peak physical condition, but you should be in good enough shape to carry a 25-pound pack up and down a trail similar to Mount Walker (2,000 ft and 4 miles RT) in less than 2.5 hours. If you're unsure about your fitness level, please contact us for further guidance before signing up for the course. Your conditioning is your responsibility outside of the course, and we want to ensure fairness to everyone who takes it. This course is not designed to bring you into condition, but there are many hikes offered through the Mountaineers that you can use for conditioning. The course will also cover how to match your fitness level with your climbing goals.

In this course, you'll learn about choosing the right equipment, preparing for a scramble, and developing rock and snow skills specific to the alpine scrambling environment. You'll also learn how to manage risk in the backcountry and basic navigation and route finding (since much of scrambling occurs off the trails). However, thorough navigation education will be covered in a separate navigation course (required for graduation). A separate Wilderness First Aid course is also required for graduation, but we will spend some time discussing basic mountain maladies and concerns. Additionally, a day-long stewardship activity through the Mountaineers or a recognized nonprofit is required to graduate. Finally, we'll teach you how to travel in the fragile alpine environment while minimizing damage to the area we all love. While not required for graduation, being able to overnight in the wilderness is an incredibly empowering skill set. We'll touch briefly on this subject during the course as well.

SCHEDULE

BEFORE THE CLASS BEGINS the leader will email students with required reading and information about the class. This is necessary to get everyone on the same page when we all enter the course at the first lecture. You will need to go over this information before coming to class.

The course schedule is as follows:

 

Date

Item

Location

Saturday, April 5, 2025

Class #1 Gear and Overview -

Olympic Mountain Rescue in Bremerton

Afternoon off-trail hike at Green Mountain

Tuesday, April 8, 2025

Class #2 Snow Travel

Zoom Class (6-9 pm)

Saturday, April 12, 2025

FT#1 Snow Travel

Paradise, Rainier; backup Snoqualmie East or Hurricane Ridge

Saturday, April 26, 2025

FT#2 Steep Snow Travel

Ellinor SE Olympics or Paradise, Rainier

Tuesday, May 6, 2025

Class #3 Rock and Off-Trail

Zoom Class (6-9 pm)

Saturday, May 10, 2025

FT#3 Rock and Off-Trail

McCleary Cliffs (Lake Cushman) or Green Mountain

 

GRADUATION REQUIREMENTS

  1. Participate in and show competence at all class/"lectures" and field trips.
  2. Navigation Course (offered separately)
  3. Wilderness First Aid Course (offered separately)
  4. Successful completion of three Mountaineers led scrambles (including at least one "rock" and one "snow" rated trip)
  5. Stewardship Credit (one day volunteering)

NOTE: If you cannot achieve the required scrambles in one year, an extension will be granted if you are continuing to accumulate mountaineering experience

Badges you will earn:

Course Requirements

This course has no scheduled activities.

Roster
Required Equipment

NOTE:

We understand that some of these items can be expensive. You want to get the right gear the first time. However, that does not always happen.  The first class will cover the pluses and minuses of different types of gear. In addtion an optional gear discussion will be held 6 weeks before the first FT for those wanting more time to collect gear. It is recommended that you buy from a reputable retailer that has a great return/exchange policy!

You are encouraged to contact the course leaders with questions before the class to start accumulating your gear.

                 THE GEAR

  • Ten Essentials
  • UIAA rated Climbing Helmet
  • Mountaineering Boots
  • Minimum 30L Backpack
  • Ice Ax
  • Crampons-12 point
  • Snow shoes (Optional and can be rented)
  • Trekking Poles (Optional)
  • Appropriate clothing (No Cotton)
  • Locking pear shaped carabineer
  • 25 ft of one inch tubular webbing (or light alpine harness)
  • 8 ft of 6mm perlon. 

 

Course Materials

You must register for this course to see course materials.