Basic Climbing Course

Basic Climbing Course

Please read course information completely prior to determining to follow this path.

Follow these instructions.

Read the basic climbing course information below.

• Kitsap may be the first branch to post the 2026 basic climbing course. Other branches will post courses prior to the end of the year.
• Request permission to register.
  • Send email to Ed Lucas at e_lucas11@live.com with the following information.
    • Full name
    • City of residence
    • Why do you want to register for the course?
    • Any hiking, backpacking, or climbing experience? No experience is necessary to register.  We encourage people with no or minimal experience to register. We will teach you everything you need to know.

The course will open for general registration on September 2, 2025 (non-members can apply). General registration is first-come, first-served. You must have permission to register.

Requests from outside the Olympic Peninsula will be placed on a waitlist. If there is available space on January 5, 2026 you will be moved to the roster after confirmation.

If the course is full, we encourage you to join the waitlist and keep the course dates open on your schedule. Spots often open up and we may invite some on the wait list to join the first session in case others decide to drop late.

The Kitsap Climbing Committee is committed to building and fostering a representative climbing community that reflects the spaces in which we live and recreate. We recognize that outdoor recreation has historically excluded communities of color, women, and LGBTQ people. Therefore, we warmly welcome and encourage registrations from individuals with these identities, as well as from members of other underrepresented communities.

SCHOLARSHIPS AND FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE

The Mountaineers are committed to making our courses accessible to everyone, regardless of your ability to pay.  We encourage students who cannot afford this course to apply for our scholarship program, which is funded by generous donors.

Please apply early for a Scholarship. Applications may take up to 2 weeks to process and financial assistance can only be applied before you register for the course. If you have questions, please email ryannp@mountaineers.org

The course includes 14, 1-day activities. 

Basic Climbing Course Information.

You may be able to complete the 11 skill instructional activities with medium conditioning level. Medium conditioning means not able to complete 1 Mt. Walker cycle in under 2-hours with a 40 lb. backpack. You need a higher level of conditioning to complete the two required graduation climbs.

You may be a good candidate to take the course if:

• Only interested in learning the skills taught at the 11 climbing instructional activities with minimal interest to participate in the graduation climbs, or
• Can achieve high level of conditioning prior to graduation climbs.

As a basic climbing student, you will meet interesting and goal-oriented people that share a common interest - mountaineering.  The course is a combination of reading, online knowledge tests, classroom, and field trips that prepare you for safely climbing rock, snow, and glaciers.  The course is taught by experienced mountaineers, assisted by newer mountaineers, that share their knowledge and time as volunteers.  Students will progressively gain knowledge and technical skills throughout the course and ultimately apply them to actual climbs.  The course utilizes the book, Freedom of the Hills, 10th Edition as part of the instruction.  Activities 1-4 are held at the Mountaineers Kitsap Program Center (aka Olympic Mountain Rescue Center and Harold Brooks Community Center) located at 1550 Rocky Point Rd. NW. in Bremerton.  Activities 5-14 occur at a variety of locations to meet the specific training requirements.

Participants must have a desire to actively listen, learn technical mountaineering skills, and understand this course requires a significant investment in time, energy, and requires the purchase of at least a couple thousand dollars of clothing and gear, especially for those who do not already have backpacking gear. Even those who have some equipment can expect to spend several hundred dollars on gear. Some required gear may be rented or borrowed if not prepared to purchase.

Not all items need to be purchased prior to Activity 1, and some things can be rented from local shops or borrowed from friends. But be aware our course requires an investment of both time and money.

On your graduation climbs, solid overall physical conditioning, good cardiovascular strength and psychological commitment are needed as the participants will experience travel in difficult terrain with vertical exposure while carrying a heavy pack in all types of weather conditions.

The course instructional activities are set up to be completed in roughly five months and skills taught include; selection and care of equipment, wilderness travel and camping, rope handling, snow climbing, glacier travel, belaying, rappelling, 5^th class rock climbing, crevasse rescue, guidance on gear purchases and conditioning, and many other topics.  During course activities and actual climbs the student will put these skills to practical use with experienced mountaineers.

One of the many things the Kitsap branch offers is smaller class sizes and great student to instructor ratio. In many cases, you’ll see close to a 1-2 student to instructor ratio. Our instructors have a huge commitment to you and spend a lot of time and resources to ensure your safety while providing a rich learning environment. With this level of instructor commitment, we expect a high commitment from you as well.

This course requires a commitment to the following:

• 1 Course Kickoff and Gear meeting
• 10 instructional activities
• Many extra hours of reading, study and practice
• Passing all tests that includes written and practical elements
• Successful completion of 2 graduation climbs. Shall be one glacier climb and one multi-pitch trad rock climb
• Purchase of climbing gear necessary prior to date required
• Complete the Low Impact Recreation online course prior to the first field trip
• Complete the Avalanche Awareness online course.
• Fulfill at least 1 Stewardship activity (6-8 hours) on public lands (priceless)
• Passing score on skills and tests
• Complete a separate Wilderness First Aid or Mountain-Oriented First Aid course
• Complete a separate Navigation course
• A strong level of fitness that will allow you to safely and effectively participate in the field trips and climbs
• A personal commitment to a regular & disciplined training program to ensure the necessary fitness level
• Pass conditioning tests. Mt. Walker timed roundtrip, 4 miles total with 2000 feet elevation gain and 30# pack in 2.5 hours. Later increasing to two consecutive Mt. Walker roundtrips with 45# pack in 5 hours. A good article on conditioning is at http://www.alpineinstitute.com/articles/physical-conditioning-for-mountaineering-expeditions/.
• Participants have 2 years to complete the course

 Please keep this in mind as you complete the application. As instructors, our goal is to ensure that you have the best experience possible where you can learn to climb safely. A big part of accomplishing that goal is your participation and your commitment to the class, your fellow students and the instructors.

Please consider the time commitment, course schedule, and cancellation policy (see below) before registering.

***Please do not register for the course unless you can commit to the items mentioned above and attend ALL activities.

Graduation Requirements;

• Current Mountaineers membership
• Complete the Low Impact Recreation online course
• Complete the Avalanche Awareness online course
• Fulfill at least 1 Stewardship activity on public lands
• Attend all course activities
• Successful completion of all activities
• Passing score on skills and tests
• Complete a separate Wilderness First Aid or Mountain-Oriented First Aid course
• Complete a separate Navigation course
• Completion of 2 required climbs, 1 glacier and 1 multi-pitch trad rock climb
• Petition the Climbing Committee
• Climbing Committee Approval

 While the course is challenging and demanding, the skills acquired provide the participants opportunities to meet lifelong climbing partners and gain the skills to safely enjoy mountain environments for a lifetime. Climbing with the Kitsap branch of The Mountaineers is an awesome opportunity to confidently and competently climb challenging mountains all while pushing your physical limits and achieving personal goals. During the course and climbs with the Kitsap branch you will experience high levels of fellowship, trust, bonding, and community. Welcome to your new adventures. We look forward to sharing them with you.

The basic climbing course fee does not include the cost of a Mountaineer’s membership, text for the course, personal gear and equipment, Wilderness First Aid (WFA) course, and Navigation course.

Cancellation from the course prior to March 31 will incur a $100 fee. Cancellation after March 31 may result in no refund, subject to the Climb Chairs decision.