Climbing Course
Intermediate Glacier Travel and Winter Mountaineering
Intermediate course building winter camping skills and experience and add more glacier travel methods to your toolkit, including running belays, alternative belays and the use of ice screws. We will introduce additional rescue and mechanical advantage methods to add to your crevasse rescue knowledge base.
Contacts
- Mon, Jan 12, 2026 - Thu, Dec 30, 2027
- Committee: Kitsap Branch Climbing Program
- Members: $240.00 Guests: $360.00
- Availability: 6 (8 capacity)
- Cancellation & Refund Policy
Learn more skills to travel over steep snow and glaciers more efficiently and with confidence. Running belay, a number of snow anchors, additional crevasse rescue methods will all be covered. We will cover winter trip planning using CALTOPO features and NWAC information. We will introduce and practice winter snow shelters. The course includes two classroom sessions and two field trips. The first field trip will focus on winter camping and emergency shelters. The second will cover advanced glacier travel methods and crevasse rescue techniques. The first field trip will be at Mount Ellinor - or another location in the Olypmpics pending snow conditions and weather - and is scheduled. The second field trip will be in March or April and will focus on glacier travel and rescue. I will schedule this in the next few weeks. Location will be Mount Hood or Mount Baker, again conditions dependent.
Prerequisites: AIARE Level I course or equivalent and completion of the Basic Climbing Course or equivalent. Contact the course leader if you are scheduled for AIARE I but will complete during or after this course.
Applicable Climbing Standards:
● Winter mountaineering, including:
-
▪Winter camping and survival
▪ Application of climbing skills in winter conditions
▪ Emergency winter shelters
Course makes one eligible for the Glacier Travel Rope Leader badge when a Leadership component is also completed.
Badges you will earn:
Winter Mountaineering & Advanced Crevasse Rescue
| Course Activity | Date | Availability | Leader |
|---|---|---|---|
| Intermediate Glacier Trip Planning | |||
| Mountaineers Kitsap Program Center |
Tue, Jan 20, 2026
Registration closes Jan 18
|
7
participants
2 instructors
|
|
| Intermediate Glacier Travel Lecture | |||
| Mountaineers Kitsap Program Center |
Tue, Jan 27, 2026
Registration closes Jan 25
|
7
participants
2 instructors
|
|
| Intermediate Glacier Travel Field Trip | |||
| Mount Ellinor & Mount Washington |
Sat, Jan 31, 2026 -
Sun, Feb 1, 2026 Registration closes Jan 29
|
8
participants
3 instructors
|
|
10 Essentials for the field trips.
Winter-rated climbing and camping gear - sleeping bag, multiple pairs of gloves, especially. Three season tent acceptable, but 4-season preferred. It will likely be either quite cold or quite wet on the trips. Both require burly gear.
Beacon, probe, shovel.
2 pickets with lanyard/draw/cable attached.
Ice screw - I have sufficient to provide for students.
Standard ice axe. Ice tools are not required.
| Name/Description |
|---|
| AAC Snow Climbing.pdf Nice overview of snow climbing techniques. |
| Know the Ropes_Sep 1.pdf Good avalanche discussion for climbers. |
| ANAM_1984_5_1_060b-Solo Fall.pdf |
| ANAM_2009_9_4_075b-Falls on Snow.pdf |
| What I Learned in Avalanche School - The New York Times.pdf |
| 6-1 Canadian Drop Loop.pdf |
| ACMG TechFiles_Vol1_No1-snow_anchors.pdf |
| Mount Ellinor Winter Route.pdf |
| PCAN_Terrain.pdf |