Intermediate Climbing Course - Olympia - 2023

Climbing Course

Intermediate Climbing Course

Olympia's 2023 Intermediate Climbing Course - application information below. Mandatory qualifier tentatively scheduled for February 5, 2023.

YOU MUST HAVE GRADUATED BASIC CLIMBING, OR HAVE BASIC CLIMBING EQUIVALENCY, TO REGISTER FOR THIS COURSE.   

DO NOT REGISTER FOR THIS COURSE WITHOUT FIRST APPLYING AND BEING ACCEPTED.  For the first time, we are admitting participants through an application process.  Apply here: https://forms.gle/nZL2CRZfhE46kWScA 

Applications are being accepted through November 7, with participants to be notified by November 21.

An option "Meet and Greet" / Course Orientation Social is scheduled for November 29.

Also save the date for a mandatory qualifier, tentatively scheduled for February 5, 2023, in the Olympia area.

The intermediate climbing course provides classroom and field instruction designed to teach the techniques of safe climbing on rock, hard snow, ice, and mixed alpine terrain. Leadership and safety skills are major components of the course. The Olympia intermediate climbing course is offered in a module format that includes: instruction on winter mountaineering, including emergency shelter construction and avalanche safety and rescue; leading on rock including setting pro, building and equalizing anchors, swinging leads and self-rescue; hard snow and glacier travel including German and French technique; and vertical ice climbing including the placing of ice screws and swinging leads on 60+ degree ice.

Course Requirements
Course Activity Date Availability Leader
Intermediate Alpine Climbing Course Qualifier
Tumwater Historical Park
Sun, Feb 9, 2025
Registration opens Jan 1; Instructor registration open now
10 participants
5 instructors
Intermediate Winter Mountaineering/Overnight
Online Classroom
Wed, Feb 19, 2025
Registration opens Dec 1; Instructor registration open now
10 participants
1 instructor
Mount St. Helens/Worm Flows
Sat, Feb 22, 2025 -
Sun, Feb 23, 2025
Registration opens Dec 1; Instructor registration open now
10 participants
1 instructor
Intermediate Rock Lecture I
Private Residence
Wed, Apr 16, 2025
Registration opens Dec 1; Instructor registration open now
10 participants
1 instructor
Intermediate Rock Field Trip I
Vantage (Frenchman Coulee)
Sat, Apr 19, 2025 -
Sun, Apr 20, 2025
Registration opens Dec 1; Instructor registration open now
10 participants
1 instructor
Intermediate Rock Climbing Field Trip
Tieton River: Royal Columns
Sat, May 3, 2025 -
Sun, May 4, 2025
Registration opens Dec 1; Instructor registration open now
10 participants
1 instructor
Intermediate Rock Lecture II
Private Residence
Wed, Jun 4, 2025
Registration opens Dec 1
11 participants
Intermediate Rock Field Trip II
Leavenworth
Sat, Jun 7, 2025 -
Sun, Jun 8, 2025
Registration opens Dec 1; Instructor registration open now
8 participants
3 instructors
Intermediate Hard Snow Lecture
Private Residence
Wed, Jul 23, 2025
Registration opens Dec 1; Instructor registration open now
10 participants
1 instructor
Intermediate Hard Snow
Panorama Point
Sat, Jul 26, 2025 -
Sun, Jul 27, 2025
Registration opens Dec 1; Instructor registration open now
10 participants
1 instructor
Intermediate Ice Lecture I
Private Residence
Wed, Sep 24, 2025
Registration opens Dec 1; Instructor registration open now
10 participants
1 instructor
Intermediate Ice Field Trip I
Heliotrope Ridge and Lower Coleman Glacier & Seracs
Sat, Sep 27, 2025 -
Sun, Sep 28, 2025
Registration opens Dec 1; Instructor registration open now
10 participants
1 instructor
Intermediate Ice Field Trip II
Heliotrope Ridge and Lower Coleman Glacier & Seracs
Sat, Oct 4, 2025 -
Sun, Oct 5, 2025
Registration opens Dec 1; Instructor registration open now
10 participants
1 instructor

Additional badges needed to graduate

Completed

Roster
Required Equipment

If you were able to acquire the gear necessary for completing Basic, no new equipment is required to begin this course.  You will likely want to buy more gear, including your own rack, ice tools, and better crampons, but we work hard to make gear available to try before you buy.

Course Materials

You must register for this course to see course materials.