Winter Mountaineering & Advanced Crevasse Rescue (aka Intermediate Glacier Travel)

• Winter Mountaineering: emergency shelters, snow anchors, belaying, lowering, steep snow, gear management
• Advanced Crevasse Rescue: Higher mechanical advantages and efficiencies (5:1, 6:1, 7:1, 8:1, 9:1) for hauling/raising systems than that taught in the Basic curriculum (2:1 or 3:1)
• Small Party Rescue: Scene Size-up, making and executing a plan, releasable hitches, administering aid
• Glacier Travel: anchors and belaying in firm snow/ice, glacier navigation and terrain selection, trip planning 
• Leadership: leading a rope team on glacier climb, techniques for rope management and moving efficiently, working with basic students and peers
• 2-person glacier travel: Rope setup, traveling techniques, and solo crevasse rescue

Course lectures, Workshop, field trips & experience trips:

• Kick-off: Socializing. Basic skills check & review (knots, rope ascension, 2:1 or 3:1 hauling system on a 3-person rope team.
• Lectures: These will be held on The Mountaineers' coassemble platform. You will be added to it once registered and can take them asynchronously. The topics for lectures are:
  • Theory  on gear and course expectations (to be completed before course kick-off)
  • Glacier travel techniques (to be completed 2 weeks before ET#1)
  • Trip Planning & Leadership (to be completed 2 weeks before ET#1)
• Field Trips (FT):
  • FT 1: (Optional to those who took Int. Rock Modules) Top site belays and lowering, rappel to ascension conversion.
  • FT 2: Equilizing anchors, mechanical advantages.
  • FT 3: Rope set up for 2, 3, and 4-person rope teams, full crevasse rescue practice on unconscious fallen climber
  • FT 4: Small Party Rescue - Escaping the system, rescuer setup with patient care, and moving injured climber over technical terrain.
• Experience Trips (ET):
  • ET1: Rescue practice in real crevasse hopefully, building emergency shelters, winter camping, winter gear use, trip planning execution
  • ET2: Navigating crevasses, traveling on steep slopes, and mentorship to navigate and plan for a destination (Sherman Peak)

Selection Criteria/NOTES:

First Come First Served, as long as the below criteria are met.

• Membership in The Mountaineers
• Technical Skills:
  • Basic Alpine Climbing Course or Basic Glacier Travel Course or equivalency
  • Wilderness First Aid or equivalent
  • Wilderness Navigation or equivalent
  • AIARE Level 1 (must be completed prior to Winter Mountaineering Experience Trip. Not required to be completed at the time of application) 
• Experience: Scrambling and climbing experience (at least 3 basic glacier climbs and preferably at least 2 winter scrambles/snowshoeing/backcountry skiing)
• Conditioning: Ability to hike Mount Si to the bottom of the haystack in under 2 hours or Mailbox Peak in under 2.5 hours with a 35 lbs pack (30 lbs for people weighing less than 130 lbs) in the Aerobic Zone.
  
• Volunteerism: Volunteers are the heart and soul of our community at The Mountaineers.
  "The Mountaineers rely on skilled and passionate volunteers to pass their love and knowledge of the outdoors on to others. Inspiring others to love and protect the outdoors - and teaching them to do it safely and responsibly - is the heart of our mission and we invite you to be a part of it." 
  • 24+ hours of volunteering commitment in the past year at Mountaineers' or outside
  • Ability to help with the Basic Climbing Courses at glacier/snow-related field trips and with Navigation Courses at in-person workshops & field trips during the course year at a minimum.

Those who were waitlisted for the 2023 course will be given first dibs before the registration opens to the public. 

This course is the pre-requisite course to becoming a rope leader on glacier climbs for The Mountaineers.
This course also prepares you with the fundamentals of winter glaciated mountaineering trips, safe traveling techniques, systems for 2-person travel, and executing rescues.

This module is one of the 6 Intermediate course modules. To learn more about the intermediate program visit the Seattle Intermediate webpage.
An intermediate info session will be planned soon, please reach out to the course lead to show your interest and ask any questions that you may have.