Climb Leader Application

If you are interested in volunteering as a climbing trip leader, fill out this form and we will forward it to the volunteer committee closest to you so they can review it and help you begin the process of familiarizing you with our guidelines, policies, and minimum standards for climbing with the Mountaineers.

Climb Leader

The look on people's faces when you get them outside and show them places they've never seen is often cited as one of the best rewards for our volunteers. If you are interested in contributing to the mission of The Mountaineers by organizing and leading climbing trips, please let us know by completing this application. We obviously have to ensure that every leader meets some critical baseline standards and this application will provide our committee with relevant information about your goals and experience. One of our volunteers will follow up with you on the next steps to get you certified as a Mountaineers Climb leader!

Thank you for your interest!

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Your Name

Your Email

What phone number can we use to reach you?

Are you a current Mountaineers member? You must be a current member of the Mountaineers to lead climbs, and you must maintain membership.

Yes
No

Are you at least 18 years old?

Yes
No

Which branch do you wish to be affiliated with as a Leader?

Have you graduated from the Basic Climbing Course or hold Basic Equivalency status? Please include the year you graduated or received equivalency.

Why are you interested in leading climbs? Which types of climbing would you like to lead most?

Are you a student or graduate of The Mountaineers Intermediate Climbing Program? Please list the date you started and your graduation/anticipated graduation date. If you are not finished with the course yet, please list what requirements you still need to complete. Applicants are encouraged to complete the majority of the requirements of the Intermediate Course before application, but if they feel they are interested and ready to become a climb leader, we encourage you to consult with your branch (or, in Seattle, the Climbing Leadership Committee) prior to applying.

Climbing Resume Please include a copy of your current climbing/teaching resume. Please include the climb route, type (i.e. basic rock, glacier or alpine; intermediate rock, ice or mountaineering; crag or private), the leader, your role (i.e. student, rope leader, assistant leader, or client), and the course/training, dates and organizations. Please note on your climbing resume climbs/field trips where you acted as an assistant leader or mentored leader. For mentored leads, please also include links to the climbs on the Mountaineers website. You must have at least three climbs (more is better) where there was a successful summit (or significant progress towards the summit) offered through The Mountaineers where you acted in a mentored leader role. The three climbs must be a combination of glacier and rock climbs and the leader of record must not be the same for all of them. Applicants who do not meet these requirements will still be considered in exceptional circumstances.

Climbing References Please list members of a climbing committee and/or current Mountaineers climb leaders who have seen you in a leadership role (minimum of three, more is better). Please include e-mail addresses and which branch they are affiliated with.

Outdoor Leadership Experience Have you attended an Outdoor Leadership Seminar or formal mentor program with an outdoor emphasis within the last two years? Please state the date and who organized the program.

Please describe what areas you excel in a leadership role as well as areas that you are interested in improving as a leader.

Have you ever found yourself in a difficult situation on a climb, such as the injury of a party member, an unplanned bivy, getting lost, interpersonal conflict, etc? If so, how did you handle this situation and what did you learn from it?

Please describe education and experience that you have in rescues, including large group rescue methods, small party self-rescue, and other rescue courses or participation/membership in KCSAR, SMR, EMR, TMR, etc.

The Mountaineers is built on a foundation of volunteering with the Mountaineers itself, as well as the outdoor community. Climb leaders benefit significantly from having experience with leading a mentor group or SIG, leading field trips, or similar experience. Please describe your volunteer experience with the Mountaineers, or similar.

First Aid Training Have you taken an Wilderness First Aid (WFA), Mountaineering Oriented First Aid (MOFA), Wilderness First Responder (WFR), Wilderness EMT, or equivalent wilderness medicine course? If so, when was that? Please also let us know of any other medical training you've had.

Can you attach your certification card? If "yes," please attach a copy of your current card (you can also provide this to a branch representative later).

Please review our Climbing minimum standards

Can you comply with all of the minimum standards for our climbing programs?

Yes
No

Other Outdoor Leadership Experience orTraining Please list other outdoor leadership activities you have participated in (i.e. scramble trip leader, navigation instructor, hike leader, etc.). Please include (approximate) dates of these activities.

Thank you for your interest in our climbing programs! We will forward your application on to one of our amazing volunteers, who will review it and get in touch with you about how to move forward. If you have any questions, feel free to reach out to us at info@mountaineers.org.

Climb Leader Application

Please review our Climbing minimum standards

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