Group Size & Multiple Bookings

Group Size & Multiple Bookings

Leaders should use this page to help determine the appropriate group size for their activities, as well as how to assess multiple bookings.

As good stewards of our public lands, The Mountaineers strives to respect and preserve outdoor areas, as well as to abide by the policies of all land management agencies. The following group norms are guidelines based on our Outdoor Ethics Policy.

Group size

  • The Mountaineers recommends that leaders limit their party sizes to 12 or fewer. Many times—like in cross country zones in North Cascades climbing destinations, or in special permit areas like The Enchantments—a smaller party size is better choice or may be required by the land manager. In other cases, a larger party size is ideal, and our Outdoor Ethics Policy is designed to provide ethical guidance to empower our leaders to make good-faith decisions in the interest of preserving the outdoor experience for everyone.
  • Leaders who lead activities that are larger than 12 should consider the guidelines outlined in our How To: Determining Party Size for Mountaineers Trips blog before making that decision.
  • The Mountaineers has Clubwide Activity Standards for each of our activities. Many of our activity standards include a minimum party size requirement. Leaders should be familiar with the relevant Clubwide Activity Standards for their activity.
  • Wilderness and/or overnight camping permits must be obtained as required. 
  • In many instances, course field trips and large, fee-based activities require a facilitated access permit. Please review our Facilitated Access Permitting page for more information about the requirements and annual permitting process for each of our land manager partners. If you are a new course leader, please consult the previous course leader for information regarding the proper permits for your course area.
  • All stewardship activities at The Mountaineers must be planned in conjunction with the land manager for that area. Depending on the project needs, stewardship activities may necessitate a larger group size than the maximum party size noted on the route/place listing. The land manager works directly with the organizing committee and leader on the total group size allowed at that location. The maximum party size allowed on the corresponding route/place may be updated by our staff on a case-by-case basis.
  • Need a route/place to have a higher capacity? Please contact info@mountaineers.org  with your request.

Multiple Bookings

  • All Mountaineers activities must be scheduled in our activity database. Unless otherwise specified to allow for "multiple bookings," our system only allows one party per route/place per day. We do this to minimize our impact as a large organization. Please note: Activities that are not scheduled in our activity database are not covered by The Mountaineers liability insurance.
  • Even one overlapping day with another activity on a given route/place will prevent you from scheduling an activity on our website. If you have questions or need support, please contact us at info@mountaineers.org.
  • For Routes & Places that allow multiple bookings, please review the activities listed in the "Activities" tab. If there is already an activity scheduled for the day you are planning your activity, please review that activity to be sure that both activities meet the guidelines in our Outdoor Ethics Policy. And reach out to the leader of the existing activity to coordinate if needed.
  • For Routes & Places where multiple booking are not allow but desired, the process starts with the requesting leader reviewing the Outdoor Ethics Policy. If they have no concerns, the requesting leader then reaches out to the leader of the existing activity, share why they don’t think it is an issue to have multiple activities on that date, and ask if the leader of the existing activity has any concerns per our Outdoor Ethics Policy. If both leaders agree, the requesting leader send an email to  info@mountaineers.org to request the route/place be updated to allow route/place to multiple bookings.
  • If two Mountaineers parties encounter each other in the same area, the leaders should select separate routes and campsites.
  • Most in-town facilities and many local parks allow multiple bookings. Please be sure you contact the facility or land manager to make a reservation and obtain any required permits.

Other Considerations