Safety Blog Posts

After climbing for over 20 years in the Cascades, I have lived through a few incidents and near-misses. This is the story of how I almost died glissading down Aasgard Pass in the Enchantments. Read more…

While we were climbing on the south side of the Feathers, one of our Mountaineers Adventure Club (MAC) instructors noticed that the party climbing next to us had a strange anchor set up for their toprope. On closer look, we realized that their anchor was a non-locking carabiner at the end of each chain, with single webbing loop going through both non-locking carabiners, and the rope was running directly through the webbing loop. Read more…

After summiting the Tooth, we were descending from Pineapple pass around 4pm and had set up a single rope rappel to get a student down the rock step onto the steep snow below. Read more…

We were camped on a small ridge above a large snowfield north of Mazama Ridge. At around 5:45 a student reported seeing two people signaling for help from the snowfield below. We could hear them shouting that they were lost. Read more…

Three years ago, my friend Loren died in a skiing accident. A huge February storm rolled through the Pacific Northwest, and a bunch of us took extra days off to go skiing. He and a friend were skiing Crystal in-bounds on a Wednesday when Loren fell into a tree well. He suffocated before he could be rescued. Read more…

You’re done with the “hard part” of the trip. It’s all downhill now. On a trail. You’re tired. So is the rest of the team. Suddenly someone lets out a surprising loud “ouch!” He heard a pop. And now, your car seems so far away. Read more…

We all know how important good planning and preparation are to a successful outing. Familiarizing yourself with your route, having the proper equipment, checking the forecast, and reading past trip reports are all things that we can do to make our excursions more successful, regardless of whether they be a paddle, hike, climb or ski. Read more…

You’ve been planning a trip for a while now - maybe even for weeks or months. Your buddies are all psyched. You’ve double and triple checked your gear. Everything is packed and ready to go. Car is gassed up. But something’s not quite right. Read more…

Excerpts from the personal blog of Bill Ashby, Mountaineers Director of Operations.   Read more…

In mid-July, at the direction of the board, CEO Tom Vogl signed a contract with Outdoor Safety Institute (OSI) to conduct a risk management review of Mountaineers programs. The next step for our volunteer leaders is to participate in a risk management survey. Read more…

When someone mentions concussions, most people think of car accidents or full contact sports like football, rugby, or hockey. But with such an increased chance of an impact to our heads - whether it be from a falling rock from above, or us falling and hitting our heads - climbers have a serious chance of sustaining a concussion. Read more…

Incidents reported in October 2016.  (Just one) Read more…

Our party approached the Inter Glacier around 1:30pm and evaluated options for ascending from the boulder fields at its terminus onto the slopes above. We had been advised by the Park Service that rock fall had been observed recently. Read more…

Rock fall is one of the more common causes of injuries in both climbing and scrambling. The rock in the Olympics is notorious for its poor quality, and the Cascades, although overall it is of much better quality, has its share of choss piles as well. A friend of mine used to joke about climbing in the Olympics, “if you don’t like your options for handholds, pick the rock up and move it somewhere else.” Read more…

The data below was extracted from the Safety Incident reports submitted in 2016 (January thru September) by trip leaders and participants. Interpretation of the incident narrative was  done to best categorize the incidents.

A look at incidents reported in September 2016 (only 4), and an examination of  the terrain where incidents occurred in 2016 (it appears that trails are the most dangerous places to be). Read more…

I was climbing a 35' sport route at River View wall in Echo Basin (Vantage). The route was within, but towards the top range of, my ability. So falling was a definite possibility. Read more…

The data below was extracted from the Safety Incident reports submitted by trip leaders and participants. Interpretation of the incident narrative was  often done to best categorize the incidents. Read more…

In mid-July, at the direction of the board, CEO Tom Vogl signed a contract with Outdoor Safety Institute (OSI) to conduct a risk management review of Mountaineers programs. This affirms our ongoing commitment to safety and ensures our programs and trips are conducted in the most professional manner possible.  Read more…

After a successful summit, while descending back into the Snow Lake Basin down a 20 degree boulder field, a scrambler knocked loose a rock. This rock was supporting several other rocks, triggering a slide above her. Other party members recall seeing somewhere between "several" and "many" "large" rocks sliding down from above where she had been. Somehow in this mayhem, one of the rocks hit the scrambler. Read more…

We were so close (we think) to the summit. Darkness was still a few hours away, and we had a fleeting glimpse of hope that we’d be able to find the route and regain the ridge to the top. Passing anxious scramblers - dodging scree and loose rocks they were kicking down on each other while down-climbing a sketchy section of rock  - put a damper on our spirits.  Read more…

June was an interesting month in the mountains. We had “June-uary” conditions, giving us lots of new snow, rain, and wind. We also had scorchingly high temperatures with places like Leavenworth and Vantage reaching close to 100°F.  As we progress through the summer, we need to be mindful of the dangers on these hot, sunny days - even if we are out on snow or a glacier.  Read more…

While sailing with Sail Sand Point, a Mountaineer summer camper, was struck in the face with a boom while the captain of the boat began a tacking maneuver. Read more…

You’ve reached the summit and the view is breathtaking: time for a “Summit-Selfie” to share your success with your friends...but there’s no cell coverage up here. You have a Personal Locator Beacon, but this doesn’t quite qualify as an emergency. Fortunately, you have a ham radio and can talk to the world. Read more…

Washington’s North Cascades are home to thousands of black bears and fewer than twenty grizzly bears. Knowing how to play safe in bear country is as important as bringing a first aid kit and appropriate clothing for your adventure. Read more…

I was leading a SIG rock field trip at the Feathers. Read more…

With the awesome weather and sunny days we've had lately, it’s hard to think anyone would go outside without a pair of sunglasses handy. But on cloudier days or early morning alpine-starts, it's easy to forget shades in your car or tent. Sunglasses aren’t usually at the forefront of your mind at 2am when the wind's howling and you're trying to buckle your crampons. However, forgetting this vital bit of gear can be as bad as forgetting your ice axe on a glacier or  your cams on a rock wall. Read more…

In the event of any cardiac emergency,  FIRST CALL 911.  

Then, fetch the Philips HeartStart Automated External Defibrillator (AED), now available in the Seattle Program Center near the lobby drinking fountains. Read more…

There were two separate instances of injury on this Snow FT conducted by the  Alpine Scramble course. Read more…