Courses & Activities

Trying to plan event with an alpinist is like trying to pin a tail on a kite already in the air. You’re generally limited to catching up with them in quick email bursts whenever the weather has turned foul, then you can expect radio silence during any fair weather stretches. Read more…

It may sound odd, but Reinhold Messner has been inside my head for more than two decades. His deeds, his remarkable introspection, and his sheer productivity set him in a class all his own. In addition to climbing the fourteen 8000-meter peaks, crossing Antarctica and the Gobi Desert on foot, and researching the roots of the Yeti, he has written some sixty books. I’m proud to note that Mountaineers Books has published translations of fourteen of those books, making us his publisher of record in North America.  Read more…

You’d be hard pressed to miss the invitations and communications over the past couple of months about our Mountaineers BREAKTHROUGH fundraising event on April 11. With an all-star lineup of climbers in the program, you’re probably wondering why we’re writing about it in relationship to conservation. Well, underlying the climbing theme of the evening is the impact story about why anyone should care about The Mountaineers efforts to get people outside – conservation is a primary driver of that story. Read more…

The bow rose and fell. At times the water hit against the fiberglass hull to make a low thud noise then frothed and hissed like soda bubbles as it dispersed in white foam around us. Read more…

The Basic Photography courses cover instruction in digital camera operation, exposure settings, quality of light, and composition. The Seattle course has two classroom sessions and an optional half day in the field. 

Seattle is also offering an Introduction to Close-Up Photography which focuses on getting creative and up-close and personal with your photography subject. 

Sign up today and start taking better pictures!

The Tacoma Mountaineers Basic Sea Kayak Course is scheduled for March 28 – April 19, 2015.  This course is loaded with practical information, hands-on education, introduction to kayak gear and an emphasis on paddling safety.  Read more…

Water has always been a big part of my life. I got certified as a SCUBA diver in the 9th grade, was a swimmer through high school, have whitewater rafted on three continents, and got an advanced diving certification during my honeymoon. Read more…

A spot has unexpectedly opened on this spring's Mountaineers Global Adventure trek in southwest Turkey, along the historic Lycian Way.   Read more…

Spring has sprung and it's time to get out on the water. Join The Mountaineers for their first sailing kick-off event March 14. Six boats will sail to Port Madison and raft-up together for an on-the-water potluck. We will return to the dock by 6pm. This is an introduction to sailing event. No sailing experience necessary. Read more…

Extending your rappel, when done safely, offers many advantages including improved ability to manage the autoblock, and convenient set up of saddle bags if needed. 

via Vimeo

Check out other climbing how-to guides!

When a climber on your rope team yells "Falling!", drop in to self-arrest and stop the fall immediately!  Once the fall is stopped, follow the following steps: Read more…

via YouTube

Belaying - a friction system

One of the first important safety skills a climber must learn is how to belay.  Belaying is a way of managing the rope, using friction created by bends in the rope around a carabiner and either a hitch or belay device, so that should the climber fall, the rope, and you, will halt the fall, keeping the climber safe.  Check out this video from Climbing Magazine which illustrates great belay technique.

If a climbing partner is seriously injured, and there are limited resources to get help, it may be necessary to tie off the climbing rope to remove yourself from the belay system, so you can investigate, help your partner, or go for help. Read more…

When getting ready for a multi-day adventure, the best way to train is through “back-to-back” weekend outings. Carry a weighted pack, two days in a row, while training and your backpacking, climbing, scrambling or sea kayaking adventures will be that much more comfortable, so you can focus on the scenery rather than your muscles. Read more…

In January, we asked you to share what living in the beautiful Pacific Northwest means to you in the #OurPNW photo contest. Using social media, you submitted photos showing how you enjoy #OurPNW, and told us why you like to get outside in the photo caption. Read more…

The 2015  Seattle Alpine Scramble Course is about to kick off with two workshops. March 2nd in Seattle and March 10th in Redmond. This excellent Mountaineering Course will prepare you for pretty much everything. Read more…

 Hear award winning filmmaker  and expedition sea kayaker Justine Curgenven (of "This is the Sea" ) talk about the highlights and challenges of her world first kayaking journey. She traveled along the Aleutian islands and Alaskan peninsula, described as "the greatest technical sea kayak expedition in the world". Read more…

Not sure if you're heading into potential avalanche territory? Want to know more about the causes of avalanches, pre-trip indicators, and backcountry hazards? Come join us and find out more from an expert in the field. Read more…

The Spider Meadows - Buck Creek Pass Loop, in the Glacier Peak Wilderness, is one of those trips that I had on the list of must-do for years. I love reading trail guides and imagining the terrain and views from the descriptions. No matter who I spoke to, this loop was described in hushed tones of awe and majesty. I scheduled the trip at the last part of August, during the New Moon. My goal, besides just having an awesome time, was to get an image of Glacier Peak, capped with the Milky Way. Read more…

Like my first love, I’ll never forget my first grizzly bear encounter. It was highly emotional and intense. Short-lived too, but forever etched into my mind. But unlike my first love, I wish to continue my relationship with grizzly bears into the future. Read more…

Foothills Branch brings you another fascinating photo journey with prolific traveler and guidebook author Craig Romano! Read more…

With winter here, and snow in the mountains, your land-based training for the should include strengthening exercises for the quadriceps, particularly if your plans call for snow fun like skiing, snowboarding, or snowshoeing. Read more…

Sheri Goodwin, a certified personal trainer and veteran of trekking adventures all around the Northwest and overseas, now runs a business focusing on helping others succeed in similar life-changing hiking and trekking journeys.     Read more…

The Mountaineers have been part of the Pacific Northwest since we were founded in 1906. We are pioneers and adventurers. 

Young and old, new and seasoned, passionate teachers and eager learners – the outdoors bring us together. The Pacific Northwest is our home. Read more…

fric·tion
/'frikSH(e)n/
The resistance that one surface or object encounters when moving over another
slab
/slab/
A large, thick, flat piece of stone, concrete, or wood Read more…

This free evening workshop offers participants individualized hands-on learning for activity leaders about how to use the Mountaineers website to list activities and courses, manage rosters, and communicate with activity/course participants, and any other website skills that participants wish to learn about. Bring your laptop or tablet if you have one (you can also share someone else's or follow along with demonstrations on the screen). Read more…

On a scholarship from the Seattle Climbing Committee, two volunteer Mountaineers leaders attended an American Mountain Guide Association (AMGA) single pitch instructor training course. As a result, they returned with techniques and methods that were presented and adopted by the Seattle Climbing Committee: (1) the extended rappel and (2) the pull, break, under, slide belay technique. Want to learn about these techniques? Read what Abby Hunt and Stef Schiller learned.... Read more…

“I didn't know how living outdoors and sleeping on the ground in a tent each night and walking alone through the wilderness all day almost every day had come to feel like my normal life, but it had. It was the idea of not doing it that scared me.” Read more…