Most Popular Blogs

Progressive Climbing Education (PCE) is a strategic initiative to advance our Mountaineers climbing programs, make our suite of volunteer-led Climbing Programs more fun for volunteers to run, easier to recruit volunteers for, more attractive to new climbers (especially those coming out of the gym), and more advanced for our highly-skilled volunteers and students. This quarterly communication is intended to provide regular updates about each committees' projects, offer transparency, and ensure that all branches are able to provide feedback and input to proposed changes to the climbing programs. Read more…

Seattle, WA (November 16, 2015) – The Mountaineers, an outdoor nonprofit based in the Pacific Northwest, has been selected as one of OUTSIDE’s Best Places to Work 2015. For over 100 years, The Mountaineers has been getting people outside safely and responsibly. With staff and volunteers delivering memorable outdoor programs and a nationally recognized publishing division, The Mountaineers is actively creating future generation of stewards for the outdoors.  Read more…

A climber on rappel dislodged a piece of rock the size of a small computer or a VCR. It fell 10-15' and pinched one strand of the rappel rope against a thin ledge on the second to last rappel on the descent, severing it clean through. Read more…

As our community adapts to a new way of gathering together and learning, we're collecting ideas, tips, and how-to's to help you be successful. The Mountaineers community of staff and volunteers has stepped-up to share success stories and answer frequently asked questions about how to make your next virtual event run smoothly. Read more…

Blame the Internet. Blame social media. Blame me and other guidebook writers. Blame the Washington Trails Association (WTA). Read more…

You can experience the outdoors even when you're stuck inside, with a podcast! I love podcasts because they introduce me to new ideas, bucket list items, and adventurers. Plus, they're easy to listen to inside and out. Read more…

Climbing mountains requires a lot of energy, risk management, and the ability to lean into difficult situations. In this new speaker series, sponsored by the Seattle Climbing Committee, hear from four local outdoor experts in a series of seminars on nutrition, high altitude travel, mountain weather, and dealing with head trauma. Read more…

At the top of Three Way Peak, our rainbow assortment of French macarons shone in contrast to the cloudy skies. My mood mirrored our brightly colored summit treats. This was the first on-the-ground outing of Mountain-Queers, an affinity group of LGBTQ Mountaineers that I started laying the groundwork for last August. When I began, I wasn’t quite sure what to expect, now I couldn’t wait to see what was next. Read more…

Our family has hiked together since our 12-year-old daughter was a newborn. I remember our daughter’s first decade as a series of literal peaks and valleys, many of them in the Olympics. I can picture her chasing butterflies over Marmot Pass at age five, and searching for fairies in old growth cathedrals along the Dungeness River. When she finished first grade we backpacked into Grand Valley, then clambered up Grand Peak, a perch with majestic views into the heart of the Olympic wilderness. Read more…

Olympia Branch members: we want your BEST - photos that is! We're hosting a photo contest and we can't wait to show off your great photography skills to our community. Follow the instructions below to submit photos in one of 8 categories to win recognition and eternal bragging rights. Read more…

Each week we bring you a personal story from one of our members. For our member profile this week we talked to... Read more…

I have had the honor and privilege of mentoring women in their first steps into glacier mountaineering for the past three years. I take this awesome responsibility very seriously.

I always have feelings upon sending new mountaineering mentees into the world. Are they ready? Did I teach them enough? Are they going to be okay? In an open letter to this year's mountaineering family (and new climbers in general), I strive to offer words of wisdom to take them wherever they go next. Read more…

Summer is the busiest time for travelers. In fact, 400% more people make trips to the northwest from July-October than during winter. Read more…

I am a proud trail running newbie! I first hit the trails in my street running shoes, carrying nothing but my car key. “No big deal,” I thought. “I’ve got this.” Then I watched my pace slow way down from my road pace and started debating whether the steep hills would kill me. “But I’m a runner, this shouldn’t be this hard!" Read more…

Each week we bring you a personal story from one of our members. For our member profile this week we talked to... Read more…

As I skimmed through the latest Annual Safety Report looking for ideas for this month's article, I noticed The Mountaineers had 5 instances of dislocated shoulders in 2014. This got me thinking about all of my friends who have had shoulder dislocations while out in the backcountry. Read more…

We depend on pollinators for the gardens we enjoy, many of the plant materials we utilize, and of course the food we eat. According to the Earth Day Network, 90 percent of flowering plant species are dependent on insect pollination, and a full 35 percent of global food production is comprised of crops pollinated specifically by bees. Read more…

Streaks of glue are glistening in our hair and work overalls from another late night working on the bouldering gym’s construction. My life partner Daniel is putting up wall paneling while I assist, a wet rag in my hands to wipe away residue from the installation. We’re exhausted and elated at the same time. It seems surreal to be putting the finishing touches on a project that has absorbed the last five years of our lives. In building Half Moon Bouldering, our family start-up and the first bouldering gym in Greenwood, we feel like we’ve been aiming for the moon, and now it seems we’re actually close to landing. Read more…

You’ve seen them around: whether with a speed walking grandpa, that youngin’ plowing down the path, or the ultrarunner in the video of the Rocky 100, trekking poles (also called hiking poles or walking sticks) are an outdoor accessory almost as old as hiking itself. But… why would you use them? Read more…

For many years, Olympia Mountaineers Ray Philen and Donnie Miller maintained our online "home" at www.olympiamountaineers.org. In 2014, The Mountaineers launched a new website, designed to make it easier for people to discover and get involved with our community. After nearly five years, we've managed to move all of our old content on to the new platform. Thank you to everyone who helped! Read more…

As an outdoor enthusiast nearing fifty, I’ve noticed my balance and coordination aren’t what they used to be several decades ago. Both of these are important for hiking, climbing, backpacking, trekking, skiing, and mountaineering. Try this exercise to help restore balance and coordination for any age or ability level. Read more…

Last year, the outdoor community celebrated the passage of the Great American Outdoors Act (GAOA), the most significant federal conservation funding bill in decades. This historic victory was the result of years of work by The Mountaineers and many of our partners in the conservation and recreation community.  Read more…

We're very excited to be hosting IMG mountain guide and adventure writer Charlotte Austin again for an evening writing workshop. Whether you're an experienced author, part-time blogger, or curious novice, this class will give you a glimpse into the wide world of travel writing.  Read more…

UPDATE: Congress let LWCF expire at the end of September. However, on Oct 2, Senator Maria Cantwell, with Senator Richard Burr's, bill to reauthorize LWCF passed out of committee - an important hurdle in saving LWCF. 

Hailed as America’s best conservation program, the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) is set to expire on September 30, 2018 unless Congress takes action. For over 50 years, LWCF funds have helped build and improve trails and trailheads, parks, river put-ins, and climbing areas, benefiting everything from city green spaces to national parks. Read more…

In a wonderful development for youth volunteers at The Mountaineers, two new leadership types were approved at this past winter’s Hiking and Backpacking Activity Summit; Youth and Family Hike Leader, and Youth and Family Backpack Leader. Read more…

Mary Metz, current title Senior Editor, is well into her thirty-first year at Mountaineers Books. She found picking only five books to be quite a challenge, so she’s glad that her predecessors already covered two of her all-time faves, Stehekin and A Field Guide to the Cascades and Olympics. And she cheats a little.* Read more…

We’re looking forward to getting back to a more “normal” season at Meany Lodge with overnight guests! Registration is open now. Read more…

Although my bookshelf overflows with well-thumbed copies of our where-to hiking guides, these stories and how-to titles have each offered me a different way of seeing the world. Read more…

Welcome back! Each week, The Mountaineers youth team is sharing ideas and activities for kids of all ages to stay engaged while also staying close to home and following your county’s phased guidelines. Last week's Stuck Inside highlighted the anti-racism resources for youth and families. This week, we are sharing our Summer Quest Challenge and how to earn the quest badge. Read more…