Jr. MAC - WINTER

Please read this description in its entirety before registering.

Note: Jr. Mountain Adventure Club (Jr. MAC) membership is $250 in total for the WINTER - Basic Glacier Climb 2022 course. Participants may register here and pay in full, or may contact beckyn@mountaineers.org to set up a  payment plan. 

We offer financial assistance! To apply for financial assistance click here.

The Jr. MAC Winter Glacier Climb Course provides youth ages 12-15 an opportunity to learn about glacier climbing. The goal is to understand what glaciers are, develop the basic skills and understanding to safety climb in glacier terrain, assess risk, and understand the importance of working as a group.

Jr. MAC members will spend three months  working on their skills and climbing in a variety of outside settings once a month to practice skills learned in monthly meetings. These months include:

JAN: We will learn the basics to any glacier climb, which include snow shoeing, glissading, self arrest techniques, and avalanche awareness. Our weekend trip will be practicing these skills at Mt Rainier. 

FEB: We will learn how to properly rope up as a team, traveling techniques while roped up, how to use an ice ax, and self arrest techniques with the ax. Our weekend trip will be at Mt Rainier.

MAR: We will go over all of the learned skills and practice, practice, practice. Our weekend trip will be a FUN weekend climbing as a team to the top of  Mt St Helens to celebrate graduating the Jr. MAC Rock Winter Glacier programming!

** Due to the nature and complexity of Glacier Travel Education, each participant will need to participate and successfully complete the skills required to participate in a winter climb of Mt. St. Helens  **

Jr. MAC will be supported by Mountaineers staff, but parents are encouraged to actively participate and possibly even lead some trips if they feel ready. Staff will provide opportunities for parents to advance their own outdoor skills as well as learn key skills for leading kids safely in the outdoors. This program will focus on skill-building for both youth and adults, and on building an outdoor community.

*Note that while  parents/guardians are encouraged to be active participants in the club, there is plenty of flexibility so that youth can participate in a trip even if a parent/guardian can't make it.

Jr. MAC is a club and requires a time commitment and program fee of $250 (which can be paid in installments). In return, members gain a community of outdoor enthusiasts who enjoy spending time learning skills together. As families grow through our programs, lifelong friendships are built. When graduates of our teen program come home from college, they meet up with other Mountaineers friends to go hiking, backpacking and climbing. This program is just the beginning.

Note: Youth ages 12-15  register as participants, and therefore pay the registration and program fee. Parents should become a Qualified Youth Leader and then register for the Jr. MAC program as a  Chaperone (there is no fee for this).