Basic Alpine Climbing Course

Registration Timeframes :
Applications accepted : Oct 1st - Oct 7th
Application results published : October 21st
Successful applicants register : October 22nd - October 31st
Cancellation : Refund minus $10 by Jan 2nd. No refunds after this.

The course is now full (and oversubscribed). We are not adding more people to the waitlist.  See the last para below to explore other options.

The course is often oversubscribed (>300 applicants for 120 seats). Students are selected from the applicant pool via a lottery, after screening for a basic level of outdoor experience. 

The Basic Alpine Climbing Course is a year-long program preparing students to be solid and competent climbers reaching rock and glacier summits of the Pacific Northwest. The course format is a combination of class lectures, in-town field trips, small group instruction at local crags and alpine climbs in the mountains during the summer. The course includes 5 lectures and 7 field trips plus readings.

After the "in town" training, students start going on climbs, always with carefully selected, experienced leaders. A reasonable level of physical fitness is required.

Skills taught include belaying, rappelling, rope handling, 5th class rock climbing, snow climbing, glacier travel, back-country camping including on snow, guidance on gear purchases and conditioning, and more - lots more.

The course is a significant time commitment and also requires the purchase of several hundred dollars of clothing and equipment, especially for those who do not already have hiking or backpacking gear. Even those who have some equipment already can expect to spend at least $500 on gear, and the course fee is $650.

Not all things need to be purchased right away, however, and some things can be rented from local mountain shops or borrowed from friends. But be aware our course requires an investment of both time and money. Some things to keep in mind: This is not rock climbing at the crags, it's summit-oriented alpine climbing in the mountains on rock, snow and glaciers. There are no refunds beyond the first class meeting in January.

Alpine climbing with The Mountaineers is an awesome opportunity to confidently and competently visit places where few can go; to experience levels of instant trust, bonding, and community not commonly experienced in everyday life, all while pushing your physical limits and achieving personal goals. Welcome to your new adventures. We look forward to sharing them with you.

Some alternate options to the Basic Alpine Climbing Course with the Seattle Mountaineers include -

1) The club has individual modules (rock, alpine rock, glacier and alpine skills). This allows you to take the equivalent of the basic class at your own pace (and test out of skills you already possess).

2) Explore classes with other branches of the Mountaineers. Everett and Tacoma are nearby and have great climbing programs too!

3) The Alpine Scrambling class offers a great bridge between hiking and technical mountaineering to take adventurous off-trail routes to summits in the Cascades and the Olympics. Students with scrambling experience are preferred when applying for the Basic Alpine Course.

4) If you are already a graduate of the Alpine Scrambling class, there is a Glacier Travel Class. This covers the glacier skills from the Basic Alpine Climbing Class – bringing within reach mountains like Mt. Rainier and Mt. Baker. Glacier grads can join the Basic Alpine Climbing class for a reduced fee – and get some credit towards the classes and climbs required.

5) Seattle Mountaineers also conducts an Intense Basic Alpine Climbing Course. It compresses the Basic Alpine Climbing Class into ~9 continuous and full days – intense!

6) If you are already an experienced climber with material experience on basic rock and glaciers climbs, you can apply for Basic Equivalency and participate in club activities that require graduation from the basic climbing class.