Conditioning Hiking Series

Please email info@mountaineers.org with registration questions.

You must be a member of The Mountaineers to register for the course. Registration is open during the month of February as follows:

• Feb 1st 9:00AM-Feb 14th 5:00PM: registration open for first-time participants only
• Feb 15th 9:00AM-Feb 28th 5:00PM: registration open to all (includes returning participants and prior course graduates)

Prior participants who register before Feb 15th at 9:00AM will be removed from the roster and required to re-register at the assigned time, no exceptions!

Online or telephone registration only.  The course fee is $145.00. Scholarships are available, please see the link above.

As with all club hikes, participants are expected to contribute toward carpooling costs if they are riding as a passenger. Our optional overnight trips have extra costs associated with them. We frequently stop for an inexpensive meal or snack following our hikes.

Overview: This course is for hiking enthusiasts who are interested in challenging themselves to go on day hikes of 16+ miles.  The Conditioning Hiking Series (CHS) kicks off in March, and is designed to prepare hikers who are currently experienced at the upper easy/moderate level for the challenges of strenuous, long-distance day hiking.  All hikes are limited to participants in the course.

Minimum Qualifications: This course is not for beginning hikers! You must be capable of a minimum sustained pace of 1.5 miles per hour (think 80 minutes up Rattlesnake Ledge Trail or 2 hrs 45 min up Mt Si trail). Participants are strongly encouraged to build physical fitness and spend time outside of the course keeping themselves in shape. You should be available and committed to go on eleven hikes over the course of the summer. You should also enjoy group hiking and socializing with your fellow participants.

What to Expect: The 2019 CHS course consists of a mandatory daytime class on Saturday, March 16 at the Seattle Mountaineers Program Center, a minimum of two CHS hikes per month building in mileage and elevation gain from April through August, and a graduation hike of 16+ miles in September. The class session on March 16 is designed to teach basic information that is needed to prep for longer hikes, and also to go over course guidelines and expectations.  Each participant in the course is also required to do one day of trail maintenance in order to graduate.  This is a popular course with a long waitlist, therefore, you must be willing and committed to completing all requirements in order to occupy a spot on the roster.

Prior to your first hike in April, you will choose your preference for moderate (CHS1) or fast (CHS2) paced hikes. If you are uncertain which level is best for you, pacing hikes will be offered on March 23/24 and our leaders will help you select a pacing group.

Course badges will be awarded to those who complete the March classroom session, ten CHS day hikes (two per month, April-August), one CHS graduation hike in September, and one day of trail maintenance.