Conditioning Hiking Series

Participants must be a Mountaineers member with current waiver on file to register for the course.   Please email info@mountaineers.org with registration questions.

Priority registration: January 26th thru February 8th for first time participants only.

Registration Open to All:  Starting 08:00 AM, February 8th. 

COVID POLICY:   All students and instructors are required to be vaccinated against COVID-19 in order to participate in this course. Students will be required to show proof of vaccination ASAP after registering for the Course. You can do so by sending in a pic of your vaccine card or your QR code to chsvaxinfo@gmail.com.  Unless you tell us otherwise you will then be awarded a Mountaineers "Covid Vaccination" Badge that will show up in your profile.  This will then preclude the need to send in proof of vax for other Mountaineers activities.  Participants will be required to keep up to date with current public guidelines for boosters, exposure for quarantine, etc. from the Mountaineers, King County, Washington, and the CDC. Additionally, masks will be required when indoors for in-person lectures. 

Due to the ongoing pandemic and the rise of variants of the COVID-19 virus, we will strive to re-evaluate protocols closer to the course dates and, in keeping with the Mountaineers COVID Guidelines, we will modify our COVID protocols accordingly.

Cost: The course fee is $160.00. Scholarships are available, please see the link above.  

Cancellations are subject to the following refund schedule.  Please note that all refunds will incur a $10 club cancellation fee.

• Before Apr 1 - 100% 
• Apr 1-30 - 75%
• May 1-31 - 50%
• After May 31 - no refund

Overview: This course is for hiking enthusiasts who are interested in challenging themselves by working up to day hikes of 15+ miles.  The Seattle 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.  It is also designed to provide a small-group trip environment in which hikers can build friendships over time by hiking with many of the same people on each trip.  All hikes are limited to current participants and former CHS graduates.

Minimum Qualifications: This course is not for beginning hikers.  (If you are a beginning hiker we suggest you check out our  'GoHike' series here.)  For CHS, you should be capable of a minimum sustained pace of 1.5 miles per hour (think 1:20 up Rattlesnake Ledge trail or 2:40 up Mt. Si trail).  Participants are strongly encouraged to build physical fitness and dedicate time outside of the course to 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 2022 CHS program consists of a mandatory orientation, a minimum of two CHS hikes per month building in mileage and elevation gain from April through August, and a graduation hike in September. During orientation, we will cover basic information that is needed to prep for longer hikes, and also go over course guidelines and expectations.  Participants are also required to earn a Stewardship Credit  (by completing one day of trail maintenance), as well as their  Low Impact Recreation badge (consisting of a few videos and a quiz) in order to graduate. 

This is typically a very popular series, and there is usually a long waitlist, so please  be committed to putting in the time and effort to graduate before registering and claiming a spot on the roster.   If you have any questions, please feel free to contact the course leaders.

Prior to your first hike in April, you will choose your preference for moderate (CHS1) or faster (CHS2) paced hikes. If you are uncertain which level is best for you, pacing hikes will be offered in March and our leaders will help you select a pacing group.  Once the course begins in April any participant who has trouble keeping up with the group on a CHS2 hike may be asked to switch to CHS1.

Where We Hike:  Our hike destinations vary depending on anticipated conditions (snow, etc) and range from the Cascades to the Olympics, from Mt. Baker to the Columbia Gorge, and everywhere in between including Mt. Rainier, Eastern Washington, the Kitsap peninsula, Mount St. Helens, Hwy 2, and the I-90 Snoqualmie Corridor.  We try to offer hikes on each Sat/Sun of every month, as well as occasional weekday offerings for those with flexible schedules. 

To get an idea of the types of hikes that will be offered and when, you can view sample hike schedules from a previous year here (for the CHS 1 < 2.0 mph pace group) and here (for the CHS 2 > 2.0 mph faster pace group).  

Additional Info:  Other popular annual events* (all optional) offered with Seattle CHS include a Coast Clean-Up Weekend (with lodging) on the Olympic Coast,  A Columbia Gorge Weekend (May) near Cascade Locks, a  campout weekend (June) with hikes to scenic peninsula locales, a Mt. Rainier campout weekend featuring  hikes in and around the park (July), and a North Cascades campout weekend highlighting several stunning hike destinations in the 'American Alps' (August).  Our optional overnight trips have extra costs associated with them.                       *Note that in 2021 the structure of these weekends was changed due to Covid-19, and exactly what these will look like in 2022 is still to-be-determined.