- Beginner
- Ages 16+
Learn the fundamentals of crevasse rescue in a controlled environment. This course will teach you technical systems to extract someone from a crevasse while mountaineering.
Quick Details
2-Day Crevasse Rescue
One important responsibility of traveling on a rope team is to be prepared for rescue in glaciated terrain and having the technical skills and confidence necessary to perform those skills before an accident occurs.
We have designed this intermediate mountaineering course for those with any degree of previous mountaineering experience to learn, develop, and practice essential rescue skills before venturing into glaciated terrain. Our passionate instructors will teach you how to avoid hazardous terrain and give you the technical skills to execute a rescue in multiple scenarios. These skills are imperative for your safety and the safety of your team members when traveling over glaciated terrain or any remote precipitous environment.
Our goal is to equip you with the confidence needed to travel through these environments as a competent rope team member.
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This is a two-day course with a mandatory online pre-trip meeting two evenings before the course start date.
All participants are required to attend a pre-trip meeting with their guide to check equipment, conditions and to establish a specific time and location to meet up on the morning of the climb. Pre-trip meetings are typically completed online from 6:30 to 8:30 pm, 2 days before a course (Thursday evening for Saturday course), and your guide will send out an invitation for this.On the day of a climb, participants are responsible for getting to the meet up location ready and on time. We appreciate environmental considerations and ride sharing. Please let us know if you would like to coordinate a carpool with other participants.Pre-Trip Meeting
- 6:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m. Online meeting. You will bring all personal gear and equipment to this meeting. We will go over the route and itinerary as well as go over personal and group gear to ensure everyone has what they need.
Day 1
- We will leave Seattle early in the morning to allow us enough time to make it to our high camp. After setting up camp, we will spend the rest of the afternoon learning and practicing crevasse rescue skills. In the evening, we will prepare a group dinner and go to bed early to set us up for success on day 2.
Day 2
- We will wake up early and spend the day continuing to develop and practice skills. The curriculum can be found in the details section. Then we will break down camp, descend, and hike back to the cars. We will answer any final questions and close the day before parting ways to drive back to Seattle. You can expect to be back in Seattle around 7 p.m.
Out-of-Town Participants
We recommend that anyone flying into Seattle arrive as early as possible on the day before the trip. We also recommend you do not book a return flight until late (red-eye) on the last day of the trip, or the following morning.
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- 18+ for adult courses or 16+ with consent from a guardian and Kaf approval
- 12-18 for youth courses
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Mountaineering: Intermediate, or equivalent experience. Excellent physical fitness; the ability to hike in snow for multiple hours with short breaks for an 8 hour day with a 40lb. pack
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- Navigation
- Mountain Weather
- Snow camping
- Rope team travel
- Snow Anchors
- Ascending techniques
- Rope coiling and glacier rigging
- 2 and 3 person Crevasse Rescue
- Z hauls and C-hauls
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- Professional instruction
- Passes and permits
- Group climbing equipment including ropes and anchors
- Professional instruction
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- Personal climbing equipment used for rescue
- Transportation. However, we support carpooling.
- Lunch
- Personal climbing equipment used for rescue
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You will receive a full packing list following registration, but please feel free to contact us with any gear or equipment specific questions you have.
A brief list of personal climbing gear you’ll need to provide for yourself:
- Helmet
- Harness
- Mountaineering Boots
- Glacier rig kit
- Ice Axe
- Cord
- A selection of carabiners
- Weather-appropriate clothing
- Multi-day pack
- Sleeping bag
- Sleeping pad
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Transportation and times will be coordinated by email when the pre-trip announcement is sent to all registrants.
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