- Beginner
- Ages 16+
This course is designed for climbers to learn fundamental mountaineering skills. Learn the basics of what it takes to climb a mountain.
Quick Details
Glacier Mountaineering Leadership Course
This advanced course is designed for mountaineers who already have some experience and are looking to advance their skillset. Spending four days and three nights camping out on Mt. Baker or Mt. Shuksan, you and your teammates will learn new skills with a focus on leading in the mountains. These skills include pre-trip planning and execution, two and three-person crevasse rescue, camping on a glacier, decision-making in glaciated terrain, crevasse navigation, and more. After learning these skills, the final portion of the trip brings everything together with a student-led summit attempt.
The North Cascades offer a climbing experience you can only get in a few parts of the world. Whether your course is held on Mt. Baker or Mt. Shuksan, you’ll be climbing one of the most iconic peaks in America and gazing in awe into the vast expanse of snow-capped and rocky peaks that make up the North Cascades. This is one of our more demanding courses, and participants can expect to be challenged both physically and mentally as the team moves their camp around the mountain each day.
As a small, community-focused guide service, Kaf Adventures cares deeply about our guests’ experiences. We keep our group sizes small and follow a maximum 3:1 client to instructor ratio to prioritize your learning experience and maximize your safety. Our professional instructors will ensure you have an unforgettable experience that will leave you feeling accomplished and give you the confidence to take on a leadership role on your next alpine objective.
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This is a four-day course held on Mt. Baker or Mt. Shuksan. It includes a mandatory online pre-trip meeting.
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
- Meet at around 7 a.m. to carpool and transport to the trailhead. Hike approximately 3-5 miles/4,000 feet elevation gain and set up a base camp.
Day 2
- Move camp onto the glacier and practice snow skills/glacier travel skills. We will also practice crevasse rescue during the day.
Day 3
- Student-led summit attempt. Leave camp early in the morning (~2 a.m.) to head for the summit. Depending on the route/conditions/weather and a myriad of other factors, this can take anywhere from 4 to 12 hours. We will descend a different route to practice navigation through more glaciated terrain. We will also have more time for advanced crevasse rescue.
Day 4
- Wake up, break down camp, return any rental gear and group gear to Kaf and head home! This day can also serve as a possible skills practice day on the mountain.
Plan to be home by 8 p.m. on Day 4.
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.
Additional Information
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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 40-lb pack.
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- Pre-trip planning and execution
- Decision-making in glaciated terrain
- Equipment selection and strategy
- Pre-trip navigation practice
- Off-trail navigation
- Glacier camping
- Rope work and glacier rigging
- Roped team travel and leadership
- Two and three-person Crevasse Rescue
- Summit Planning, Route Planning
- Z hauls and C-hauls
- Ascension methods
- Crevasse route finding
- Optional summit climb (student-led)
- Practice building several camps
- Pre-trip planning and execution
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- Professional instruction from full time mountaineering instructors
- Passes and Permits
- All group climbing gear
- All group camping and kitchen equipment
- Dinners and breakfasts while in the field
- Professional instruction from full time mountaineering instructors
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- Personal clothing, climbing, and camping gear
- Lunches, snacks, water carrying capacity
- Transportation. However, Kaf will assist in organizing a carpool. See further details below.
- Personal clothing, climbing, and camping gear
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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 what you will need to provide for yourself:
- Personal climbing gear – Multi-day pack, helmet, harness, mountaineering boots, glacier rig, ice tools, crampons
- Personal camping gear – Sleeping bag, sleeping pad
- Weather appropriate clothing
- Personal climbing gear – Multi-day pack, helmet, harness, mountaineering boots, glacier rig, ice tools, crampons
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We recognize that transportation can be tricky. Once registered, Kaf will provide information regarding meeting times, locations, and any required parking permits. If interested in carpooling, we will orchestrate a meeting place between participants.
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- Design your own custom Mountaineering: Guided Climb, develop your skills as an alpine climber on an Alpine Climbing: Guided Climb, Snoqualmie course, or dive into the world of ice climbing on our Ice Climbing: Beginner course.
- Pair this course with Alpine Climbing: Advanced for the ultimate eight-day Northwest climbing experience.
