Mountaineering Skills Seminar on Mount Baker

57hours is committed to providing safe outdoor adventure experiences. We require all guides using our platform to have a COVID-19 safety plan and to make the details of that plan accessible to travelers. In most cases, group sizes will be reduced, guides will avoid overcrowded locations, and other safety measures will be met depending on the location and activity.

We also expect clients to respect local regulations and take measures to protect themselves, their guides, and the communities they’re traveling to. For more information on COVID-19 measures in Mount Baker, Washington, please refer to the Washington State Department of Health’s COVID-19 travel guidelines.

Please contact us if you have any questions or require further information. We are happy to provide you with the most up-to-date information!

What you get in this adventure:

• • An experienced, certified mountaineering instructor with extensive knowledge of the area
  • A pre-trip meeting and gear check in Glacier, WA
  • 3 full days of mountaineering
  • All group gear, including tents, stoves, ropes, guide’s first aid kits, etc.

What’s not included:

• • Technical backcountry ski touring equipment
  • Transportation
  • Accommodation in Glacier, WA
  • Food and snacks

In order to take part in this mountaineering seminar, you will need to have a high level of cardiovascular fitness. You will be on your feet for 3 full days, learning athletic movements that involve your entire body. While there is terrain for all skill levels in Mount Baker, you will need to manage controlled descents in variable conditions. All participants should feel comfortable on challenging blue or black-level resort runs and be able to carry a loaded daypack while skinning up variable degrees of terrain.

This program is an introductory course designed to provide an understanding of the techniques and tools used in classic mountaineering. As such, there are no prerequisite skills. If you’ve never mountaineered before, this course is your best bet. They’ll take care of the planning, introduce you to the basics, like skinning uphill, and teach you how to manage the terrain. They also have the experience and avalanche training to keep you safe.

For technical mountaineering gear, you will need to bring:

• • Alpine touring skis, telemark skis, or splitboard with skins (can be rented)
  • Touring boots and poles (can be rented)
  • Climbing harness (can be rented)
  • Double length sling
  • Climbing boots (can be rented)
  • Gaiters
  • Crampons (can be rented)
  • Semi-technical and technical ice tools (e.g. ice ax, can be rented)
  • Trekking poles (can be rented)
  • Avalanche safety equipment (can be rented):
    • Digital, 3-antenna avalanche transceiver or beacon
    • Lightweight snow shovel
    • Avalanche probe

For personal items, we recommend bringing:

• • Helmet
  • Sunglasses
  • Ski goggles
  • Gloves and warm hat
  • Sun hat
  • Buffs or face masks
  • Long sleeve base layer top
  • Fleece weight upper layers
  • Midweight down/synthetic puffy jacket
  • Wind and waterproof shell jacket with hood (Gore-Tex recommended)
  • Ski pants (Gore-Tex recommended)
  • Synthetic or wool base layers, underwear and socks
  • One triple-action locking carabiner or two conventional locking carabiners
  • Repair kit and Leatherman for your equipment (can be shared between several people)
  • Water bottle and 2L of water
  • Thermos with a warm beverage
  • Food you can eat on-the-go
  • First aid kit
  • Sunscreen and lip balm
  • Headlamp
  • Sleeping bag and compression stuff sack
  • Inflatable sleeping pack
  • Daypack large enough to carry all items listed (around a 50L backpack)
  • Camera — optional
  • Chemical hand warmers — optional

All mandatory gear can be rented if you don’t have your own. You can rent:

• • Avalanche safety pack, including backpack, beacon, shovel, and probe
  • Alpine touring or telemark skis, touring boots, and poles can be rented from the Glacier Ski Shop in Glacier, WA
  • Splitboards can be rented from the Glacier Ski Shop in Glacier, WA
  • Climbing equipment can be rented from the Glacier Ski Shop in Glacier, WA

Ski rental locations are in Glacier and should be picked up the night prior to your outing. If you need to rent gear, let us know and we can help make arrangements.

Group sizes and pricing:

• • For this seminar, the usual client-to-guide ratio is 2:1.
  • The price doesn’t decrease as the group grows.

The mountaineering seminar on Mount Baker can be arranged for larger groups. Contact us to make arrangements.

Min. age requirements:

• • If you are older than 18, you’re good to go.
  • Minors may be permitted to join this course on a case-by-case basis.

If your group has mountaineers under the age of 18, contact us prior to booking to make arrangements.

To get to Glacier, WA, the starting point of this tour, most people fly into Seattle-Tacoma International Airport 2,5 hours away. From there, you can rent a car, or take a bus or train.

Once you and your guide agree on the details of your itinerary, your guide will suggest the best place to meet, whether that’s at the guide shop in Glacier or a predetermined location. From there, you’ll head to your tour. The guide will choose the appropriate terrain dependent on conditions and the ski ability of the group.