Give yourself enough time to comfortably arrive in Seattle and check into your hotel before meeting your teammates. You’ll have dinner with your team and your guides at around 7pm.
Accommodation: Hotel
Meals: Dinner
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Spend five days with professional mountain guides and a group of like-minded ladies and learn the fundamentals of alpine climbing! This instructional course will teach you the basics of glacier mountaineering, proper ice axe use, and self-arrest skills. Learn how to navigate glaciated terrain and how to use basic rope techniques while summiting Mt. Baker. This training will give you hands-on experience and the confidence for future climbs and summits, while you become a part of a strong community and make life-long friendships!
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After a hearty breakfast, you’ll get transferred to Mount Baker. Hike up to the high camp, which is located at 5,500 ft above sea level (1,680m) on the edge of the Easton Glacier. Set up your camp and have a good night’s sleep.
Accommodation: Tent
Meals: Breakfast and dinner
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You have a day of training skills ahead of you. These skills may include use of an ice axe and crampons, self-arrest rescue techniques, and communication skills while traveling with a rope team.
Accommodation: Tent
Meals: Breakfast and dinner
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Take advantage of an early alpine start and head up to the Easton Glacier. You’ll finally reach Mt. Baker’s summit, called Grant Peak, at 10,781 ft (3,286m) above sea level. The summit is actually a 1,300-foot-deep mound of ice, hiding a massive volcanic crater. After you’ve taken in the views from the top, get back down to your camp and then to the trailhead. You’ll be transferred to the city, where you’ll have your final dinner.
Accommodation: Hotel
Meals: Breakfast and dinner
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Your adventure has come to an end, but you are more than welcome to stay in the area and talk to your guides about your plans!
Meals: Breakfast
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What you get on this adventure:
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- Mount Baker — Glacier School 1 (5 days) or Mount Baker — Comprehensive Glacier School 2 (7 days)
- Professional guiding team
- Hotel accommodations pre- and post climb in Seattle and/or Sedro-Woolley (double occupancy)
- Welcome & final dinners in town
- Transfers from Seattle to Mount Baker and return
- Team gear including four-season tents (double occupancy), ropes, snow anchors, and team medical kit
- Meals during the tour (listed day-by-day in the itinerary)
- On-trail real-time GPS tracking and communications
What’s not included:
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- Flights or alternate travel to/from Seattle, WA
- Airport transfers in Seattle
- Meals not listed
- Personal climbing gear and attire
- Personal medications
- Sodas & alcoholic beverages
- Personal trekking snacks (such as bars, trail mix, or beef jerky) for on-trail sustenance
- Medical, travel, and rescue insurance
- Single supplement — contact us to discuss availability and pricing
- Guide gratuities — optional
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For both the Mount Baker Glacier School 1, and Mount Baker Comprehensive Glacier School 2 no mountaineering experience is required. Participants must be in very good physical condition and previous hiking experience is required. Previous backpacking experience is highly recommended but not mandatory.
Climbing Mount Baker via the Easton Glacier Route is a moderate glacier climb that entails moderately steep terrain and crevasse crossings. Depending on the season, some sections can require exposed climbing moves. Summit day typically involves 5-7 hours of continuous effort.
Keep in mind that you’ll be carrying all your personal & climbing gear, as well as an allotment of group gear—expect a pack weight of 40-50 lbs. For summit day, you’ll only be carrying layers, snacks, and water (typically no more than 10-15 lbs).
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No prior mountaineering experience is required, but it is always welcome. Participants must be in good physical condition. Some previous hiking experience is required and previous backpacking experience is always helpful. This instructional course and the climb of Mount Baker via the Easton Glacier Route is a moderate glacier climb that entails moderately steep terrain and crevasse crossings. Above all, your instructor’s number one priority is your safety. As long as you check all the boxes above and listen to the given instructions, there is a really high chance of completing your climb.
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Group camping equipment will be provided by your guiding service. Here’s a list of the equipment we suggest you bring:
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- Backpack large enough to carry all the items listed (around a 65L bag)
- Glacier glasses & ski goggles
- Four-season sleeping bag
- Sleeping mat and liner
- Compression sack for sleeping bag
- Crampons — can be rented
- Ice axe — can be rented
- Water bottle
- Food you can eat on-the-go (energy bars, electrolytes, sports drinks)
- Toiletries (sunscreen, bug spray, toilet paper, chapstick with SPF, etc.)
- 100% UV Sunglasses
- Headlamp
- Extra batteries
- Camera — optional
Here’s a list of clothes we suggest you bring:
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- Insulated mountaineering boots that work with crampons
- Training boots for camp
- Thick wool socks & thin trekking socks
- Gloves (lightweight liner gloves, softshell gloves, insulated mittens)
- Expedition-weight insulated puffy jacket
- Hardshell (GoreTex) wind- and waterproof shell jacket
- Softshell jacket
- Warm mid-layer top & long-sleeve hoodie
- Short or long-sleeved base layer top
- Softshell pants & hardshell (GoreTex) pants
- Fast-drying base layer bottom (no cotton)
- Underwear
- Neck gaiter
- Buff, sun hat, and beanie
- Set of town clothes
- Light towel
You will need clothes for hiking during the day, resting in the evening, and for sleeping. Dress comfortably and for the weather in clothes you can move in. We suggest bringing clothing appropriate for the season. Your clothing should be lightweight, breathable, hand-washable, and quick-drying, which means no cotton
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Yes, you can rent equipment for this all-women climbing adventure on Mt. Baker. While your guides provide group camping, cooking, and emergency gear, you are responsible for your personal climbing gear and attire. There are numerous rental shops in Seattle, check out Gear House or Ascent Outdoors.
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On the way to basecamp you will need to carry all of your personal & climbing gear, as well as an allotment of group gear; expect a pack weight of 40-50 lbs. For summit day you’ll only be carrying layers, snacks and water — typically no more than 10-15 lbs.
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June through September typically show low precipitation on Mount Baker. That said, the North Cascades are known for precarious weather and fast-moving storms. Always be prepared for wet weather, and temperatures that can range anywhere from the eighties as low as sub-freezing. Your gear should be dialed for 20 degree temperatures.
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More advanced topics are covered in the Comprehensive Glacier School 2, including expedition planning, crevasse rescue, more advanced rope work and technique. The 7-day itinerary also allows you more time to dive into the skills and deepen your lessons in glacier and rope team travel, self-arresting and use of your crampons and ice axes. A longer itinerary also allows you a better window for weather and to experience glacier camping at its finest!
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Group sizes and prices:
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- The group size for both Mount Baker Glacier School 1 & Mount Baker Comprehensive Glacier School 2 is set at maximum 10 guests.
- Cost is per person and it doesn’t decrease as the group grows.
Climbing days in Kilimanjaro can be arranged for bigger groups. Contact us prior to booking.
Min. age requirements:
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- If you are older than 18, you’re good to go.
- Minors older than 14 may be permitted to climb on a case-by-case basis, but must be in the presence of a parent or legal guardian.
If your group has climbers under the age of 18, contact us prior to booking to make arrangements.
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Your tour starts in Seattle. The easiest way to get there is by flying into Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, 15 minutes away from downtown.
Both glacier schools begin with a welcome dinner on Day 1. Please plan to arrive at your destination by mid-afternoon of Day 1, with plenty of time to clear immigration and customs and/or check into your hotel prior to meeting your teammates for the welcome dinner, which typically starts around 7 pm local time. If you are flying in for an international expedition, your flights should land no later than 3pm local time.
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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, guides and the communities they’re travelling to. For more information on COVID-19 measures on Mount Baker, please refer to Washington’s COVID-19 travel requirements.
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!
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