On the first day, the adventure begins at 8:00 am with a rendezvous in town. At this point, you’ll meet your guide, and a quick gear check will be conducted while the day’s plan is reviewed. The guide will provide insights into the route to camp, and any final adjustments will be made before setting off in a caravan to the trailhead. The remainder of the day will be dedicated to an exhilarating hike to camp, during which valuable camp craft skills will be learned.
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Embark on a transformative 3-day Mount Baker mountaineering journey. Acquire essential mountaineering skills while immersing in the breathtaking North Cascades wilderness. Under the guidance of a seasoned guide, navigate challenging terrain, master alpine camping, and ascend over 4,000 feet on summit day. Your comprehensive package includes an experienced guide, gear check, and all necessary group equipment. This alpine odyssey on Mount Baker offers a profound and rewarding experience for those aspiring to become proficient mountaineers.
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The second day starts early, with a hearty breakfast that includes hot coffee or tea. After preparing the necessary food for the day, it’s time to gear up and venture out to cover a comprehensive mountaineering skills course. This includes an overview of mountaineering gear, ice axe techniques (including self-arrest and team arrest for glacier travel), crampon techniques, mastering the rest step for mountaineering efficiency, descending techniques, and the fundamentals of rope team travel. In the evening, an early dinner is prepared before retiring for the night.
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Summit day kicks off between 3:00-5:00 am with a quick breakfast before embarking on an early alpine start. The precise start time will be determined based on weather conditions and the day’s warming trends. Be prepared for a demanding day ahead, as over 4,000 feet in elevation will be gained, while various snow surfaces and steep slopes are traversed. Once the high point is reached, the descent back to camp begins. Following the descent, camp is broken down, bags are packed, and the journey back to the trailhead marks the conclusion of the exhilarating adventure.
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What you get in this adventure:
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- An experienced, certified mountaineering guide 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:
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- Personal technical mountaineering gear and clothes
- Transportation
- Accommodation before and after the tour (if applicable)
- Food and snacks
- Guide gratuities — optional
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To participate in the guided 3-day Mt Baker mountaineering tour, it is important to be in excellent physical shape. Participants should be able to hike 8-10 miles, climbing 2,500 – 3,500 vertical feet throughout the course of the day. To ensure that you are physically prepared for the tour, it is recommended that you spend 3-4 days a week doing strenuous workouts. During the tour, you will be moving uphill at 1,000’ per hour for durations of 1-1.5 hours between breaks. It is important to be able to spend a long, active day outside.
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This guided Mt Baker alpine climbing adventure is open to people with no technical mountaineering skills—ice axe, crampon, and basic rope skills are encouraged, but not required.
You can build those skills during the adventure (on Day 2), but having those skills means you will have more time for practical application. Keep in mind that you will always be accompanied by your guide who will take care of the planning, introduce you to the basics, teach you how to manage the terrain, and keep your group safe.
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For technical mountaineering gear, you will need to bring:
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- Climbing helmet
- Headlamp
- Climbing harness
- Two locking carabiners
- Triple action locking carabiner
- Climbing boots
- Gaiters
- Crampons
- Semi-technical ice tool — a curved tool with a pommel for glacier walking and steep snow/ice climbing
- Technical ice tool — aggressive curved tool for steep ice
- Trekking poles
For clothing, we recommend bringing:
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- Sun hat
- Sunglasses — dark lens glasses with side coverage
- Goggles
- Warm hat
- Neck gaiters
- Long sleeve base layer — lightweight, synthetic, or wool
- 2 insulating top layers — light to midweight insulation layers
- Puffy — midweight down or synthetic with hood
- Hardshell jacket, hooded — waterproof, Gore-Tex, not insulated
- Light & midweight gloves
- Underwear — wool or synthetic
- Socks — midweight wool/synthetic
- Long underwear — wool or synthetic
- Softshell climbing pants
- Hardshell climbing pants – light, gore-tex pants, full zip are ideal to put on with boots/crampons on
For food & camping equipment, you will need to bring:
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- Dinner — your favorite freeze dried or “just-add-hot-water” meal for each night in the field
- Breakfast — your favorite freeze dried or “just-add-hot-water” meal for each morning in the field
- Hot drinks — instant coffee, decaffeinated tea, hot cocoa, tang, whatever you prefer
- Half liter nalgene bottle — a hard sided water bottled that can act as your mug for hot drinks and water bottle
- Soft water bottle 1.5L — flexible water bladder
- Water treatment or filtration
- Bowl and spoon
- Snacks & lunch for every day of the trip
- Sleeping bag — down or synthetic rated to 20F
- Sleeping pad — insulated inflatable air mattress
- Compression stuff — to pack your sleeping bag; ultralight compression sack 10L
- Backpack – lightweight, simple 50 liter pack
Finally, here’s a list of other personal items we recommend bringing:
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- Sunscreen (SPF 30 minimum)
- Lip balm (with SPF)
- Hand sanitizer
- Toilet paper
- Wag bags (Solid Human Waste Disposal Bags)
- First aid/blister Kit
- Camera — optional
- Chemical hand warmers — optional
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Technical mountaineering equipment like ice axe, crampons, harness, and climbing helmet can be rented from your guiding service. You will also be able to discuss the gear and your packing list with your guide prior to the adventure. If you need help with renting equipment, contact us prior to booking to make arrangements.
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Group sizes and pricing:
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- For this 3-day Mount Baker climb, the usual client-to-guide ratio is 4:1.
- The minimum number of participants for this tour is 3.
- The price doesn’t decrease as the group grows.
3-day alpine climbing on Mount Baker can be arranged for larger groups. Contact us to make arrangements.
Min. age requirements:
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- 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.
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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.
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We highly recommend that you cover all your bases with both emergency medical and travel insurance. With medical insurance, if you have an accident or medical emergency on or off the mountain, you’ll avoid paying out of pocket for costly expenses. This covers everything from hospital treatments to emergency air transportation and more.
Travel insurance covers canceled flights, natural disasters and other scenarios that may interrupt your travel plans.
If you need assistance selecting the right insurance for your group, let us know and we will be happy to help!
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