Women+ Mountaineering Leadership Course 1

The goal of this course is to learn the essential skills in order to be independent in the mountains (and have loads of fun while doing it). This, in and of itself, is an empowering concept. This experience is not simply about scaling heights; it is about tapping into your inner strength and embracing the adventure of a lifetime, and just as importantly, opening doors for yourself to pursue mountain activities more independently in the future.

Every day is packed with learning new skills and deepening old skills. This includes a day of in depth snow school, crevasse rescue, and a summit push. If you have more questions about itinerary and curriculum, please keep reading.

Komo Kulshan (also known as Mount Baker) stands at 10,781 feet tall. There are several different routes and glaciers. We will either be going to the Coleman-Deming route, the Easton glacier climbing route, or the Squak glacier depending on route conditions.

Often times the route decision is not made until the day before the course, due to the changing nature of our mountains and weather.

Generally, courses in the first half of the season go to the north side (Coleman-Deming) and courses in the second half of the season trend towards the south side (Easton and Squak).

The routes are all comparable in terms of total elevation gain and difficulty.

We warmly welcome women, non-binary, and trans participants. Our goal is to create a safe and supportive space for individuals from underrepresented gender identities in the outdoors to learn and grow together.

You don’t need to be an ultra-athlete or worry about being the weakest link.

To participate, you should be capable of hiking 2,500 to 3,000 vertical feet with a 35-45 lb pack. If you choose to join the summit climb (which is entirely optional), you'll need to hike 5,000 vertical feet with a lighter 10-15 lb pack.

This is an empowering environment where your comfort and safety are our priorities. You will never be pushed beyond your limits.

If you have any concerns about your readiness for this course, please reach out through our contact page. We offer personal coaching and mentorship to help set you up for success.

• Introduction to glaciology, native lands, and mountaineering

• Crampon and ice axe techniques

• Self arrest

• Snow camping

• Navigation and route selection

• Glacier rope travel

• Crevasse Rescue (2:1, 3:1, and 6:1 mechanical advantage systems)

• Self Ascending

• Expedition style trip logistics: Cookware selection, tent setups, shelter options

• Gear selection and packing

• Safety and hazard assessment/management

• Leave no trace principles

• Mindset setting, breath work

Day 1:

• Meet at a designated area, check all gear, and have introductions

• Land acknowledgment

• Discussions: Leave no trace, safety protocols, establishing a mindset for our time together

• Hike in and set up our base camp for the course, and enjoy our first alpine meal together

• Navigation and route selection

Day 2:

• Extensively cover footwork in crampons, use of an ice axe, self arrest, and moving together on rope teams

• Discuss gear selection

• Knot school: Learn the most helpful alpine knots

• Running protection and fixed protection

• Group stretching and a warm meal

Day 3 (The order of day 3 and 4 depends on weather and conditions and are subject to switch)

• Apply the skills we learned in the previous days, and go for our summit climb

• Return to base camp

• Group debrief and sharing over dinner

• Time set aside for journaling, relaxing, and decompressing after a long day

Day 4

• Crevasse rescue

• Ropes and anchor systems

• Return to camp, and celebrate our final night together on the mountain over a fresh meal

Day 5

• Pack up base camp

• Hike out and debrief at a designated location

·      Wilderness permits and guides

·      Tents

·      Ropes, pickets, and group climbing gear

·      Stoves and cookware

·      Breakfast and dinner

·      Fun and excitement!!

Within one week of signing up, you will receive an informational packet of how best to train, a packing list, and other course information that will be helpful for you to review.

One to two weeks before the start of the course, expect an email from your guides with more information about your meeting location and route.