Women+ Intro to Mountaineering

Welcome to our three-day journey to Komo Kulshan, also known as Mount Baker. On this climb we will introduce the basics of glacier mountaineering including roped glacier travel, crampon use, equipment, alpine knots, and self arrest. The skills you learn will be applied to the goal of ascending the mountain.

The goal of our time together is to create an empowering and positive learning environment for those of underrepresented gender identities in the outdoors. Together, we work as a team to learn new skills and accomplish goals.

This climb is designed as an entry level mountaineering experience. No prior mountaineering experience is required.

Included:

• Ropes

• Pickets

• Tents

• Breakfast and Dinner

• Climbing / Camping Permits

• Cookware

• Expert guidance

Not Included:

• Personal gear

• Transportation

• Lunch/snacks

After signing up, you will receive an email with information about training, packing, and much more.

You will receive an email from your guide the week before your trip with an exact meeting location and route information.

Day 1

• Meet at designated location in Bellingham

• Go through gear and introductions

• Caravan to the trailhead

• Hike to basecamp (Expect 3-4 hours of hiking and 2,500ft - 3,000ft of elevation gain)

• Set up camp

• Begin snow school: crampon techniques, self arrest, traveling on a rope team and glacier travel

• Dinner

Day 2

• Wake up for an alpine start (typically waking up between 1am and 4am depending on the time of year and conditions)

• Climb for most of the day (summit pushes typically last between 8 - 12 hours)

• Get back to camp and rest

• Enjoy dinner together

Day three

• Breakfast together

• Pack up camp and hike out

• Debrief

Note: Depending on weather, we may decide to climb and hike out on day three.

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, trans, and femme identifying individuals.

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 4,500 - 5,000 vertical feet with a lighter 10-15 lb pack.

This is an empowering environment where your safety and experience is our priority.

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