- Ages 16+
- All levels
There’s a reason Mount Shuksan is one of the most photographed peaks in North America. Take in unbelievable close-up views of Mount Baker and the North Cascades.
Quick Details
Advanced Alpine Climbing Course
This is our ultimate climbing course. Push yourself physically and mentally while further developing your mountaineering and alpine climbing skills.
This course covers advanced technical skills in trad climbing, leading on glaciers, and advanced mountain travel techniques. After completion, you will be able to move through the mountains in a variety of different terrains of varying complexity.
This four-day course is for those who have completed our mountaineering advanced course as well as our advanced rock climbing course, or equivalent professional training.
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This is a four-day course held in Boston Basin in the North Cascades or Mt. Shuksan. It includes a mandatory online pre-trip meeting two evenings before the course start date.
All participants are required to attend a pre-trip meeting with their guide to check equipment, conditions and to establish a specific time and location to meet up on the morning of the climb. Pre-trip meetings are typically completed online from 6:30 to 8:30 pm, 2 days before a course (Thursday evening for Saturday course), and your guide will send out an invitation for this.On the day of a climb, participants are responsible for getting to the meet up location ready and on time. We appreciate environmental considerations and ride sharing. Please let us know if you would like to coordinate a carpool with other participants.Pre-Trip Meeting
- 6:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m. Online meeting. You will bring all personal gear and equipment to this meeting. We will go over the route and itinerary as well as go over personal and group gear to ensure everyone has what they need.
Day 1
- Meet at around 7 a.m. to carpool and transport to the trailhead. Hike approximately 3-5 miles/4,000 feet elevation gain and set up a base camp. Begin skill instruction related to anchoring and roped team travel.
Day 2
- Move camp onto the glacier and practice snow skills/glacier travel skills. We will also practice crevasse rescue during the day.
Day 3
- Alpine summit attempt with moving instruction. Practice alpine anchoring, movement within third and fourth class terrain, and support with decision making.
Day 4
- Student-led alpine route
Plan to be home by 8 p.m. on Day 4.
Out-of-Town Participants
We recommend that anyone flying into Seattle arrive as early as possible on the day before the trip. We also recommend you do not book a return flight until late (red-eye) on the last day of the trip, or the following morning.
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- 18+ for adult courses or 16+ with consent from a guardian and Kaf approval
- 12-18 for youth courses
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- Traditional gear placement and anchoring
- Practice lead climbing and lead belaying dynamics with traditional gear
- Rappelling, multi-pitch techniques, and rope management
- Practice leading on glaciers
- Snow anchor construction
- Moderate and steep snow climbing, practice with steeper crampon techniques
- Rope team management
- Route finding and glacier travel navigation
- Mountain weather assessment
- Traditional gear placement and anchoring
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- Professional instruction
- National Park passes and permits
- Group mountaineering equipment
- All group camping and kitchen equipment
- Breakfasts and dinners
- Professional instruction
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- Transportation (carpool options available)
- Parking passes
- Personal equipment
- Lunches while in the field
- Transportation (carpool options available)
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You will receive a full packing list following registration, but please feel free to contact us with any gear or equipment specific questions you have. A brief list of what you will need to provide for yourself:
- Personal climbing equipment, sleep system, pack, appropriate clothing, and footwear
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Transportation and times will be coordinated by email when the pre-trip announcement is sent to all registrants.
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Pair this course with our Glacier Mountaineering Leadership Course for the ultimate eight-day northwest climbing experience. Also check out Ice Climbing: Advanced, Banff and Ice Climbing: Advanced, New England.
“The date I want isn’t listed.” Please visit our Custom Courses page and contact us to book a private or custom course that fits your needs.
“I don’t see any dates.” Several of our courses run infrequently. We invite you to opt for a waitlist on our courses that do not have visible dates on the course calendar. When enough people sign up for that course, we will select a course date and invite you all to register then.