Glacier Peak Climb and Skills Clinic

Overview

Glacier Peak is famous for its location, buried deep in the heart of the Cascades. It is the most remote of the Cascade volcanoes, and indeed, it was the last of them to be climbed. The first team to make the summit was a U.S. Geological Survey Team in 1897. The team followed the same route as AAI Teams do today, they climbed the Disappointment Peak Cleaver.

But it is unlikely that the geological team had the same goals as those we have today. AAI's approach to Glacier Peak is one of education. This mountain is one of several peaks where we offer "skills and climb" programs. As such, the objective is not only to make the summit of the mountain, but also to learn some baseline mountaineering skills along the way.

This program was designed to be an intensive introduction to the art of backcountry mountaineering while also providing the opportunity to climb one of Washington's classic alpine volcanoes. The primary goal is for competent backpackers to make the jump up to become competent glacier mountaineers. The secondary goal is to ascend a moderate glaciated route up to a pleasant summit.

Glacier Peak is a beautiful mountain. William D. Lyman, a late nineteenth century historian and mountaineer, incitefully wrote about the mountain's ellegance above the landscape. "It can be seen in all its snowy vastness, ten thousand feet high, and bearing upon its broad shoulders miles and miles of rivers of ice, the most beautiful and significant of all the poems of nature." 

Perhaps the best way to recite this "poem of nature" is to enjoy an educational climb on this spectacular mountain.

Glacier Peak from the East. The left-hand shaded glacier in this photo is the Chocolate Glacier. The large rock face in the center is known as North Guardian Rock. The glacier below the rock is North Guardian Glacier. And the right-hand shaded ridge is Frostbite Ridge, a common objective on private programs. John Scurlock

Glacier Peak Climb and Skills Clinic

Itinerary

Day 1:

On the first day of the program, the team will meet at 7am at the AAI headquarters in Bellingham, Washington for a comprehensive equipment check. Following that, the team will drive to North Fork Sauk Trail Trailhead (2,100'), approximately two hours away.

The team will then hike the North Fork Sauk Trail (5.2 miles) to the Mackinaw Shelter (3000'). Once we are

Day 2:

On the second day of the program, the team will get up early and hike 8.2 miles to Glacier Gap Camp at 7,300 feet. This will be a big day with 4,300 feet of elevation gain. The entire focus of this second day will be to get to the Glacier Gap Camp.

Day 3:

On the third day of the program, we will focus on snow school skills. This includes effective movement over snow, the 9 principle ice axe positions, snow anchors, belay techniques, and roping up for glacier travel.

Day 4:

The primary focus of the fourth day of this program will be on crevasse rescue systems. The team will discuss mechanical advantage, and then build hauling systems. Crevasse rescue systems to be covered are the 3:1 and 6:1 direct hauls and the 2:1 team drop C rescue system.

Day 5:

On Day 5, the team will make a summit bid and then start back toward the trailhead. We will climb 3,200 feet over 2.8 miles to the summit (10,525') and then return to the Glacier Gap Camp. From camp, we will travel approximately 4.5 miles and lose 1700 feet to camp at the White Pass Campground (5,800').

Day 6:

On the final day of the program, we will hike 9 miles back out to the trailhead and then return to the AAI headquarters in Bellingham.

Climbing and Mountain Skills:

• Selection and use of personal equipment
• Selection and use of ropes, knots, and harnesses
• Selection and use of snow, & ice anchors for belays & intermediate protection
• Belaying techniques for snow, and ice
• Principles of glacier travel & route finding
• Self-arrest; rappelling, & prusiking
• The concept and application of the self-belay
• Individual & team crevasse rescue techniques
• Leave No Trace travel, camping, and climbing

• An introduction to alpine ecology
• Map, compass, altimeter and GPS use: reading, intersection, and triangulation
• Evaluation and prediction of mountain weather patterns
• Introduction to avalanche hazard evaluation

The view down from Glacier Gap. Sam Boyce

Glacier Peak Climb and Skills Clinic

Dates

2025

• June 09 - 14, 2025
• June 23 - 28, 2025
• Aug 18 - 23, 2025

It is also possible to set-up this as a private program. Please inquire with the Cascade Programs Coordinator for more information.

It is also possible to set-up private programs for the Frostbite Ridge, a more advanced level route.

Variations throughout the season...

While all of these courses run during what we consider the "summer season," there is a large amount of variability in the weather and conditions that a climber could experience throughout this time. We recognize that most of our participants sign up for our programs weeks or months in advance, and although we can never be fully certain of what we'll encounter in the mountains that far out, you can click here for a description of what can typically be expected throughout the summer as well as a guide on picking the timeframe that is best for you.

Glacier Peak Climb and Skills Clinic

Details

Prerequisites:

Participants should have backpacking experience and an excellent level of physical fitness. Glacier Peak is a true backcountry peak, and we will need to cover a lot of terrain in order to get into position to study mountaineering skills and to make a summit attempt.

If you don't have backpacking experience, it is possible to take AAI's 2-day Backpacking and Wilderness Skills program prior to the start of the Glacier Peak Skills and Climb.

Note:

The content of this program is very similar to that of an Alpinism I: Introduction to Mountaineering program. The difference between this program and the Alpinism I program is that this program does not have an introduction to rock climbing day built in and does not cover steep ice climbing. This is the perfect program for an individual who is looking to transition from backpacking to introductory level mountaineering.

Those who have completed an Alpinism I course and are not interested in rock climbing, may find this course to be an excellent follow-up and review.

Glacier Peak Climb and Skills Clinic

Related Courses

• 

  Backpacking and Wilderness Skills

  This introductory backpacking course is designed for hikers and outdoor lovers who have no prior experience camping overnight in the wilderness.

• 

  Alpinism 1 - Introduction to Mountaineering

  This 6-day program introduces the fundamentals of alpine climbing, including a 1-day introduction to rock-climbing plus a 5-day summit climb of Mt. Baker.

• 

  Glacier Skills and Crevasse Rescue

  The 3-day Glacier Skills course is for climbers who want to brush up on the essential skills of glacier travel. The course includes crevasse rescue, rope tea...

• 

  Mt. Baker Skills and Climb

  A three-day basic skills clinic and Mt. Baker climb for beginning and intermediate climbers, led by the most highly trained guides in the United States.

• 

  Mt. Shuksan Skills and Climb

  Climb the striking Mt. Shuksan via the Sulphide Glacier route. This low ratio, intermediate climb incorporates introductory glacier training and rock scramb...

• 

  Southern Cascades Volcanoes Skills and Climb

• 

  Mt. Rainier - Kautz Glacier Climb

  Join us for a 4-day intermediate summit ascent on Mt. Rainier's Kautz Glacier.

• 

  Alpine Mountaineering and Technical Leadership, Part 1

  Learn the necessary skills to be a climbing leader on rock, snow, and glaciers. The North Cascades are a perfect training ground, and by the end of this 12-d...