This program is presented on the massive glaciers of Washington's Mt. Baker, considered the best glacier training ground in the United States. We cover front pointing and French cramponing techniques, the eight principal ice axe positions, self-arrest, anchor placement, procedures for glacier travel, crevasse rescue technique, and route finding. The Baker region is one of the most beautiful alpine areas in North America, so in addition to having perfect glacial terrain for developing your skills, you will also enjoy the beauty of one of America's most heavily glaciated and aesthetic peaks. This program meets in Bellingham, Washington at the AAI office.
Practicing crevasse rescue.
Dylan Taylor
We recommend this program for climbers who would like to brush up on glacier travel skills in preparation for either their own climbs of glaciated peaks or for one of our intermediate - level courses, such as our Part 2 Alpine Mountaineering and Technical Leadership program or our Alpinism 2 program.
We also recommend considering our 6-day Alpinism 1 - Intro course, as it offers a complete introduction to mountaineering, which includes all of the curriculum covered in this Glacier Skills course, then also adds one day of rock climbing, and an ascent of Mt. Baker.
Though this course takes place on the upper flanks of Mt. Baker, we do not make a summit attempt. Instead, we maximize our instructional time and dedicate our three days to learning and practicing essential glacier travel skills. If you would like to add a Baker summit climb, we can arrange on a private basis a skills training session and an ascent on a four or five-day trip. Please call us to discuss scheduling.