Leaders of Tomorrow

Overview

Glacier training high on Mt. Shuksan. Dylan Taylor

The American Alpine Institute's Leaders of Tomorrow program is the only comprehensive, technical program available in North America designed to train young people in the arts of climbing and alpinism, while simultaneously providing students with the critical thinking skills that come from complicated mountain travel, as well as a life-long appreciation of wild places.

The American Alpine Institute's Leaders of Tomorrow (LOT) program utilizes rock climbing, mountaineering, ice climbing, stewardship and outdoor adventure to develop decision making and judgment skills for young leaders. While learning new and exciting technical skills, LOT places students in a position to use critical thinking skills to make key decisions. In this process students will acquire the confidence required to clearly identify needed outcomes, to develop effective strategic plans for accomplishing goals, and to inspire others into action.

Multi-Pitch Rock Climbing in Washington Pass. Andy Stephen

LOT courses use technical mountain travel to effectively develop the confidence and knowledge of how and when to step into a leadership role with a vision. The skills and understanding that one gains will be applicable to personal activities among friends, in the diverse challenges of university life, and later in your chosen career. In the repeated processes of learning how to get yourself and a group successfully to the top of a series of complex mountains, you'll also learn how to effectively address challenges that you meet in life.

The guides and instructors at AAI are among America's most accomplished outdoor educators and climbing instructors. They don't just theorize about leadership. They are true leaders in their profession. All AAI guides are formally trained climbing and mountaineering guides, hold Leave No Trace Level 1 Instructor or Level 1 Instructor certifications, hold Wilderness First Responder First Aid certifications and have AIARE Avalanche and Avalanche Rescue Training.

Leaders of Tomorrow

Itinerary

Itinerary

There are two options for the Leaders of Tomorrow program. Participants may participate in the first 6 days of Rock Camp, or they may continue on with a second 7-day section that covers mountaineering, for a full 13-day experience.

Day 1 Travel to Bellingham, Washington. 

• Meet at our headquarters. Complete a gear check and pick up any rentals required at the AAI equipment shop. 
• Curriculum: Meet and greet the other students and get the lay of the land for the program. An introduction to gear used in the program. 

Day 2 Drive to Mt. Erie, a rock climbing area near the town of Anacortes. 

• Introduction to rock climbing skills and camping.  
• Curriculum: Selection and use of personal equipment, basic knots and hitches, climbing commands, movement skills, belaying and rappelling. How to set up a camp and backcountry cooking.  Leave No Trace Principles. 

Day 3 Rock Climbing

• Continued rock skills at Mt. Erie.
• Curriculum: Continue the development of their knowledge of knots by learning the figure-eight on-a-bite, the munter-hitch, the overhand, the water-knot, the barrel knot and the autoblock hitch. Introduction to climbing guidebooks and route topos. Learn how to place and remove both passive and active rock protection. 

Day 4 Rock Climbing 

• Continued rock skills at Mt. Erie.
• Curriculum: Continue the development of their knowledge of knots with the double-bowline, the double-fisherman's knot, the mule-hitch, the kliemhiest, and the prussik-hitch. Continue the development of movement skills for intermediate rock climbs. 

Day 5 Rock Climbing

• The team will make their way to Mt. Erie one last time for a final day of rock climbing in Part I. The team will have a celebratory dinner in Bellingham to say goodbye to those who are only on Part I. 
• Curriculum: Review the previous days' knots and hitches. Use traditional climbing gear to set up a top-rope anchor. Learn how to use a static rope or webbing to set up a multipart top-rope anchor. Practice the rappel techniques that have been developed over the preceding days.

Day 6 Final Rock Day/Prep Day

• Rock Camp students will be dropped off at the American Alpine Institute headquarters in Bellingham. This is the conclusion of the Rock Camp portion of Leaders of Tomorrow.
• Those staying on the program for the full Leaders of Tomorrow will use this day to prep for the next section of the trip.  
• Curriculum: Backcountry packing techniques and food selection.  

Day 7 Pack up and drive to the trailhead.

• The team will hike into Base Camp, which will range from 3 miles to 5 miles depending on camp location and the day’s objective. 
• Curriculum: Prepping for hiking and campsite management for mountaineering. 

Day 8 Snow School

• Build a solid understanding of snow and glacier travel.  
• Curriculum: Glacier travel techniques with and without an ice-axe, parts of an ice-axe, self-arrest, glissading, shuffle step, plunge step, diagonal ascent, piolet canne, and piolet manche. Snow anchors to be covered include: deadmen, pickets, snow flukes, ice-axes and snow bollards. Glaciology discussion will include the following terms: crevasse, bergshrund, moraine, ice fall, serac, compression zone, accumulation zone and ablation zone.

Day 9 Glacier Travel and Crevasse Rescue

• Students will spend the full day on the glacier and everyone will have the opportunity to go down inside a crevasse. 
• Curriculum: Crevasse rescue systems including include prusiking, a 2:1 Drop C, a 3:1 Z Pully and a 6:1 C on Z. Navigation with a map, compass, altimeter, and GPS lecture will cover the uses of each of these instruments. 

Day 10 Introduction to ice climbing technique. 

• The team may choose to move camp up to a high camp depending on summit strategies after working on alpine ice climbing skills.
• Curriculum: French, German and American technique, step cutting, pied a plat, pied en canard, pied assis, piolet ramasse, piolet rampe, piolet panne, piolet poniard, piolet appui, piolet ancre. If there is adequate time, participants may practice piolet traction. 

Day 11 Mt. Baker Summit

• The team will climb to the summit of Mt. Baker and then descend back to Base Camp 
• Curriculum: This will wrap all of the skills learned to this point together.  Strategic planning, route findings, etc will be covered during the summit.

Day 12 Ice Climbing

• The team will go ice climbing for a second time. At approximately noon, the team will return to camp, have lunch, and then pack up. The team will hike out back to the car at the trailhead.
• Curriculum: New ice skills will be introduced, including vertical ice climbing, ice climbing leadership, ice anchors, and overhung “extreme” ice climbing. Students will practice setting up topropes on ice climbs. 

Day 13 Program Conclusion

• The program finishes at the American Alpine Institute at noon. Students will be dropped off at the Bellingham airport or at the bus station at that time. 
• Curriculum: Mountain First Aid, Mountain Weather, Avalanche Awareness, and In-depth discussion of Leave No Trace principles.

Leaders of Tomorrow

Dates

A Leaders of Tomorrow group celebrates on the summit of Mt. Baker. Dawn Glanc

2025

6-Day Program Dates:

• July 10 - 15, 2025
• July 31 - Aug 05, 2025

13-Day Program Dates:

• July 10 - 22 2025
• July 31 - Aug 12, 2025

Leaders of Tomorrow

Details

Max Ratios (Climber:Guide)

Outdoor Rock (first 6 days) - 8:2 

Mountaineering (following 7 days) - 8:3

Capacity - 8 

Prerequisites

• All students must be between the ages of 15 and 17 at the time of the program and must possess a high level of maturity.
• Basic hiking experience.
• Overnight backpacking experience is preferred but not required.

Inclusions and Exclusions

This is an "all inclusive" program. The following items are included in the price:

• Climbing and Camping Permits
• Camping for every Program Day
• Food (Backcountry, Frontcountry and Restaurant Food)
• Travel During the Program (AAI will provide a van for the duration of the course.)
• All Program Rentals.
• Transportation from the Bellingham Airport or the Bus Station in Bellingham to AAI's Headquarters.
• All Group Equipment.

Excluded from the price is travel to Bellingham, personal equipment/clothing, and guide gratuities.

Certifications Granted

• Certification in Leadership Training with three endorsements: Wilderness Travel, Environmental Stewardship, & Alpine Mountaineering
• You will also have the opportunity to build references and receive letters of recommendation from the program's instructors and the program directors

Leaders of Tomorrow

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