Details

Prerequisites

  • Alpine ice climbing experience of sustained difficulties up to 50 degrees or experience equivalent to completion of our six-day Alpine Ice course
  • A good understanding of glacier travel procedures
  • Competent in crevasse rescue systems.
  • Excellent physical condition.
  • Completion of multiple glaciated routes
  • 18 years of age or older.

If you do not have current climbing skills that meet the prerequisites, you can participate in one of several preparatory courses, see below for list, to gain or refresh the needed skills.

If you have questions about your qualifications, please call or email us at any time and we’ll be happy to review your personal experience in relation to the prerequisites.

Inclusions

Included in the course cost are group technical climbing equipment like ropes and pickets, transportation to the climbing areas from AAI headquarters, all permits and camping fees, and the guide fee.

Exclusions

Not included in the course cost are all personal clothing and climbing gear, rentals, gratuities to the guide, meals, or travel insurance.  Tuition excludes the $50 Mt. Rainier National Park climbing fee (annual pass valid for one year); lodging for the night before the trip and the evening of the final day. Personal equipment is not included in the program cost.

Rentals

This course is located outside the Seattle area and not near our headquarters in Bellingham, WA.  If you need to rent any gear, those rentals must be taken care of before the start of your course.

 

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Course Options

​If you lack some glacier skills or if you are “rusty” with them (most climbers are if they don’t climb glaciated routes regularly), you might consider taking one of our preparatory programs:

  • If you already have glacier and alpine ice climbing experience, but maybe it’s been a while or you’d like to brush up on some skills, then the 3-day Glacier Skills and Crevasse Rescue Course would be a great refresher.
  • If you’ve been ice climbing before, but don’t have any glacier travel experience yet, then the Alpinism 1 Course would be a great option to learn the skills to be successful on the Kautz.
  • If you have glacier experience, but you don’t have the ice climbing experience, then the 6-day Alpine Ice Course is the one for you.