5-day Mountaineering course on Mount Baker, North Cascades

Join an AMGA-certified guide from NW Mountain Guides and enjoy a five-day guided mountaineering course on Mount Baker, the perfect stepping stone for a Mount Rainier ascent and the best way to take in the immaculate Cascades of Washington State.

Group

Cascade Range

5 Days

Jun - Sep

High

Beginner

Highlights

Discover the rare beauty and landscape on and around Mt. Baker.
Gain invaluable and challenging peak experience in the captivating Cascades.
Complete a vital stepping stone on your way to Mt. Rainier and other big peaks.

Description

Take your climbing career to the next level with a compelling mountaineering course on Mount Baker in the North Cascades! This guided five-day program in Washington State will provide crucial experience to help prepare you for Mt. Rainier and other exhilarating climbs across the globe!

As one of the most notable mountains in the Cascade Range of Washington State, Mount Baker has become an iconic climb in the Pacific Northwest. At 3,286 meters, it is considered one of the snowiest places on Earth, holding the world record for single-season snowfall at over 29 meters. The glaciated terrain is a challenging task for climbers of all levels and a perfect place to gain valuable climbing experience.

This is where you come in! With five days of practical instruction, you will cover important skills to improve your abilities and get you ready for more ambitious climbs. If your sights are set on the tallest peak in the Cascades (Mt. Rainier at 4,392 meters), this program gives you the physical and mental tools necessary for a successful summit.

Our instruction will include basic instruction, providing a strong foundation to draw upon while you climb. From equipment storage and usage to walking skills and movement techniques, you will receive high-quality training in a safe environment. You will also be immersed on the mountain for the program, camping for four nights on the mountain. Living and breathing this mountain experience will make mountaineering in the future second nature.

On the fourth day, you will put your lessons into practice, following a six to eight hour summit of Mount Baker. The immaculate views of the surrounding Cascades and Northern Washington are legendary and will undoubtedly take your breath away. Glacier traversing, including challenging crevasses, will keep you engaged as you make your way to the top.

This program is great for beginners who want to build their resume and take on other high profile climbs, including Mt. Rainier. A strong fitness level is a must. Participants should be able to walk uphill for up to seven hours carrying 45 to 50 pounds. The sustained journey is worth its weight in experience and will prepare you for a long career summiting mountains around the world.

So what are you waiting for? Join this guided five-day mountaineering course NOW and summit Mount Baker in the North Cascades, a perfect stepping stone to Mt. Rainier and other memorable climbs!

Price includes

Guiding fee

Price details

This is the price to join one of my group programs. The price includes the guiding fee, group equipment, and camping gear. The price does NOT include personal equipment, clothing, or food and drink(s).
*Please keep in mind that the full balance of this trip must be paid upfront.
**Price includes a nonrefundable reservation fee of 250 USD.
***Partial refund of the balance up to 90 days in advance.

Itinerary

Day 1: Welcome to the Program

After meeting for breakfast at Joy’s Bakery in Sedro-Woolley, we will go over the itinerary, check our equipment, and head to the Mt. Baker trail head. We will have a light training session after setting up camp at the base of the glacier.

Day 2: Movement Skills

Our day will focus on walking techniques, including the use of tools and equipment. You will pick up valuable information like crampon use and how to handle an ice axe, among other methods.

Day 3: Rope Work

Building on our newly acquired skill set, we will focus on rope work and travel, route finding, and snow anchors. The evening will be an early one as we prepare for the upcoming summit.

Day 4: Summit Day

We will start early on our six to eight hour climb of Mount Baker. Applying all of your instruction from the previous days, you will be taking on an immense glacier and its terrain. The crevasses are spectacular, and are comparable to those in Alaska and the Himalayas. The perfect setting for an unforgettable climb.

Day 5: Return to Civilization

After breakfast, we have the option of covering a few more items, like ice climbing and crevasse rescue. Once we reach lunchtime, we will break down camp and go back to the trail head. The program culminates in a lunch to recap our journey before heading back home.

Details

More info

A minimum of three (3) participants are required to guarantee a group departure.

Meeting point

We will be meeting at Joy’s Bakery for breakfast at 7:00am, in Sedro-Woolley. From there, we will head to the NW Mountain Shop next door to prepare for the program, which will include gear checks and equipment rentals.

About the guide

NW

Mountain Guide

Celebrating 40 years of adventures in the Pacific Northwest and worldwide, NW Mountain Guides is one of the most experienced and refined companies on the planet.

We offer private climbs of the classic mountains in the Pacific NW, including Mount Baker, Mount Shuksan and Mount Olympus.

Internationally, we offer trekking and climbing in Mexico, Nepal, Argentina and Africa.

Languages

| Nepali | English

Certificates

AMGA

Request more information

What people are saying about Explore-Share

Man

Climbing with guide Guillaume was absolutely a highlight of my 2-week Europe vacation. Originally, we were planning on climbing in the Calanques, but the park was closed due to wind and fire danger. Guillaume chose another amazing location (Pic de Bretagne) based on my climbing abilities and preferences and kindly offered train station pick-up and hotel drop off, which I appreciated very much. The multi-pitch route we did was not only fun but also the right amount of challenge, which I thoroughly enjoyed. The communication from the team (Gauthier) was prompt and clear—highly recommend!

Maxine

Luis Silva was a great climbing guide and belayer! He taught me how to do moves that were difficult and encouraged me to try routes that were challenging for me! Because of his encouragement, I managed to complete these routes! I really enjoyed the climbs and completed 8 routes in the Sesimbra/Azoia area. The weather was perfect, no direct sun and cool enough to enjoy the climbs. Explore-Share made booking an outdoor climbing experience in Lisbon extremely easy. Luis, our guide, was fantastic, and the platform’s organization was flawless.

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