Learn the skills to climb Mt. Baker
Mountaineering can look like a different world from the outside: crampons, ropes, heavy packs, glacier travel, early mornings. But these are learnable skills, and this course is built to teach them well.
Over five days, we start with rope skills at Mt. Erie, then head to Mount Baker to learn how to move through snow and glacier terrain with care and confidence. You’ll practice crampon footwork, self-arrest, glacier travel, crevasse rescue, and the kind of steady decision-making big mountains ask for.
This course is designed for beginners, and it also works well for climbers who want a stronger foundation. Summit or not, the goal is bigger than standing on top. It’s to leave with real skills, more confidence, and a better sense of how to move through the mountains safely and well.
Introduction to Mountaineering
- Regular price
- $2,350.00 USD
- Sale price
- $2,350.00 USD
- Regular price
What's Included & Not Included
What's Included & Not Included
Included:
- Five days of guiding at a 3:1 ratio
- Group dinner in Bellingham on first night
- All group climbing equipment
- Helmet & harness
- 1 night camping at Larrabee State Park
- 3 night in the backcountry
- All permits
Not Included:
- All transportation to, from and during the event. We will assist in arranging carpools
- Mountaineering Tent (available for rent by local gear shops)
- Mountaineering boots, ice axe and crampons.
- Northwest Forest Parking Pass
- All meals (guidance will be provided)
- Gratuities for guides
- Anything not explicitly mentioned above
Cancellation & Trip Insurance
Cancellation & Trip Insurance
We have a very strict cancellation policy. We highly recommend purchasing trip protection to protect your investment.
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Meet Your Guides
Lani Chapko
Lani is an AMGA Certified Rock and Alpine Guide from Index, Washington. She is also a Wilderness First Responder, Leave No Trace trainer, and has completed a Professional Level 2 Avalanche Course.
Mia Mueller
Mia is an AMGA Assistant Rock Guide, Apprentice Alpine Guide, and Single Pitch Instructor as well as a Leave No Trace Level 2 Instructor and Wilderness First Responder. She is based (loosely) in Seattle, Washington.
Bennett Rahn
Bennett Rahn is an AMGA Single Pitch Instructor and has completed the AMGA Alpine Skills Course. She will only be on the second set of our dates.
What You’ll Learn + Why It Matters
We built this trip to give women a real introduction to mountaineering — not just a chance to try for a summit, but a chance to build a strong foundation in the skills and judgment that future mountain trips require. Over five days, you’ll learn core mountaineering skills like rope work, snow travel, self-arrest, glacier travel, and crevasse rescue. You’ll also practice the less glamorous but equally important parts of mountaineering: packing well, carrying a heavy pack, pacing yourself, living comfortably in camp, and making thoughtful decisions when conditions change.
Our hope is that you leave with more than just a memorable week on Mt. Baker. We hope you leave with a better understanding of how mountaineering works, more familiarity with your gear, and a stronger foundation for whatever comes next. For some, this course is a first step into the alpine. For others, it’s a chance to strengthen skills they want to use more intentionally. Either way, the goal is the same: to give you a real foundation to build from.
The schedule below reflects our planned flow for the week, while leaving room for the real-time decisions that mountain travel requires. As with any mountaineering objective, flexibility is part of the process. Weather, snow conditions, route conditions, and group needs may affect the order of the days, camp locations, or the timing of a summit attempt.
Day 1 | Rope Skills + Trip Preparation
We begin at Mt. Erie with a full day focused on foundational systems and mountain prep. After meeting the group and doing a thorough gear check, we’ll review essential rope skills like tying in, belaying, knots, hitches, rappelling, and mechanical advantage systems. The goal is to make sure everyone heads into the mountain portion of the course with a shared foundation and a clearer understanding of the systems we’ll build on throughout the week. That evening, we’ll debrief, pack for the mountain, and gather for a welcome dinner before camping at Larrabee State Park.
Day 2 | Approach to Hogsback Camp
We’ll head to Mt. Baker and begin the approach from Heliotrope Ridge to Hogsback Camp. This is a steady hike with overnight packs, and it gives us our first real taste of moving through mountain terrain with all the gear we need for the days ahead. Once in camp, we’ll shift into snow school and begin practicing core movement skills like crampon footwork, ice axe use, snow climbing, and self-arrest. Planned effort for the day is about 2.5 miles, 2,300 feet of elevation gain, and 4-5 hours of hiking with a 40+ pound pack.
Day 3 | Glacier Skills + Camp Decisions
Day 3 is our most flexible day, and exactly how we use it depends on weather, snow conditions, and the group. We’ll continue building mountaineering skills with glacier travel practice, more movement instruction, and crevasse rescue training. Depending on conditions, we may stay near Hogsback Camp and work with light day packs, hike higher for skills practice, or move camp up to Black Butte to shorten summit day. Moving camp can be a great option, but it takes time and energy, so we’ll make that decision carefully. In some conditions, this day may also become our summit window.
Day 4 | Summit Attempt
If conditions line up, this is our planned summit day. We’ll start early and make our attempt on Mt. Baker, typically via the Coleman-Deming route, carrying light day packs and putting all of our training into practice. Summit day is long and demanding, and the exact pace and outcome depend on weather, conditions, and how the group is moving. The planned effort is roughly 3 miles, 4,800 feet of elevation gain, and about 12 hours on the move. If weather or route conditions suggest a different timing, we may shift the summit attempt to another day.
Day 5 | Descent + Farewell
Our final day is for descending back to the trailhead, breaking down camp, and wrapping up the course together. If weather has delayed our summit plans, this may also serve as a backup summit window before heading down. The hike out is about 2.5 miles with 2,300 feet of elevation loss and usually takes 2-3 hours with heavier packs. If timing allows, we’ll celebrate together over a farewell meal before heading home.
Meals
While this isn't a culinary experience, it is important to ensure that we are all fueled and fed during our journey. To kick off our first evening together, we'll have a group welcome dinner after our first day of climbing at Mt. Erie.
For the backcountry portion of our trip, we ask that you bring your own freeze-dried dinners, breakfasts, and snacks. She Moves Mountains will provide guidance on what to bring.
Weather
The weather on Mt. Baker is highly variable and changes from year to year depending on snow levels and temperature. While we do our best to choose a time of year with the best chances to summit, it is difficult to forecast the conditions for a given year. Given the variability of weather and snow conditions, it's essential for climbers to remain flexible and open-minded.
An important skill in mountaineering is reading the weather and making conservative decisions about when to climb and when to turn around. With four days on the mountain, we have some flexibility to shift our plans to take advantage of the best weather window to summit. Certain weather conditions, like thunderstorms or significant rain, could make a safe ascent impossible.
It's important to remember this course is about learning skills, not the summit. But we will certainly do our best, while making conservative decisions, to get the group to the summit.
FAQs
What are the physical requirements for this course?
This is a beginner-friendly course from a technical standpoint, but it is physically demanding. You should come prepared to hike uphill for 4–5 hours with a 40+ pound pack, move efficiently for multiple days in a row, camp on the mountain, and complete a summit day that involves about 4,800 feet of elevation gain over roughly 12 hours with a lighter pack. A good training benchmark is being able to sustain around 700 feet of elevation gain per hour with a day pack.
This would be my first time camping. Can I still attend?
Yes. You do not need to already know how to camp in order to join this course.
That said, it’s important to be honest about what this experience is. This is not casual front-country camping. You’ll be carrying your gear, sleeping on the mountain, managing weather, and living outside for multiple days. You may be cold, uncomfortable, and sleeping less than usual. Part of the course is learning how to move through that well.
If you’re open to learning, willing to be a little uncomfortable, and prepared for the physical demands of the trip, first-time camping does not need to be a barrier. We’re happy to help you understand the gear and what to expect before the course begins.
What happens if it rains or the weather is poor?
We adjust. Weather, snow conditions, and route conditions may change the order of our days, where we camp, how much time we spend on skills, or when/if we make a summit attempt. And while it's never happened, there is always a chance that conditions prevent us from getting on Mt. Baker at all. If that happens, we may shift our focus to lower-elevation skills practice or rock climbing instead. Our guides make those calls conservatively and in real time, with safety as the priority.
If this would ruin your experience, we strongly recommend purchasing cancel for any reason trip protection.
How heavy will my pack be?
We aim to keep our packs at about 40 pounds. Our guides will help you in planning what to pack to ensure the most efficient gear makes it into your pack. You will also be asked to carry some group gear, which will be distributed as the group packs up.
Are payment plans available?
Yes we have types of payment options. Please visit our Payment Plans page for more information.
Do I need prior mountaineering or climbing experience?
No prior mountaineering experience is required. This course is designed as a real introduction, and we assume many participants will be learning these systems for the first time. We’ll teach rope skills, snow travel, self-arrest, glacier travel, and crevasse rescue over the course of the week. That said, “intro” refers to technical experience, not fitness. You do not need to show up already knowing how to mountaineer, but you do need to show up physically prepared for long days, heavy packs, and time in mountain weather.
How should I train for this course?
The best training is uphill hiking with weight on your back. For the approach to camp, you should be ready to hike about 2.5 miles with 2,300 feet of gain carrying a 40+ pound pack over 4–5 hours. Summit day is around 3 miles, 4,800 feet of gain, and about 12 hours with a lighter day pack. A good benchmark from our guide team is being able to sustain roughly 700 feet of elevation gain per hour with a day pack, at a pace you could realistically keep up all day. It’s also smart to train with a heavy pack ahead of time, and to practice eating, drinking, and pacing yourself on longer efforts.
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