Glaciated Ski Mountaineering

With the most glaciated terrain of any mountain range in the Lower 48, much of the North Cascades can feel off limits to backcountry skiers and riders. Learn the skills to open up new terrain with a Glaciated Ski Mountaineering course with Cascade Mountain Ascents. Our four-day itinerary covers the gear, technical skills (including crevasse rescue) and travel practices that you need to explore the glaciated lines you’ve been dreaming of. The course culminates in a summit ski descent of Mount Baker by a classic route. Students should be advanced skiers or riders and have taken a Level 1 avalanche course.

Scheduled: $1450 Custom: $1350 - $2550

Here’s What To Expect

Itinerary

Day 1: Gear Check, Approach, and Campcraft

We’ll meet in Bellingham, WA at our office in Backcountry Essentials and spend some time doing introductions and a gear check to ensure we have everything we need to be successful on the program. After gear check, we’ll caravan to the trailhead and complete the approach to a high camp along the summit route. Once at camp, we’ll go over gear for glacier travel and may even get in an evening lap before dinner!

Day 2: Technical Fundamentals

Building upon the prior day's lessons, students will spend a full day engaging in technical fundamentals: knots and hitches, crampon and ice axe techniques, snow anchors, belay techniques, and roped travel on glacier.

Day 3: Crevasse Rescue

This day is entirely devoted to crevasse rescue in the ski context. Building upon the prior day’s lessons, students will add in mechanical advantage systems, get introduced to several haul systems and scenarios, and have time to practice both roped and unroped crevasse rescue. At the end of the day we’ll get ready for the next day’s summit attempt, enjoy an early dinner, and head to bed.

Day 4

We’ll get an early start skinning toward the summit of Mount Baker. We’ll ascend rolling glaciers to the steep Roman Wall. A final traverse of the summit plateaus will bring us to the true summit. During the day, students will practice in real time the techniques introduced in prior days with close mentorship and guidance from their instructor. After a quick snack and rest we’ll get ready to rip and descend the upper mountain to camp. In the afternoon we’ll pack up camp and ski down to the trailhead.

This general itinerary is subject to change based on weather, route conditions, and participant skill level, among other factors.

Trip Details

Ratio: 2 - 3 Guests Per Guide

Season: April-June

Duration: 4 Days

Skill level: Advanced +

Program Rates:
Scheduled: $1450
Custom: $1350 - $2550

Gear List: Glacier Ski Mountaineering
Gear List Link
This general itinerary is subject to change based on weather, route conditions, and participant skill level, among other factors.

Reviews

• “Climbing with CMA was a true reflection of mindful mountaineering. As a female mountain lover, I’m used to being the only lady in a group of dudes. Sometimes that doesn’t feel 100% comfortable, particularly when you feel like it’s all about the grind, no emotions allowed. With CMA I felt that I was part of a big bear hug of awesomeness. Guides often set the tone for the team, and Zack set a tone of kindness and respect for everyone. When the going got tough, his humor lightened the mood without jeopardizing the seriousness of what we doing. I will definitely be climbing with CMA again!” - Adrienne
• “They do the essentials really well: they’re professional, knowledgeable and competent, great teachers, and always keep an eye on safety as every guide service must. What sets them apart for me is that they do all that AND make it FUN. Some of the best times I’ve ever had in the mountains are with this crew. I highly recommend them!” - Chase
• “I hired this guide crew for technical education and then returned for their recreational guiding services. I’ll continue to lean on Cascade Mountain Ascents to bring me further into the backcountry and advance my technical skills in the mountains.” - Blake
• “Cascade Mountain Ascents is seriously raising the bar for avalanche education—Fun-loving, inclusive, knowledgeable, fantastic educators, and all around stellar folks! I would absolutely recommend taking a course or spending a weekend in the mountains CMA!” - Maggie
• “Zack and Cascade Mountain Ascents is the best choice for your adventure no matter your skill level. From beginner to seasoned pro, Zack has you covered. His knowledge and skills of all-terrain and mountain situations had us feeling safe and confident all the way.” - Adrian
• “I’ve taken courses with the guides at CMA as well as gotten personal goals accomplished. Each time I’ve come away more competent, more confident, and inspired to take what I’ve learned into my next outing.” - BRENNAN
• “Fifth time out there with Zack – and as always it was spectacular. Zack's calm guiding style – paired with perfect preparation and route planning – pushes you without ever overwhelming personal abilities and strength. Countless successfully climbed peaks and everlasting memories are the rewards.” - WOLFGANG
• “I have skied with all of the guides at CMA and have had great experiences. They are passionate about their craft, and it shows in the experiences they provide. They know where to find the best skiing and have extensive knowledge of the local terrain.” - PATRICK

Skill Levels

Ski & Ride

Beginner: I’ve never (or only a handful of times) toured in the backcountry before.
Intermediate: I’ve toured a bit and been exposed to a variety of conditions in the backcountry.
Advanced: I’m a strong rider with at least a few seasons of experience touring in the backcountry riding a variety of conditions.
Expert: Skiing/Riding is life. I tour in the backcountry 60+ days per year and have many years of experience.

Alpine

Beginner: I’ve never (or only a handful of times) been alpine climbing before.
Intermediate: I’ve climbed a bit on snow as well as rock and understand the basics.
Advanced: I’m a strong climber with at least a few years of experience climbing snow, rock, and ice.
Expert: Climbing is life. I have many years of experience climbing big mountain objectives in steep variable terrain.

Rock

Beginner: I’ve never (or only a handful of times) been outdoor rock climbing before.
Intermediate: I’ve climbed a few outdoor multi-pitch rock climbs as a follower and understand the basics.
Advanced: I’m a strong climber with at least a few years of experience climbing multi-pitch routes outside (sometimes on lead).
Expert: Climbing is life. I have many years of experience climbing and am comfortable leading up to 5.9 trad.

Program Rates

Scheduled Programs

Scheduled Programs are open to all to sign up for. These programs are charged a flat rate per person, regardless of the number of people on your booking. This flat rate is often the same as the 3:1 per person rate. Scheduled programs tend to be more cost effective for groups of one or two people, and allow you to connect with other people with similar mountain interests and skill sets.

Standard Programs

Day Rates

Overnight Rates

Course Rates

Technical Programs

Cascade Mountain Ascents pays guides more when they are working in terrain that is more involved or poses higher objective hazard. Therefore, a surcharge is added to trips we deem Challenging ($100) and Complex ($200). A custom surcharge may apply to non-standard programs and will be worked out by the guide and administrative staff along with the guest(s) during program design.