Glacier Skiing/Snowboarding and Crevasse Rescue

The Glacier Skiing/Snowboarding and Crevasse Rescue course sponsored by the Mountaineers is open to both Mountaineers and non-Mountaineers.

For those with competent backcountry skiing or snowboarding skills who desire to safely travel on glaciers and to perform crevasse rescues.  You must be able to ski or board the equivalent of an ungroomed single black diamond slope with a weighted day pack whose weight is the equivalent of a glacier rope and crevasse rescue gear.  This course includes  workshops, optional practices and an overnight field trip at Mt. Rainier where the students will practice roped travel and crevasse rescues.  Completion of this course prepares you to ski or snowboard on Mountaineer trips rated M1G, M2G and M3G.  The course provides instruction on: route finding, traveling and camping on glaciers, belaying, prusiking, and crevasse rescue systems.

The required equipment includes metal edge skis and climbing skins or snowboard with an uphill climbing system (skins, approach skis or snowshoes), shovel, avalanche probe, avalanche transceiver, and crevasse rescue equipment.

To participate in the course,
• Have either graduated or obtained equivalency for the Basic Avalanche course.   Request equivalency by sending your avalanche course certificate and Mountaineers number or user id to avy@foothillswinter.org.
• Print the course material.
• At least one week prior to the first course workshop, complete and send the course pre-work described in the Course Syllabus to the course leader.

The course fee is $175 for Mountaineer members and $275 for non-members.  Register at Glacier Skiing/Snowboarding and Crevasse Rescue or by calling the Mountaineers. Enrollment is limited to 25 students.  For more information, contact glacier@foothillswinter.org.

Course Schedule

Date	Workshop	Time
4/23/13	Introduction, Glacier Travel and Equipment	6:30 pm
4/25/13	Optional Equipment, Knots and Belaying Practice	7:00 pm
4/30/13	Knots and Belaying Workshop	6:30 pm
5/2/13	Optional Knots, Belaying and Prusiking Practice	7:00 pm
5/7/13	Knots, Belaying and Prusiking Workshop	6:30 pm
5/9/13	Optional Crevasse Rescue Systems Practice	7:00 pm
5/14/13	Crevasse Rescue Systems Workshop	6:30 pm
5/18/13	Field Trip, Mt. Rainier National Park	8:30 am
5/19/13	Field Trip, Mt. Rainier National Park	7:30 am
5/21/13	Graduation Celebration and Course Improvements	6:30 pm

Just thought you should know…

I took this course in 1999. I was stunned at the amount of valuable information that was delivered in the short time allotted – it reminded me of trying to get a drink out of a fire hose.

I finished the course for the first time feeling like I had some experience to finally make informed decisions skiing crevassed glaciers, rather than “winging it” and saying things like “It’ll probably be ok; look, those other guys are skiing it”. It was a huge relief for me.

I was so impressed with the quality of the course – taught by all volunteer instructors – that I was compelled to back and help teach the course the next year… just to “give back” for what my predecessors had done for me. And I have kept coming back every year since.

And the course just keeps better and better every year. It’s fun to see what a group of volunteers can get done when each one pitches in just a little bit. It’s a great community of people.

But volunteers will only do so much… so the course is understandably a once-a-year event. And registration is limit to 25 souls.

So if you have ever wished you had the knowledge and experience to make better, more informed decisions regarding your travel and skiing or riding on glaciated terrain, now is the time to take action. If you miss out the course this year the opportunity won’t appear again until April of 2014.

Be safe; and may all your trips terminate back at the car intended.

Not being a climber but just a skier who happens to own a ice axe I took this class one year, went back the next and took friends back for a 3rd year. Perhaps the best class the mounties have because of the dynamic volunteers who push the class forward each year. Besides learning to travel glaciers safely students learn how to build anchors and belay each other while digging pits and doing ski cuts. IT's all that and much much more for those that use skis or boards to access some pretty exciting terrain.

i fully agree with all above statements by ron and robie.  i took this class as a student in 2003, and came back to volunteer as an instructor in 2004, 2005, and 2006 when i moved from the seattle area.  not only did the course provide a wealth of information on safe glacier travel and rescue, but the community of folks i met while participating in that class was and continues to be exceptional. i would recommend this class to any backcountry skier/boarder, as the unique experience of dropping (safely) into a crevasse and hanging there is like none other, and hopefully one that people won't ever have to experience for real.  i only wish i was still in the area so i could continue to support the course and encourage future students.  good luck with the class this year darryl and gang!