After having the most wonderful time on a previous trip with Get In The Wild a few years ago, I just had to go back for more. (You can read my previous review on TripAdvisor.) Yup, just what I thought it was going to be… more of the terrific, safe, and adventurous fun that I remembered, only just a little more technical and challenging on this route. My first-timer friends who came along with me can’t stop raving about it. Christopher Hagedorn is the quintessential guide. Patient, caring, ultra-safe. He doesn’t just take you along, he makes you part of his team. As an educator, he freely shares his endless knowledge of the activity, the area, and it’s history. And he packs you a darn good lunch too! Hoping to be back again in a couple of years, next time with my all my kids and grandkids. It’s just way too good not to share it.
Fancy climbing Mount Baker, Rainier, Glacier Peak, or other spectacular glaciated alpine peaks while learning essential safety skills and experiencing the unique camaraderie and power of a solid team? This course will give you a well-rounded base of glacier travel skills that are essential for achieving these goals as well as take you on a tour of some of the world’s most divine locations.
$975 per person | 4 days
Course Details
Price
Tuition for the course is $999 per person
Departure time
8 AM
Meeting point
Meeting location will be provided in your pre-trip information packet.
We’ll meet outside of Seattle, Washington. Typically it’s a 30 to 60-minute drive, but we’ll let you know with plenty of time in advance.
Availability
June through August
Duration
4 days
Group size
4-8 people
Experience level
No previous experience required
Difficulty rating
3
Level 1
- Activity:
- Hiking: Easy hiking on well maintained trails
- Canyoneering: Easy hiking and scrambling using hands and feet for balance and support A rope may be used for handlines, belays, rappels and lowering packs
- Distances: Hike up to 2 miles
- Surfaces: Easy terrain
- Elevation Change: Little to none. Short sections of uphill travel.
Level 2
- Activity:
- Hiking: Easy to moderate hiking
- Canyoneering: Easy to moderate hiking and scrambling using hands and feet for balance and support. A rope may be used for handlines, belays, rappels and lowering packs.
- Distances: Hike up to 3 miles
- Surfaces: Flat or rolling terrain with some steep ascents/descents and uneven trails
- Elevation Change: Up to 600 ft/day
Level 3
- Activity:
- Hiking: Moderate, off-trail hiking on rugged trails
- Canyoneering: Moderate, sustained, climbing and scrambling using hands and feet. A rope is required for handlines, belays, rappels and lowering packs
- Distances: Hike up to 6 miles
- Surfaces: Rolling or mountainous terrain with some steep ascents/descents and uneven trails
- Elevation Change: Up to 1200 ft/day
Level 4
- Activity:
- Hiking: Difficult, off-trail hiking on rugged, technical terrain
- Canyoneering: Difficult, sustained, climbing and scrambling using hands and feet. A rope is required for handlines, belays, rappels and lowering packs.
- Distances: Hike up to 10 miles
- Surfaces: Rugged, exposed terrain with steep ascents/descents and uneven trails
- Elevation Change: Up to 3000 ft/day
Level 5
- Activity:
- Hiking: Very difficult, off-trail hiking on rugged, technical terrain
- Canyoneering: Very difficult, sustained, climbing and scrambling using hands and feet. A rope may be used for handlines, belays, rappels and lowering packs. May require advanced canyoneering techniques including guided rappels, multi-pitch rappels, complex ropework difficult pothole escapes, and advanced problem-solving and anchor building.
- Distances: Hike up to 14 miles
- Surfaces: Extremely rugged, exposed terrain with steep ascents/descents and uneven trails
- Elevation Change: Up to 4000 ft/day
Solitude rating
4-5
- Expect to be around other hikers and travelers most of the time.
- Expect to have some solitude, as much as an hour at a time without seeing other groups.
- Expect several hours of solitude at a time.
- Expect to see no more than one or two groups on your trip.
- Expect to see no other hikers or travelers on your trip.
Included
- Experienced and knowledgeable instructors
- Wilderness-based classroom
- Group campsite
- All team glacier climbing equipment (i.e., ropes, webbing and rigging)
- Course-specific handouts
- Federal land permit fees
- Safety equipment, including a team first-aid kit and satellite messenger
- A commitment to make the course as exciting, challenging and informative as you’d like
Not included
- Lodging
- Meals
- Transportation
- Personal equipment
- Gratuities or tips for instructors and guides
What to bring
A full packing list will be provided upon booking.
What Lies Ahead of You
The Glacier Experience
The course consists of one classroom session and two field trips. The classroom session will provide an overview of the course content and cover gear selection, conditioning, teamwork, problem-solving and trip planning. During the field sessions, you will learn and practice in-balance climbing, how to self-arrest a fall with an ice axe, rope handling, belaying, crevasse rescue, crampon technique, snow camping, hazard assessment and other essential climbing techniques.
The field sessions include one 3-day session and one 4-day session. The 4-day session includes hands-on practice of glacier travel and crevasse rescue skills plus a summit climb attempt of Mount Shuksan, Mount Baker, Eldorado Peak or Sahale Mountain.
Frequently Asked Questions
Absolutely not. If you’re a keen adventurer looking to discover the pleasure of glacier climbing, this trip is for you. You will need a moderate to high level of fitness.
Wear clothes you can move in and won’t tear easily. Layers are also key! For your feet, comfortable medium-weight hiking shoes or boots work best. You definitely need closed-toed shoes that you’ve worn before and broken in well.
Have more questions? Head to our FAQ page to read more!
Photo Gallery
My husband were able to spend a couple days with Chris gaining and practicing new skills that are necessary to safely navigate some of Utah’s canyons. Chris is knowledgable, methodical and sequential with his teaching. We are excited to come back next year to practice!! I love canyoneering!!
My husband and I took the technical canyoneering course from Christopher to learn more about anchoring, knot tying, varying canyoneering techniques, and have fun. The course is 3 days long and each day was 10-13 hours long. Christopher was great to really listen to what our goals/expectations were and customise the teaching to our skills and abilities. We’d come home really tired every day but excited with what we’d seen and learned. It was a fantastic course and I’d like to return next year for more!
