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SVC mountaineering course ?


Dustin_schmidt

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dose anybody know anything about the SVC (mount vernon) mountaineering course ? i have looke on there web page and i cant find anything. it starts on the 4th of april. but i dont know when or where to register for it. i found out about it on the Skagit alpine club web site but there is not a lot of info on it. e-mail me if any of you can help me out or recomend a better course. thanks ...

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Hey Dustin, there are a lot of organizations offering classes out there. I personally haven't heard of this before, is SVC a club or a guiding outfit? Or do you mean SAC? Don't get discouraged, just top your topic once every couple of days so people see it.

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well svc is skagit valley college in mt vernon, they put on a mountaineering course. it is supposed to be pretty good. it goes 1 night a week and every weekend is hands on stuff on mt.baker then at the end you get a chance to summit baker. it sounds like a good course. jsut wasnt sure if they were having it this season. i have looked into WAC

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Sheee-it, I may as well put in the plug for the Boeing Alpine Society. They have a basic and intermediate class each year, both begin in March. Similar deal to the SVC mentioned, basic is one night a week, ten weekends almost in a row with a summit attempt on Baker for graduation. Everyone's gotta learn somehow...

 

[ 11-20-2002, 03:39 PM: Message edited by: Pencil Pusher ]

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I know the Mountaineers catch a lot of flack on this board, but to be honest, they and other organized groups like them (BOALPS, AAI, WAC) are a good way to get introduced to climbing and alpine adventure.

 

The Mountaineers are a large organization with a LOT of students. As a result, their students tend to be clinggy, they do treat students like children to begin with, they teach things ONE way and ONE way only, and they do have a few pricks that are almost impossible to get rid of in a volunteer organization. But, hey, who are we to talk [laf]

 

The Mountaineers tend to be very conservative in their approach, but they are comprehensive in requirements. A Basic Climing graduate from the Everett Mountaineers, for example, has had 20+ hours in first aid and first responder type training. They have been schooled on all of the fundamentals (navigation, weather, clothing, equipment, roped travel on glaciers, self arrest...)

 

Probably most valuable is both classtime and field training in rescue technique. They drill on that shit, and I'm glad they do. If I take a fall and my partner is an Everett Mountaineer, I know he/she has been trained in how to deal with the situation, conduct emergency tie off, escape a belay, rig a haul system, and treat me for first aid. Can you tell I'm an Everett Mountaineer [Wink]

 

Seriously, if you are new to climbing and especially alpine adventure and mountaineering, take a comprehensive course from a reputable organization, but don't leave it at that.

 

When you're done, come climb with us and get exposed to "other" ways of doing things (lead climbing, sport climbing, ice climbing, hanging belays, double rope systems...) There is a big world outside of the Mountaineers, but they are extremely good at introducing newcomers to the sport.

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Also you can check out the Mountaineers, they have branches in Everett, B'ham, Seattle (there are the other branches, but not close to Skagit Valley). I have taken some courses with the Mountaineers and I like it a lot. One of the classes they offer is the Basic Climbing Class (teaches you basic rock and glacier/snow climbing skills). [big Drink]

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