Mt. Baker Guide Question

[DreamClimber]

Hey guys, you might remember me from my intro (the Florida guy). Well I just been getting my college straightened out and have been reading up on climbing and going to climbing gyms. I took a trip up to Stone Mountain Georgia and even that was thrilling to climb. Anyways I think I am ready to really get my feet wet in alpine climbing, I was looking at this guided climb up Mt Baker by Alpine Ascents, the cost is $800 bucks. Do you all thing it would be a good way to get started? Any of you climbed Baker would like to share their thoughts?

 

Thanks

[DPS]

Mt Baker is the first 'big' mountain I climbed. It is an excellent venue for learning mountaineering. I have introduced many new climbers to the sport by taking them up Baker.

 

Another option is to take a longer, more comprehensive course like American Alpine Institute's Alpine Mountaineering and Technical Leadership - Part 1 http://www.aai.cc/ProgramDetail/mountaineering_leadership1/ or Alpine Ascents International 13 day mountaineering course http://www.alpineascents.com/cascades13.asp . At $2200 - $2300 it is more expensive but you will have the opportunity to learn a lot. If you factor into the equation your travel, loddging, gear, and clothing expenses it is not that much more.

Edited December 27, 2010 by DPS

[yasso1am]

DreamClimber,

 

Look into American Alpine Institute Alpinism 1 program. It is probably the best course to get your feet wet in mountaineering, while not breaking the bank. It is 6 days long, spent on Mt. Baker, and is $1160.

 

http://www.aai.cc/ProgramDetail/alpinism1/

 

It also leads into every other AAI program, so if you want to continue your training it is extremely easy to blend into the next step.

 

Let me be honest and just say I work for AAI, so I'm definitely biased. However, I was also a customer once, coming out from Michigan and taking the full Alpine Mountaineering and Technical Leadership (AMTL) Program. I know exactly what it is like to be a customer and now an employee of AAI, and I happily and readily recommend their programs. Feel free to contact me if you would like to know more.

 

 

[DreamClimber]

Thanks guys, the classes are looking very tempting. I will keep in contact yasso. Thanks for the info I really appreciate it.

[EastCoastBastard]

I don't work for anybody (this is true, I'm a poor student), but I too would say that your best bet for actually learning how to climb is to take a course. A guided trip is an almost guaranteed summit, but I doubt very much that you will learn very much other than what the guide needs to teach you so that you don't kill them or yourself. I have guided people up the Coleman-Demming (the standard route on Baker)and I doubt very much that any of the folks I was guiding learned much except how to put one foot in front of the other - and some of them had a lot of trouble with even that.

 

I'm sure you could corrupt that "if you teach a man to fish..." thing to climbing, but I'm too tired to think of a good version

[DyP]

I second yasso.