New in town

[rashej19]

Hi all,

Im new in town and am looking to get into mountaineering. I relocated for work from Wisconsin. I have been backpacking and hiking since I have got here but would really like to experience mountaineering. I have read a few posts about classes to look into but I guess it seems like there are a lot of differing opinions. Whats the best way to start? I have tried the Seattle Bouldering Project and that was a lot of fun. What is my next step? Would anyone be willing to enlighten me? Thanks in advance for all the tips.

[LostCamKenny]

Step 1) pick up a copy of Freedom of the Hills and start reading up.

 

Step 2) find a local junior college or climbing organization(The Mountaineers for Seattle, the Mazamas for Portland) that offers courses in introductory mountaineering and find out what they teach and the pace at which they teach it. You may find that you can progress faster on your own if you can find another willing partner who will learn with you, and this could be more suited to your style of learning. If you are already climbing rock and bouldering you might ask around your gym and look for partners that you could get out with and learn some technical skills. In the best possible situation you could hook up with someone with a little experience to help guide you as you start out learning.

 

Step 3) PRACTICE

 

Step 4) Repeat step 3 - over and over and over again!

 

Good luck!!!