Women's Skills Seminars with International Mountain Guides
North Cascades National Park
IMG's Skills Seminars are our most in depth, hands-on training programs, offering a generous amount of time to build your proficiency in critical mountaineering skills including glacier travel and crevasse rescue. Our women's programs are equally suitable as an introduction course for first time climbers, or a comprehensive refresher course for veterans of past climbing adventures looking for a spectacular climb and in-depth mountaineering curriculum. Our primary goal during our Women's Skills Seminar is to build your competence and confidence in the mountains while offering a unique team dynamic, building lasting relationships, and having a great time on an amazing adventure.
Throughout the seminar, your guides will delve into great detail during the training, lectures, informal discussions, and hands-on skills sessions to allow you to comprehensively understand the topics covered. At the end of the program we will make a summit bid as a team, utilizing the training we have learned during the seminar.
Safety is our number one priority. We make no guarantees with respect to the program objectives. Many circumstances, including weather and abilities of yourself or other climbers may inhibit you from reaching the summit. Our goal is to give each of our customers the best experience we possibly can, regardless of the weather, route conditions, or time of year.
Possible Course Objectives:
- Cramponing
- Belaying and rappelling
- Route finding and navigation
- Glacier travel and rope management
- Crevasse rescue haul systems
- Anchor systems in ice and snow
- Short roping and short pitching
- Ascending and descending fixed lines
- Glacier and snow camping and shelters
Mt. Shuksan
Mount Shuksan is one of the highest non-volcanic peaks in the Pacific Northwest at 9,127 feet. It is also one of the most strikingly beautiful peaks in the United States, which makes it one of the most photographed mountains in the world. Our approach to Mt. Shuksan has it all for the aspiring mountaineer: A beautiful hike through dense forest and up into the alpine zone will lead to the base of permanent snow. Shuksan's varied and world-class terrain make it the perfect training ground for our women's mountaineering course which culminates in a summit bid of this breathtaking peak.
The Sulphide Glacier Route
Our route of ascent to the summit is via the Sulphide Glacier, the most direct route up the mountain with the fewest technical difficulties. The broad rolling expanse of the Sulphide Glacier provides a moderate roped glacial approach to the final 600-foot rock summit. The final summit pyramid involves climbing steep snow in early summer, or later in the summer months it is fourth-class rock scrambling with a few low fifth-class moves. Your guides will take you through the comprehensive trainings and practical skills sessions necessary to successfully and safely reach the summit of Mt. Shuksan, providing a classic Northwest mountain experience.
Prerequisites
For the Sulphide Glacier Route, there are no specific climbing prerequisites. All that is required is an eagerness to learn, a significant base of cardiovascular physical fitness, and previous experience carrying an overnight pack. You will be expected to carry this weight over the course of many hours each day. For training suggestions please review the information provided on our Training for Rainier page. This is a novice climb for those interested in learning elements of travel on big, glaciated mountains. Technical training is conducted during the pre-climb orientation and continually throughout the climb.
While the Shuksan Sulphide Climbs are suitable for novice climbers with little or no previous climbing experience, this program does require adequate fitness and endurance training in order to be successful.