If you're ready to level up from hiking to technical and high-altitude mountaineering, this episode is for you! I dive into three ways to learn essential mountaineering skills: apprenticeship, regional mountain clubs, and professional mountaineering schools.

We'll discuss the pros and cons of each, including:

• Cost

• Time commitment

• Instruction quality

• Quality of teaching

• Emotional safety (and why this matters)

We'll also discuss the best learning options for mountaineers who live far from the mountains and do not have a strong local mountaineering community to plug into.

And finally, I’ll offer some suggestions for choosing an instruction method if you fall outside the stereotypical mountaineering box (BIPOC, GLBT, women, plus-size, older mountaineers).

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Resources Mentioned

Mountain Clubs (U.S.)

• Appalachian Mountain Club (Eastern U.S.)

• The Mountaineers (Seattle)

• Mazamas (Portland)

• Colorado Mountain Club

• American Alpine Club

Mountaineering Schools

• RMI

• IMG

• Alpine Ascents International

• Colorado Mountain School

Instructor Certifications

• AMGA

• IFMGA

Further Reading on the blog

• Trip report about our Colorado Mountain Club High-Altitude Mountaineering School grad climb of Mount Rainier

Episode Sneak Peak

Ready to level up your mountaineering skills? You have several options available, from learning one-to-one with an experienced mountaineer, enrolling in a course with your regional mountain club, or attending a professional mountaineering school.

These options aren’t mutually exclusive. You will probably use all three at different points in your mountaineering career. The point of this podcast is to help you figure out the best starting place.

• [1:42] If you’re considering leveling up from hiker to mountaineer, congratulations! This is the start of life-changing journey that will stretch and change you in all possible ways.

• [3:10] Factors to consider for mountaineering instruction: cost, time commitment, quality of teaching and instruction, commitment to emotional safety.

• [4:46] Why people with fragile egos are sometimes drawn to teaching mountaineering, and what this means for you as a student.

• [6:42] The apprenticeship model. What it is and how it started. Why it’s probably the most emotionally safe option. How it promotes diversity in our sport. How to evaluate a potential mentor when you are new to the sport. Understanding “unconscious incompetence” and how this can show up in potential mentor-apprentice relationships.

• [12:04] Course with a regional mountain club. How these clubs got started. What kinds of mountaineering courses they offer. The pros and cons of learning with a volunteer-based organization. How finding the right instructor can make or break your experience.

• [24:31] Course with a professional mountaineering school. Advantages and disadvantages versus a regional mountain club. Why this is often the best option for you if you live in the flatlands without a local mountaineering community. And also why this can be a good option for the time-starved.

• [29:29] Why professional mountaineering schools are NOT immune to shame-based teaching methods, and how to reduce your chances of having this experience.

Remember, no learning experience is perfect, and even the “bad” ones have something to teach us! Go into your mountaineering course/apprenticeship with lots of grace for yourself and others. But don’t hesitate to stand up for yourself when you need to or leave an unsafe situation.

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