Cascades mountaineering school

Question

I'm looking for a mountaineering school on Rainier or elsewhere in the Cascades that provides sufficient training to climb Elbrus. Glacier travel, crampon use, crevasse rescue, and self arrest are the kinds of things I need to learn.

Alpine Assents, RMI, and IMG offer good ones but don't have a lot of availability. Does anyone know of other tour companies that offer similar courses? I'd like to go around 4th of July this year, but any suggestions would be really helpful, even if you don't know the dates.

Note - I asked a similar question a few months ago, which is where I got the suggestions to look at the above 3 tour companies. That was just for climbing Mt. Rainier though - now I'm looking for a mountaineering course, and it can be on other mountains in the Cascades.

Answer 1

I would recommend an American Alpine Institute mountaineering course.

For a mountain like Elbrus, you are probably most interested in their 3-Day Glacier Skills and Crevasse Rescue course, but the Alpinism Intro and Baker Skills and Climbs might also be appropriate.

AAI guides are top-notch, and although I have not personally taken this course a friend of mine did the Glacier course on Mt. Baker, and enjoyed it (as well as learned a lot!).

Answer 2

I have heard that RMI (one of the places you listed) is great as well as Alpine Assents, but neither are very formal in the guide education area. Try taking a look at National Outdoor Leadership School. They have a pretty well setup program and work with some schools to get you credit (if you need it) They are pretty thorough and offer a 17 day course and a 31 day course.