Pro Guiding Mountaineering Course News
We are guessing if you, at one point, took a mountaineering course from us, you are pretty excited about mountains. How about international mountains? We guide great international alpine trips and thought you might want to check them out!
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Hello Alpinists,
With the sun out and shining are you daydreaming of a mountain adventure?
Over the spring we did some organizing, and thought it would be great to reconnect with those of you who have participated in one of our Guided Alpine Trips up here in Washington.
Has it been a few years since your trip? Is it time for the next? We have some great opportunities going out this summer. If you live in the Seattle area and don’t have the time to set aside a full weekend or four days for adventure, just run up to Snoqualmie Pass for a day on Chair Peak or climb The Tooth. If you want to travel back to the PNW from other parts of the country, we have some great multi-day trips up in the North Cascades. From summiting well-known Mt. Baker, to climbing what many claim to be the most iconic peak in the North Cascades—Mt. Shuksan.
Here is a list of what we are offering for group trips this summer:
The Tooth South Face Climb
Mount Baker Summit Climb
Forbidden Peak Climb
Mt. Shuksan Fisher Chimney
Mount Baker North Ridge
Chair Peak Climb
North Cascades Ridge Traverse
We can take routes and climbs from different trips and create a unique private that fits your time-frame, your goals, and your interests.
Contact us to find out more!
With this exciting summer ahead of us we hope you join in on the fun!
Thanks!
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One of the most common questions we get from our AIARE 1 students is "what's next?" It's easy to feel like you're hitting a plateau after you have taken the course and get a dozen or so tours under your belt. Maybe you're feeling comfortable with your skills and equipment, but nervous about exploring more consequential terrain in your quest for powder. While there are many ways to go about improving your skills, our top three recommendations are to: 1) take a course, 2) get outside, and 3) keep learning.
After AIARE 1, there are a number of courses you can take to keep your avalanche knowledge and skills up-to-date. AIARE Rescue is a one-day stand-alone course that is meant to refresh your companion rescue skills. Instructors will also cover updates in technology and best practices. Our Avalanche Refresher course is more directed towards going over the knowledge you learned in AIARE 1 and building on it after you've gained some more experience in the backcountry. (Note that our Refresher course is not an AIARE-accredited course.)
We also have students who ask us when it is appropriate for them to take AIARE 2. There isn't necessarily a wrong time to take the course, but AIARE 2 is designed for backcountry skiers who have gained some touring experience after taking the AIARE 1 Course. AIARE 2 will help you develop the skills you need to better connect weather, snowpack and avalanche processes, and identify how these processes relate to observations and travel within avalanche terrain. This course is highly recommended for backcountry travelers who want to improve their decision making process in more complex terrain and or areas where avalanche forecasts may be less reliable.
Of course, the other aspect to touring is skills-based and relates to the actual movement on the mountain. We offer three-day ski touring and advanced ski touring courses to help you move efficiently on the mountain. These movement based courses are the foundation that all other backcountry skiing skills (including avalanche courses) are built on and because of that, we cannot overemphasize the importance of these courses.
While it is true that there is no replacement for professional instruction, it is equally important to apply your newly acquired skills.
Getting out often, and in varying conditions, is the best way to build your skills and your confidence. We often hear from our guests that they learn the most when conditions are less than ideal. Don't be afraid to challenge yourself-- or to turn around when you may have bitten off more than you can chew. There's no shame in knowing your limits and making incremental pushes. Choose ski tours that are comfortably within your skill set and execute them well, rather than setting off on an adventure that you are hoping to pull off. In the end, ask yourself: Did I make this tour happen or did it happen to me?
If you're nervous to get out on your own, or just don't have a reliable partner, we have a variety of options to get you outside. From day trips in the Snoqualmie and Crystal backcountry to multi-day traverses, you will be in good hands with our AMGA ski guides. Whether you know the other members of your group or not, we emphasize building camaraderie, enjoying time outside in some of the most magical places in Washington, and encouraging growth as outdoor athletes. Our guides can show you some of their secret pow stashes and reinforce your learnings while out in the field.
Here are a few of our other favorite tips to help you get planning for the season.
Pro Guiding Service Owner and IFMGA certified guide Martin Volken is in the process of co-publishing a new edition of "Backcountry Skiing: Skills for Ski Touring and Ski Mountaineering." The final release date of the book is tentatively slated for fall 2024. In the meantime, we'll be sharing snippets from the book, so check back often for more sneak peaks!
Our first excerpt is regarding gear repair kits for backcountry touring. This is a reminder to check your own kits and make sure you replace any missing pieces, or take it to the next level using some of the tips below.
Gear Repair Kits
Having a good repair kit can easily mean the difference between accomplishing the objectives of a trip and getting stuck. An ideal repair kit has many useful components, most of which have more than one use, but is still as compact and light as possible. That said, all repair kits are not created equal, and you should tailor your repair kit to your expectations for the trip’s length, commitment level, and potential for wear and tear on your gear. When deciding what items to take or leave on any given trip, think about your worst-case scenarios: if anything breaks, how well can you fix it, and how far will you have to travel with broken gear? The most bare-minimum repair kit consists of duct tape, zip ties, and a few rubber ski straps; the deluxe model may start to look like the back room of a small ski shop. Build the kit that’s right for your trip, and don’t be afraid to adjust it constantly as trips vary.
Sample Day-Trip Repair Kit
Sample Multiday Repair Kit
This kit would include all the items in the day-trip kit of the above, plus the following:
Gear Review: Exped Black Ice 55L
By: Jere Burrell, Pro Guiding Service Guide
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Walking into the Cordillera Blanca with the Donkeys and Black Ice 55L. Photo: Paul Barish
The snow on the glaciers was still thick and the days were still growing longer. My spring schedule had filled with multi-day ski trips and summit climbs on Mount Baker. This time of the year was typical, and we received our share of rain, snow, and over all wet conditions. As we transitioned from spring to summer my instructional courses and shred trips on Baker moved to summit climbs in the southern complex of North Cascades National Park. By then the wet spring weather had become a distant memory as we sweltered in the hot, dry, and smoky summer haze. Along the way the Exped Black Ice 55 Liter was my go to pack on shred and send trips up to 6 days in length.
Material
The Black Ice surviving the snow at the 16,500' moraine camp on Artesonraju Photo: Jere Burrell
When the Black Ice showed up in the spring at Pro Guiding Service I was stoked to see its waterproof design. After spending over a decade guiding big whitewater, I immediately recognized the benefits this pack would have in the commonly wet North Cascades. In a classic dry bag design this pack is made of an ultra durable but light weight TPU Laminated HD Ripstop with a large opening on the roll top closure. The functionality here is top notch. The roll top secures with either 2 small carabiners that clip to daisy chain style loops down the side of the pack, or with larger loads that fill the pack, you can get a couple rolls in, bring the ends together, and clip them with a separate male/female style plastic plug and pinch buckle. During the spring with our cooler wet weather I felt 100% comfortable leaving my pack rolled up laying outside the tent vestibule to keep space open for boots and stoves. Never once did any gear get wet inside.
Compartments
In order to ensure waterproof performance, the packs design has one large 55-liter tapered funnel shaped compartment, a small external waterproof zippered pocket, and a small internal pocket. In addition, a frameless design keeps the empty pack weight down, but with a removable ultra-lightweight PE foam board it supports pack weight surprisingly well. No flaps, no draw cord openings, no brain. Using a classic brick and mortar packing style, I was able to stuff small soft items such as shirts and extra socks around medium sized hard items like a stove and fuel cans into the large main compartment. This would provide plenty of space for 6 days of gear on summer alpine climbing trips into Boston Basin and for as many days on splitboard mountaineering trips on Mount Shuksan.
The external waterproof zippered pocket has enough space for several small items such as a couple snack bars, map and compass, and the always critical blue bag. Over stuffing the zippered pocket could create a possible weak point in the waterproof performance of this pack fortunately the inside of the pocket is made of the same TPU laminated HD Ripstop so the inside of the pack will remain dry and protected if this were to happen.
Meanwhile the internal pocket offers a little organization for a few items such as more snack bars, a spare battery pack, and a bottle of sunscreen. After the main compartment is packed with all my gear this pocket becomes difficult to access. Another option is using the internal pocket to hold a 1.5 liter hydration bag or dromedary but there is no hydration tube port to the outside of the pack.The simple waterproof tunnel design is effective but has limited organization options. A simple solution I have come up with is a small stuff sack for my regularly used items such as lip balm, sunscreen, tooth brush, and more snacks, that sits on top of my gear in the main compartment.
Compression and Extension
This pack is a stout 55 liters, large enough to carry enough gear for 5 or more days into Boston Basin in the North Cascades. But when it’s time to climb the West Ridge of Forbidden the Black Ice rolls down small. Even though there aren’t any integrated compression straps the pack rolls down tight enough to climb like a small summit pack while still maintaining space for a day’s worth of climbing gear.
The roll top strap and side strap pad with daisy chains. Walking out to Cashapampa. Photo: Paul Barish
The almost empty pack is super compact on 5th class climbing. Photo: Fred and Bob
A decently large load on an acclimatization gear shuttle to 16,500' on Artensonraju
Straps
The pack about ready to climb from the upper bivy in Boston Basin. Ice axe and picket attached. Photo: Jere Burrell
Straps, what straps! This super slim, low profile pack allows a variety of strapping options for those must carry on the outside pieces of equipment. Additionally, low profile shoulder and waist straps provide just enough padding and weight distribution to carry the large loads. While any extra tail length rolls conveniently into velcro closures on the end of the adjustment straps.
First, this pack comes with removable compression style straps that allow custom arrangement on the 4 daisy chain loops running down the back and sides of the pack. Along with an adjustable over the top strap for a variety of arrangements. If you’re carrying a splitboard in “A” frame position or diagonal there are solutions, if you need to attach a rope on the outside there are solutions, snow picket access just clip it, crampons on the outside no problem. If you’re going for a day hike, remove all the straps and have a stream line pack that won’t snag on the drooping doug firs.
Next, the low-profile shoulder straps are padded and wide enough to distribute the fully loaded weight of a 55 Liter pack while maintaining low bulk and avoiding sponge like affect in wet conditions. At first, I was concerned with the padding packing out, but after a full summer of heavy loads this hasn’t happened. The floating sternum strap adjusts up and down easily and for my body shape and size I found the range to be a little limiting but still functions nicely.
In order to carry a big pack comfortably Exped used a removable seat belt style waist belt that connects with a coin and slot buckle. This modern buckle style is easy to use in the snow with gloves, so no snow clogging pinch to
unplug buckle. The female coin slot piece is plastic while the male coin piece is aluminum. Throughout the summer I have seen noticeable wear on the plastic piece. It seems durable enough in materials and design to withstand being crushed if it gets stepped on. Thus, more durable than a typical pinch and plug buckle but it has seen more wear than the aluminum component. Adjusting the buckle is easy as long as I adjust the metal coin, left side first, then after clipping the buckle tighten the plastic slot from the right side. I haven’t removed the belt to climb yet and in fact I prefer moving through vertical terrain with the belt buckled so my pack moves with me and doesn’t sway. But for those who prefer otherwise the belt can be removed easily and stored at camp or in the pack while scrambling, climbing, or sending.
Lastly, the pack easily carries an ice axe or two ice tools with a traditional loop and flip design for the head and a fish hook shaped shock cord toggle tightener to snug the shaft in place. Another design consideration I really liked is the large grab loop handle behind your head. This handle not only makes moving the bag around easy but when transitioning from ice axe use in moderate to steep snow couloirs this handle doubles as a behind the back and head, ice axe quick storage for a He Man, ninja sword, quick stow and retrieve security loop.
Fish hook ice axe clips, flip loops, and daisy chains Photo: Jere Burrell
A geared up author prepared to climb Sharkfin Tower. Showing the sternum strap and waist buckle. Photo: Fred & Bob
From Cascade deluges of rain and Andean snow squalls this pack has kept my gear dry all summer. Alpine climbing up steep snow couloirs, across classic rock ridges, down long gully rappels, and across broken glaciers to getting shoved under the back seat of a mini bus by an anxious driver in Caraz, this thing has held up incredibly well. Over all this pack has surpassed my expectations being able to adapt to any style I decide to use it. And seeing how it has survived a spring and summer of heavy use during work and on personal expeditions I believe strongly this pack will last for many more years of abuse.
Check out all of the Exped Alpine Packs at Pro Ski & Mountain Service
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