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- Jul 06, 2017
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Class in the Cascades: Introduction to Mountaineering
Have you ever looked at a mountain and wondered, “How do I get up there?”
Over the weekend, Jacob Oram and I co-taught an Introduction to Mountaineering course that included a summit of Ruth Mountain in the North Cascades near Mount Baker. Our students came away from the two-day course with some of the foundational skills and a better idea for what it’s like to get out there and up there.
![](https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2FColin_on_Ruth_Mountain_summit-Shuksan_in_background_FB.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=300&s=ed6e6ddaa467ca7402253c5a03ccbce3 300w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2FColin_on_Ruth_Mountain_summit-Shuksan_in_background_FB.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=500&s=6f5c2bd8292d71cb4a9eec7893060135 500w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2FColin_on_Ruth_Mountain_summit-Shuksan_in_background_FB.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=700&s=b8eb0c7cbb32675b3db61b0ecf18db75 700w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2FColin_on_Ruth_Mountain_summit-Shuksan_in_background_FB.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=800&s=1ab9521f91c80f3552cf0e8607609bbf 800w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2FColin_on_Ruth_Mountain_summit-Shuksan_in_background_FB.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=1000&s=aca007dfaf14936e80a075643af8a9a1 1000w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2FColin_on_Ruth_Mountain_summit-Shuksan_in_background_FB.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=1200&s=ce7e0644645c086023b00274cb7c52f3 1200w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2FColin_on_Ruth_Mountain_summit-Shuksan_in_background_FB.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=1400&s=2e21e54dd5e9053af23c08bcf9ac5692 1400w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2FColin_on_Ruth_Mountain_summit-Shuksan_in_background_FB.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=1600&s=2b2d4cae6c3ef2b2329aab60f3215db7 1600w)
Colin, one of our students, at the summit of Ruth Mountain; Mount Shuksan looms in the background.
Day one, we hiked out to Hannegan Pass and established our camp in the snow. Instruction began with the basics of moving on snow in balance, and usage of tools like crampons and ice axes. Then, we covered the most frequently used knots you might employ in the mountains. We discussed our objective, prepped our equipment, and got to bed for an early summit push the following morning.
![](https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2FJacob_teaching_knots_and_hitches_FB.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=300&s=ae037d577b7919ed9b07796eaadcd7fd 300w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2FJacob_teaching_knots_and_hitches_FB.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=500&s=3c8dbaea596b4ec9bd18f56de16850bb 500w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2FJacob_teaching_knots_and_hitches_FB.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=700&s=04f12a77557f4567c488e9f0f306079d 700w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2FJacob_teaching_knots_and_hitches_FB.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=800&s=537485bfb7338cee468776fcb59b9c7c 800w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2FJacob_teaching_knots_and_hitches_FB.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=1000&s=ccc73b54772c57a07bc9a3da02197f05 1000w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2FJacob_teaching_knots_and_hitches_FB.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=1200&s=1bc04bafc9435027d85ccbe772d52258 1200w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2FJacob_teaching_knots_and_hitches_FB.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=1400&s=e750f84967acbdc0ba61490ad46e6020 1400w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2FJacob_teaching_knots_and_hitches_FB.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=1600&s=07d2b39e9a0362deda3a2e5ae46921f8 1600w)
Jacob teaches basic mountaineering knots and hitches.
On day two, we woke and ate breakfast before sunrise. As we were walking, we discussed glaciology, practiced some of the techniques from the previous day’s lesson and got to experience roped glacier travel. Sunrise on nearby Mount Shuksan and the valley below was gorgeous.
![](https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2Fteam_progressing_toward_summit_FB.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=300&s=4ceac97a1aff77ee73b0e59d5e4935fb 300w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2Fteam_progressing_toward_summit_FB.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=500&s=b5b186105dd15d839c158c12b45cb38b 500w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2Fteam_progressing_toward_summit_FB.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=700&s=5dbccb50b93a804ac4223d614e308f22 700w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2Fteam_progressing_toward_summit_FB.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=800&s=af29e938d9d57ad1a15d2e105f5ee34b 800w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2Fteam_progressing_toward_summit_FB.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=1000&s=1384468a0278d762c07c04650b4f3a6b 1000w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2Fteam_progressing_toward_summit_FB.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=1200&s=b6fc60fcae6f930f93c6bcadaf1455b2 1200w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2Fteam_progressing_toward_summit_FB.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=1400&s=68ad8a6609656e56bdd63474822b32a5 1400w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2Fteam_progressing_toward_summit_FB.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=1600&s=2773884e2dd0ef385747e832b145b6cb 1600w)
Our team steadily making progress toward the summit using the skills learned the day before.
On the whole, we covered a lot of material and succeeded in climbing our objective. Jacob and I had a great time working with everyone, and hope to see everyone again in one of our Glacier Mountaineering Courses, Crevasse Rescue Courses or beginner summit climbs of Mount Baker, Shuksan or beyond.
~Words and photos, MM Guide Mallorie Estenson