Rock Climbing | Outside Online

Back to Summit Journal '96

4218 S.W. Alaska St., #206
Seattle, WA 98116
206-937-8389/800-328-5925
Fax: 206-937-1772
mountmad@aol.com

Mountain Madness can make it happen for you!

Mountain Madness excursions can literally take you to the top of the world. Reach the seven summits, snorkel on Zanzibar Island, rock climb in the Ukraine, or trek in the magical Olympic Mountains of Washington State. We've been there and we'd love to take you with us next time.

Mountain Madness is based in Seattle, Washington, one of the world's premier outdoor adventure locations. The scenic Pacific Northwest serves as an excellent training ground for international expeditions and as a worthy destination in itself.

Go solo, or as a family. Set an adventure goal for your next vacation. Together, we'll make it happen!

Rock Climbing

Marymoor Wall Classes (Washington)
Check out the fun on the world's largest outdoor artificial climbing wall, located at Marymoor Park in Redmond, Washington. Numerous half- and full-day classes are offered April through October. Classes include beginning, intermediate, kids, women's, rescue, and more. Call us for schedules and prices.

Basic Rock (Washington)
2 days / $165 / April 20-21, May 18-19, June 22-23, July 20-21, Aug. 24-25, Sept.14-15, Oct. 12-13
Learn the ropes at Icicle Canyon, located just outside the Bavarian theme town of Leavenworth. Using our riverside car camp as a base, we take advantage of the myriad climbs. Starting with basic bouldering techniques, we soon move on to belaying, anchor placement, knots and rappelling. You'll work on friction climbs, developing balance and confidence, then progress to the more challenging face and crack climbing techniques. This course is the perfect transition from indoor gyms to real rock.

Families and kids class (Washington)
2 days / $165
So your kid wants to climb? This basic course is the same as the one above except we focus on kids, as well as their parents who want to learn more about the sport. Parents and guardians are welcome to participate at no extra cost. Come see what your kids are so excited about.

Intermediate Rock (Washington)
3 days / $280 / May 24-26, July 26-28, Sept. 20-22
Learn to move in the vertical world! This three-day course in Leavenworth, Washington covers the fundamentals of adventure climbing, teaching students how to use removable protection and build solid belay anchors fast, efficiently, and safely. Here's where you learn to lead.

Smith Rock (Oregon)
4 days / $345 Dates TBA
Join us for an introductory tour of this world-class sport-climbing mecca. Routes for every skill level and appetite. Spectacular scenery. Plus, comfortable camping at Smith Rock State Park, complete with hot showers.
Glacier travel

Colchuck Peak (Washington)
(School & Summit Climb) 3 days / $365 / June 7-9
Whether your goal is Mt. Rainier or just off-trail exploration, this comprehensive seminar is your springboard to enjoying the high mountains of the world. Being on the east side of the Cascades, Colchuck is an ideal early season location. Good snow conditions generally arrive a month ahead of Mt. Baker and other west side glaciers.

Mount Baker (Washington)
(Summit Climb) 3 days / $365 / June 21-23, July 19-21, Aug. 9-11, Sept. 6-8
Review basic skills and climb Mt. Baker, the highest peak in the North Cascades. Mt. Baker rises 10,778 feet and is easily identified from as far away as Seattle, a distance of 75 miles. Expect a strenuous climb on a big volcano, but at a comfortable elevation.

Mount Baker (Washington)
(School & Summit Climb) 6-days / $720 / July 8-13, July 29-Aug. 3, Aug. 19-24
Mt. Baker is both the highest peak and home to the largest concentration of glaciers in the North Cascades. While the upper portion of the mountain can provide a harsh alpine environment, the lower reaches offer comfortable camps with close proximity to good teaching and training sites. This combination makes Mt. Baker an ideal location to learn snow and glacier travel techniques while providing a challenging summit. You'll receive comprehensive training in beginning and intermediate mountaineering skills, a good basis for alpine climbs throughout the world.

Glacier Peak (Washington)
(School & Summit Climb) 5-days / $625 / July 13-17
Learn basic snow and glacier skills on the Cascades' lone wilderness volcano. The route to the summit of this 10,541-foot peak begins with a full day's walk through old growth forest. Sweeping panoramic views of vast wilderness reward us as we climb higher on the mountain.

Mt. Olympus (Washington)
(School & Summit Climb) 7 days / $875 / July 18-24
Climb the jewel of the Olympic Peninsula. We start with a ferry ride from Seattle and then approach through spectacular rain forest. While reaching the summit is one objective, it is the abundance and diversity of natural beauty that make this trip perhaps the most complete and rewarding mountaineering experience we offer in the Northwest.

Alpine Mountaineering Course (Washington)
(Rock, Snow and Ice) 12 days / $1650 / Aug.13-24
We run this extended course high in the magnificent North Cascades. Students will begin on Mt. Baker for glacier work and then move to either Leavenworth or Washington Pass for the rock training. We'll cover basic rock, snow, and ice climbing skills, then put them to use on multi-pitch alpine routes. No matter what your skill level, you'll be leading climbs by the end of the course!

Mt. Shuksan (Washington)
(Summit Climb) 3 days / $490 / July 12-14
The North Cascades contain hundreds of rugged glacier-carved peaks. Rising 9,127 feet, Shuksan is among the largest mountain masses in the region and offers a wide variety of climbing routes to choose from. This beautiful mountain symbolizes the wild savagery of the region. Join us for a mixed (glacier and rock) ascent of the Sulfide Glacier, and share with us the grandeur of alpine climbing.
Ice Climbing (Frozen Waterfall)
Ouray (Colorado)
5 days / $680 / Dec.11-15 '95 (Scott Fischer leading), Jan. 8-12, Jan. 22-26 (Rob Hess leading, and also available during the entire month of January for custom departures.) Imagine strapping on your crampons, taking your ice tools in hand, and climbing straight up hundreds of feet of vertical ice. This intensive course will cover French technique, front pointing, the use of ice screws for protection and anchors, and various kinds of ice, rock and snow belays. After a hard day of climbing, return to the cozy cowboy town of Ouray and relax in the thermal hot springs.

Ruth Amphitheatre Ski Touring & Mountaineering (Alaska)
9 Days / $1480 / April 5-13 (Alaska)
Michael Allison leads this excursion of fantastic skiing beneath towering walls of granite and ice. A bush pilot drops us (with our gear) directly onto the Ruth Glacier near a small basecamp hut. From here we spend the days exploring the grandeur of the Alaska Range and enjoying the views of Denali. Appropriate for all levels of skiing.

Avalanche Seminar $100 (Washington)
Whether you're skiing, climbing, or winter camping, if you're going to be on snow, you need this essential course. Join Seattle's avalanche expert, Gary Brill, for three evening lectures and a day-long field trip.

Session 1 - Three Wednesday evenings, Jan. 24-Feb. 7 at REI's Seattle store, field date either Feb. 4 or 10.

Session 2 - Three Tuesdays evenings, Jan. 9- 23 at the Swallows Nest, field dates either Jan. 14 or 20.

One day in the field refresher course, $75/Dec. 10 or 16 ('95), or Jan. 6 or 7.

Africa

Mt. Kilimanjaro and Safari
16 days / Jan. 20-Feb. 3, March 16-30, June 22-July 6, Aug. 10-24, Oct. 5-19 / Land Cost $3,375 + Park Fees $820, Total $4,195
Climb Only / 9 days / $2,550. Safari Only / 7 days / $1,800
Few of the world's mountains can offer the majesty and mystique of Kilimanjaro, at 19,340 feet the highest mountain in Africa. Join us on the seldom used Shira Plateau route, pioneered by one of our company founders. This nine day expedition avoids the over crowded "tourist routes" and adds extra days for acclimatization. Climbers circle the southern flank of the mountain, climbing slowly and spending nights in spectacular camp sites beneath summit glaciers. We ascend through the Western Breach, a notch in the summit wall affording access to the crater floor where we make our high camp. Summit day begins at the civilized hour of 8am (after a full breakfast) and we reach the top by 10am. We have plenty of time to enjoy the view before the mid-morning clouds roll in.

After your hard earned summit (our success rate is almost 100%) relax on safari to Ngorogoro Crater, Lake Manyara, Tarangire and the Serengeti. You'll see abundant wildlife--wildebeest, rhinoceros, zebra, giraffe, lions, leopards and an amazing variety of exotic birds. Our camps are light yet comfortable, allowing us to move with the game. We use Land Cruisers with guaranteed window seating.

Mt. Kenya

6 days / $1495 / July 8-13, or custom departure.
Experience some of Africa's best mixed climbing. We stay in rustic log cabins as we ascend through the "vertical bog" to an alpine area remarkable for it's strange and beautiful vegetation. Giant Lobelias and brilliant flowers flourish due to the unique weather. The climb begins and ends at the Jacaranda Hotel in Nairobi. Strenuous but not technical, up to the almost 17,000 ft. Point Lenana. Custom trips to the more difficult true summit are also available.

Family Vacation
13 days / $2838 (kids 12 and under, sharing room with parents, are half price) Dec. 27, '95-Jan. 8, '96.
East Africa is a great place for kids! The weather is grand, the people are friendly, and there's always a million things to see and do. We start with some relaxed time in Arusha National Forest, move on to climb Mt. Meru, a forested volcano rising 15,000 ft. in the shadow of Kilimanjaro, and finish with a safari to the Serengeti, Ngorogoro Crater, and Tarangire. Games, cultural exploration and lodges with swimming pools. It's fun for all.

Zanzibar Island and Walking Safari
Call for details

Botswana Explorer
10 days / $1350 / Custom departures, call for dates
The Botswana Explorer is a rugged camping safari. We fly into Okarango Delta and take traditional dugout canoes to explore the crystal clear channels, islands and waterways and undertake game viewing walks. We also visit Chobe National Park and Victoria Falls.

Luxury Okarango Safari
9 days / $2720 / Custom departures, call for dates
Very similar to the Botswana Explorer, except instead of camping you will stay in first class lodges for the duration of the safari.
Nepal
Mt. Everest
S. Col Route / April-May / $65,000 (Scott Fischer, Neil Beidleman and Rob Hess leading)
Building on the success of 1994, the Sagarmatha Environmental Expedition is returning to the world's highest peak. Expedition leader Scott Fischer has designed the climb to get every member on the summit, using a pyramid of camps, each stocked from the one below. The guides and high altitude Sherpa staff will fix rope, establish and stock camps, and provide leadership for summit attempts. Climbers are welcome to assist in the clean-up effort, but their primary goal will be to stand on top of the world.

Everest Environmental Support Trek
27 days / $2950 / April 22-May 18
Following a few weeks after the climbers, this trek starts in the fabled city of Katmandu. After a couple days to explore the temples and markets, we take a hair raising flight to the medieval village of Luhkla. Suddenly we are in a world free of mechanization and worry. At basecamp, trekkers will work with the environmental coordinator to gather and organize trash for removal by yak train. We'll be sure to make time for a side trip to Kala Pattar (18,440 ft.) with its spectacular views of Everest, Nuptse and Pumori.

Khumbu Valley Support Trek
19 days / $2650 / April 22-May 10
This trek is similar to the one above except shorter and more deluxe. If time is tight and you prefer a few more creature comforts, this is the way to see Mt. Everest.

Nepal Mountaineering Trek
31 days / $2920 / April 15-May 15, Oct. 7-Nov. 6
Are you ready for some real climbing in the wild Himalayas? Instead of the traditional Khumbu valley route to Mt. Everest, we leave the high village of Luhkla via the back way, over Zatrawa La pass (15,000 ft.). From here we are truly in the wilderness, traveling days without seeing human habitation. From the summit of Mera Peak (21,000 ft.) we can see five of the six highest mountains in the world. Another week's wilderness trekking brings us to the Amphu Labsta Pass (18,000 ft.) where we rappel into the upper Khumbu valley and approach Everest basecamp from above. After a visit with the climbers and the clean-up crew, we descend via the Khumbu, enjoying the tea houses on the way down.
Pakistan
Gasherbraum II Climb
8 weeks / $16,000 / May 31-July 26
The Karakorum mountains of Pakistan offer ultimate climbing for the purist, soaring spires of stone and ice in a vast wilderness. At 26,362 feet, Gasherbraum II is one of only fourteen 8000-meter peaks in the world. The name of the mountain is aptly derived from a native word gashay, meaning beautiful.