Nine climbers and three guides returned July 7 from an eventful twelve days on the second part of the Alpine Mountaineering and Technical Leadership course. The course included climbers Steven Cratty, Curtis Cratty, and Virginia Rozic (all from Butler, PA), Steven Jessup (Ashland, OR), Jason Cancro (Olgii, Mongolia), Josh Lucas (Lakeville, MN), Erin Addison (Great Falls, MT), Todd Snell (Westborough, MA), and Sean Robbins (Calabasas, CA), along with AAI guides Jason Martin, Mark Allen, and Paul Ivaska. All felt they gained essential skills for leading a variety of technical routes, and all have future plans to use their new skills on their own climbs.

The group went first to Leavenworth where they enjoyed beautiful, warm weather and spent a day practicing advanced rock skills. Then the group split up - one half practiced multi-pitch climbs at a roadside cragging area, and the other half went into Icicle Creek and climbed both the R & D route on the Icicle Buttress as well as Givler's Dome. The next day, the two groups swapped activities, and the group that had been cragging the day before climbed Outer Space on Snow Creek Wall, after which some of the students said the route was the best rock climb they'd ever been on.

After Leavenworth the group changed gears and headed into the Stuart Range where the group split up once again. One team of three clients and guide Paul Ivaska went to Colchuck Peak and had a spectacular climb and successful summit on the Colchuck Glacier route. They also practiced crevasse rescue and reviewed additional snow and rock skills.

The other part of the group - six climbers and two guides - headed to the heart of the Stuart Range to climb Ingalls Peak via the South Ridge, a three-pitch, mid-fifth class rock climb. The climb was entirely student-led, with guides Jason Martin and Mark Allen shadowing, and the entire team made a completely safe and fun summit. "We were a little worried because the weather was deteriorating to the north, but it never did end up affecting us. It was a great climb, and we had beautiful views into the Enchantment Lakes and of the west and south faces of Mt. Stuart. We were the only ones in the Stuart Range because it was mid-week. Also, our camp was constantly visited by families of mountain goats from the kids to the granddads. They were very curious and fun to watch. People got great photos." The group also practiced rock rescue and reviewed crevasse rescue before driving to and attemting a second climb out of Snoqualmie Pass called The Tooth. On this climb, the students led the four pitches of 5.5 and very competently protected the route up and the rappel down from the summit.

The entire group then reunited at Mt. Erie, a cragging area near Mt. Vernon, Washington, on Fidalgo Island where they spent a day thoroughly covering high angle rescue situations. Using practice cliffs and "live bait" (a dangling team member!), the students practiced raising and lowering systems as well as escaping belays.

The next day, July 4, the group drove over the Cascades to the Lake Wenatchee area to attempt Mt. Maud. The group hiked the six mile approach from the west side of the mountain and then circumnavigated to the north and climbed the steep couloir of Mt. Maud's north face. The program participants led this climb on their own and did a fantastic job of negotiating the 1,500 feet of 45-degree snow and ice (with one steep 60-degree section). Mark said all climbers were able to demonstrate and execute skills that they had learned over the previous nine days in excellent form, and that everyone climbed the peak in good style, was feeling comfortable with the terrain, and was feeling very happy.

The group summited at noon in perfect weather, amidst astounding views of the entire Cascade Range. "We could see all of the Cascade volcanoes in Washington, from the Mt. Baker in the north to Mt. Adams in the south," Mark said. The group descended and hiked out in order to commence with their plans for July 4th festivities. "Everyone was psyched," Mark said. "All the climbers had done really well and they knew it. It was gorgeous weather and it was the fourth of July, so we decided to have a little party at our camp. We drove to the shores of the Chiwawa River (by Lake Wenatchee) and were the only ones at the campground. We bought chips and beer and celebrated both our success on Mt. Maud and of course Independence Day!"

On the morning of July 5, the group woke, packed, and drove to the north side of Mt. Baker where they planned to wrap up the course with instruction in alpine and verticle ice. On the seracs of the lower Coleman Glacier, the climbers learned how to build V-thread belay anchors in ice, put in ice screws, climb verticle glacier ice using two ice tools, and also practiced specialized cramponing techniques up steep snow and ice.

The group also reviewed crevasse rescue once again and each climber was able to set up a successful rescue pulley system on their own. Leaving the glacier in the early afternoon of July 7, the group returned to AAI's Bellingham office at 5pm to end the course.

"Everyone came away from this course very cabable of leading on rock, snow, and ice." Mark said. "And everyone already has plans for climbs that require the skills learned during this 12-day program." In fact the three Pennsylvanians - Virginia Rozic, Curt Cratty and Steven Cratty - are already two days into an expedition on Mt. Waddington, located in British Columbia's Coast Range (see the 2005 Waddington Expedition Dispatches for current updates). Sean Robbins is planning on climbing the Fishhook Arete on Mt. Russell in the High Sierra. Steve Jessup is planning on going into the Waddington Range sometime later this summer. Erin Addison will be going to Russia soon to climb Mt. Elbrus with her father. Todd Snell wants to return to the North Cascades to do the Forbidden-Torment Traverse and also plans on doing winter camping on Mt. Washington (New Hampshire). Jason Cancro is returning to his home in Mongolia and plans on using his newfound skills on some of the country's remote peaks. And finally, Josh Lucas who lives in the Northwest is excited to start peak bagging around the North Cascades.