Washington climbing and skiing
Book a guided climbing or skiing trip with Skyward Mountaineering in Washington’s mountains. We offer custom mountaineering courses and private trips throughout the North Cascades Range and on big glaciated volcanoes such as Mount Baker and Mount Rainier. We specialize in technical ascents and steep ski descents of the rugged peaks, cliffs and glaciers throughout the Pacific Northwest.
The Pacific Northwest is jam packed with outdoor adventure opportunities, offering some of North America’s most iconic peaks, alpine routes and ski mountaineering terrain.
All of our guided trips in Washington are fully customized and private. Skyward Mountaineering specializes in small-group, personalized trips that blend adventure with skill-building. From first-time climbers to seasoned alpinists and expert riders, we tailor each program to meet your goals.
Whether you’re aiming to summit glaciated giants like Mount Baker or Mount Rainier, sharpen your skills on granite walls in Index, or carve fresh lines in the Cascades, our professional guides ensure a safe, educational and totally unique experience.
Find your Washington adventure:
Ski Mountaineering
The North Cascades are a dream destination for backcountry skiing and ski mountaineering. Often called the “American Alps,” this region offers endless peaks, deep snow and complex glaciers. From multi-day ski traverses across remote glaciers to single-day summit-and-ski adventures, the North Cascades provide challenges for every level of skier. Skyward Mountaineering’s guided ski mountaineering trips in the Pacific Northwest focus on technical skiing on glaciated peaks and instructional components to help you become a confident and self-sufficient ski mountaineer. For those seeking a true backcountry skiing or split-boarding adventure, skiing in the North Cascades or Pacific Northwest volcanoes delivers unmatched terrain variety and excitement.
Known for its reliable snowpack and accessible glaciers, Mount Baker is one of the best training grounds for aspiring ski mountaineers in Washington. With the guidance of certified AMGA Ski Guides, you’ll learn glacier travel rope systems, crevasse rescue and steep-skiing techniques while experiencing the impressiveness of this 10,000-foot glaciated volcano. Ski mountaineering trips on Mount Baker provide the perfect balance of skill progression and adventure, preparing you for bigger objectives in the North Cascades and other complex glaciated ski descents such as in Alaska.
Kulshan (Mt. Baker)
Intermediate to advanced glaciated ski mountaineering
Mount Shuksan
Advanced glaciated ski mountaineering
Forbidden Tour
Intermediate to advanced multi-day ski mountaineering tour
Rock Climbing
Rock climbing in Washington offers an incredible amount of variety with toproping friendly crags to focus on movement instruction, moderate multi-pitch routes with sweeping views, challenging granite crack climbing, and high alpine traditional alpine rock climbing. Mount Erie, overlooking the Puget Sound is a perfect venue for rock climbing instruction whether on toprope or multipitch routes for all abilities. Darrington is a small mountain community tucked away on the scenic Mountain Loop Highway and is best known for long multi-pitch routes on the granite domes, with both easy slab climbs and challenging face climbing routes. Glacier Peak Wilderness also has incredible access to fantastic alpine rock climbing, such as on the popular Vesper Peak. Index is possibly one of the best known rock climbing destinations in the Pacific Northwest, often likened to a miniature Yosemite Valley, the granite crack climbing is both challenging and incredibly fun! Together, these areas showcase the full spectrum of Washington rock climbing, making them must-visit destinations for both developing skills and pushing limits.
Mount Erie
Beginner to intermediate top roping and multi-pitch rock climbing
Index
Intermediate to advanced single pitch and multi-pitch granite rock climbing
Intermediate to advanced alpine rock climbing
Alpine Climbing
Climb glaciated peaks and exposed rock ridges in the North Cascades with Skyward Mountaineering. The North Cascades are part of the massive Cascade Range, extending from British Columbia to northern California. It is defined by a densely vegetated forest floor and rugged rocky terrain protruding above large glaciers below. These exposed rocky arêtes and towers beckon climbers looking for a technical alpine adventure. We specialize in guided alpine climbing in the North Cascades on routes of all difficulty levels and for any level of experience alpinist. Many climbers experience their first on-route bivy during a guided climb of Forbidden Peak or another classic route, opening their eyes to a new style of climbing. Many routes in the North Cascades combine steep snow and glacier travel with alpine rock climbing, the best of both worlds, so your climb is guaranteed to be a full-value alpine experience.
Featured below are some of our most popular Pacific Northwest guided alpine climbing trips on classic routes. However, with so many rugged peaks spread throughout the Cascades Range it’s impossible to list all the incredible climbing opportunities. We offer custom alpine climbing in the North Cascades and surrounding mountains, whether you have a particular objective in mind or want suggestions to customize your itinerary.
Beginner to advanced glaciated mountaineering
Intermediate to advanced alpine rock climbing and glacier travel
Beginner to advanced glaciated mountaineering and alpine rock climbing
Intermediate to advanced alpine rock climbing and glacier travel
Intermediate alpine rock climbing
Intermediate to advanced alpine rock climbing
Intermediate glaciated mountaineering
Looking for a custom alpine climbing trip in the Pacific Northwest?
Skyward Mountaineering offers guided mountaineering, alpine climbing, rock climbing and ski mountaineering throughout North Cascades National Park and surrounding Pacific Northwest mountains. Our access to the classic peaks, slopes and cliffs in remote and rugged settings combined with our decades of experience recreating and guiding in these mountains provide the backbone for all of our trips. Our itineraries are customized based on your personal goals and abilities to maximize your time and success in the mountains.
Skyward Mountaineering is an AMGA Accredited Business, that means we’ve gone through rigorous third party auditing to ensure the highest quality risk management, customer service, ethical business practices, and professionally trained guides.
Our guides are expert climbers and skiers with extensive training and personal experience on challenging ascents and descents around the world.
We are a small guide service offering customized programs based on decades of guiding and instructional experience.
Unparalleled logistics support from start to finish. Even our office staff are climbers, skiers and mountain guides so when you call or email us we’ll give you honest and helpful information to increase the success and enjoyment of your trip.