Embark on a 14,410-foot mountaineering expedition on one of the country’s most celebrated mountains – Mount Rainier.
Mt. Rainier (originally called Tahoma) stands at 14,410 feet, and is the most heavily glaciated peak in the contiguous United States. On this expedition, you’ll learn how to use an ice axe, travel on a rope team, climb steep snow, rescue a fallen climber from a crevasse and work toward goals as a team. Long days and significant elevation gain make this one of the most physically demanding courses that Outward Bound offers. Each student must possess excellent fitness, self-care and team ethics. Prior mountaineering experience is not required though experienced climbers are welcome.
NOTE: This course requires that students submit proof of "Up-to-Date" COVID-19 Vaccination status as defined by the CDC. For questions regarding this policy please see this page or call us at 866-467-7651.
UPCOMING COURSES
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For detailed information on course availability statuses and what they mean, click here.
This course starts within the next week. Please call us at 866-467-7651 to assess the possibility of applying for this course!
APPLY NOW This means a course has several open spots and is actively processing applications.
APPLY NOW – Almost Full This means there are three or fewer currently available spots left on a course. To secure your spot click Apply Now to begin an application!
JOIN WAITLIST Once a course has reached capacity, three waitlist positions become available. To join a course’s waitlist, click “Join Waitlist” to begin the application process. A $500 deposit is required. This $500 deposit includes a $150 non-refundable application fee and a $350 tuition payment. The $350 tuition payment is refundable only if you cancel your waitlist application or if an open position does not become available. If a position does become available, the applicant will be applied to the open position and the Application and Cancellation Policies of the Regional Outward Bound School will be followed, including forfeiture of the $500 deposit if you cancel 90 days or less prior to the course start date.
Waitlist applicants are encouraged to complete all required admissions documents while awaiting an open position. Positions may become available up to two weeks prior to the course start date. Applicants may only apply to one course. We recommend applying to a course with open positions instead of a course that is accepting waitlist applications. If you have questions, please call 866-467-7651 to speak with one of our Admissions Advisors.
CALL TO APPLY This means a course is very close to its start date. Although it is unlikely to secure a spot this late, you can call the National Admissions office at 866-467-7651 to discuss your options.
COURSE IS FULL When a course has reached maximum capacity, meaning all spots and the three waitlist spots are occupied, a course will read “Course Is Full.” This means applications are no longer being accepted.
CLOSED As a course nears its start date, the availability status may read “Closed.” In this event, a course roster has been finalized and applications are no longer being accepted or processed.
Classic Courses
Do you ever want to unplug, step away from the daily grind to take on new challenges? Are you ready to conquer harder skills and remind your senses (or discover for the first time) what it’s like to crest a mountain peak, hear the echoes at the edge of a vast canyon or feel the rush of white water spray on your face? Take a break from your routine, radically change your surroundings and test your tenacity. Put some “firsts” in front of you and find moments of unexpected discovery along the way. Experience Outward Bound as an adult and prepare for an injection of adventure, awareness and adaptability that sticks with you long after you unpack your backpack.
Build skills, form connections: Meet like-minded peers and make connections as you work through priorities and adventures together, learn outdoor skills at the hands of expert Instructors, and earn every good night’s sleep.
Value strengths and strengthen values: Re-discover your inner strength, renew your natural leadership abilities and practice adapting to new environments. Tap in to your trust and compassion as you tackle obstacles with a support crew standing beside you.
Demonstrate mastery: As you awaken your wilderness skills and dig deep to rise to the physical and mental challenges, the bulk of the expedition’s leadership and decision-making responsibilities transfer from the Instructor to the crew. Work together to achieve team goals, solve problems and succeed both individually and together.
What you’ll learn: By allowing yourself to focus beyond daily responsibilities and obligations, you’ll master more difficult skills and open up new directions and opportunities you never thought possible. You’ll find clarity in the life changes you’re facing, you’ll uncover inspiration in the wilderness and you’ll renew your sense of adventure to take on the next challenge in front of you.
Return home with newly expanded wilderness acumen, an energized outlook, a rekindled allowance of empathy into situations and relationships and an eye toward the future.
Photo courtesy
of Stu Montgomery
Photo courtesy
of Stu Montgomery
Photo courtesy
of Joel Reid
Photo courtesy
of Stu Montgomery
Photo courtesy
of Joel Reid
Photo courtesy
of David Moskowitz
Photo courtesy
of David Moskowitz
Photo courtesy
of Stu Montgomery
Photo courtesy
of Joel Reid
Photo courtesy
of Stu Montgomery
Mountaineering
In seven days, students will learn all the technical skills necessary to climb Mt. Rainier. Teams will meet in Seattle, WA and drive together to Mt. Rainier National Park to make camp and prepare for the expedition, melding into a cooperative crew while formulating a climbing plan. Students learn how to pack food and gear for accessibility and balance while climbing, and journey upwards through lush forest and onto the Emmons glacier. Here, in perhaps nature’s most scenic classroom, students will learn the climbing techniques, rescue skills and teamwork that will take them to the top. This course requires active, full participation and commitment from everyone involved. Mountaineering is hard work, and by arriving physically fit and excited for a challenge, students will set themselves up for success on this exciting endeavor.
Photo courtesy
of Luke O'Neill
Photo courtesy
of Luke O'Neill
Service
Service to others and to our environment is a core value of Outward Bound and is integrated into each course. Groups follow Leave No Trace ethics as they engage in acts of service while leading and supporting fellow participants. Students see the impact of their actions firsthand, and may develop a desire to continue service in their home communities.
Solo
In order for profound learning to take place, students need time to reflect on their experience, and Solo is that opportunity. The Solo experience provides an important break from the rigors of the expedition and gives students the opportunity to reflect on their Outward Bound experience. With sufficient food and equipment, students will set up camp at sites of their own choosing, using the wilderness skills learned during the first portions of the course. The amount of time students spend on Solo is based on length of course, weather, student condition, age, and Instructor preference. Solo campsites are chosen to offer as much solitude as possible (yet be within emergency whistle-signaling distance of other group members). On this course, Solos range from 30 minutes to 8 hours, depending on itinerary limitations. Instructors check on each participant at regular intervals, as safety is always the top priority.
Photo courtesy
of Stu Montgomery
Outcomes
Outward Bound promotes character development, leadership, and service in the most engaging classroom possible – the wilderness. In real time, students experience the effects of their decisions on themselves and the other members of their group as they work to complete difficult tasks necessary for wilderness travel. Instructors challenge students to try new things and step outside their comfort zones. They also provide feedback that students implement on course and when they return to their communities. Adult courses offer a unique opportunity to disconnect from everyday life and reconnect with one’s self and others. Regardless of age or life stage, Outward Bound believes that everyone can benefit from opportunities to experience challenge, adventure, and to work within a supportive environment to gain a greater sense of self.
Photo courtesy
of David Moskowitz
Photo courtesy
of Stu Montgomery
Photo courtesy
of Stu Montgomery
Photo courtesy
of Stu Montgomery
Photo courtesy
of Stu Montgomery
Photo courtesy
of Stu Montgomery
Photo courtesy
of Stu Montgomery
Photo courtesy
of Stu Montgomery
Photo courtesy
of Stu Montgomery
Course Area
Mount Rainier National Park, Washington
Located just over 50 miles from downtown Seattle and Puget Sound, Mt. Rainier National Park has the striking contrast of lush meadows and vibrant wildflowers set against the backdrop of deeply crevassed glaciers. Mt. Rainier is the tallest volcano in the Cascade Range, and is an active stratovolcano, home to incredible geology and unique flora and fauna.
These regions are the ancestral lands of the Puyallup, Nisqually, Cowlitz and Coast Salish nations.
SAMPLE ITINERARY
DAY 1
Arrive Sea-Tac and drive to the campground at the base of Mt. Rainier
DAY 2
Drive to trailhead and hike to Glacier Basin
DAY 3
Snow school, rope team travel training, climb to Camp Schurman
If you are ready to enroll on a course click the enroll button next to the course you wish to select or you can enroll over the phone by speaking with one of our Admissions Advisors (toll-free) at 866-467-7651.
To secure your spot on a course you must submit an enrollment form and $500 deposit that is applied toward the total cost of the course and includes a $150 non-refundable enrollment processing fee.