The quality of the course was amazing. I’ve previously done Baker and Rainier, with also having done intermediate and advanced ice climbing courses, and this was by far the best instruction. Definitely feel prepared for Denali.

The course was excellent. The guides made a significant effort to compare everything we did to an actual Denali expedition. That really put me at ease and helped me understand expectations for a future Denali trip.

I really wanted to walk away from this course with a good practical application of crevasse rescue techniques. During the crevasse rescue training day I was on Stuart’s team. Stuart gave a really good presentation on mechanical advantage and was able to demonstrate the techniques well. Part of sharing that skill was sharing stories and experiences he had with crevasse rescue that helped me understand important factors in setting up the gear. After I was able to practice a 3:1 hauling system once, Stuart was very eager to let me go again when I asked if I could have a 2nd try to get the skill solid. I appreciated his willingness to let me do that and take extra time.

The course was phenomenal. We covered a tremendous amount of material, yet we were able to review things often enough that I have developed a very solid mountaineering skills foundation from this class. Absolutely worth every penny.

Our guides made the eight day course a success by committing to an agenda each day and making sure that students felt engaged. Even on those tough weather days, both guides worked with the conditions they had and pull off a successful course. They made additional efforts at night to break the ice with the group over hot drinks and dinner, and told stories about climbing that put all of our training into perspective.

The course was very high quality and covered a range of skills that would make me feel much more comfortable on future climbs. I felt like both our guides wanted the climbers to learn and they effectively conveyed the knowledge they had. They also took the time to patiently work with climbers that needed a bit of extra attention.

I thoroughly enjoyed my course, I thought it was really useful and with continuation of practice at home, feel confident about my ability to do well on the Denali trip later this year.

I thought the course was excellent. The quality of instruction was top tier and thorough. I feel much more prepared for future climbs after going through the course. It was well worth it.

The course was exactly what I hoped for: intense, educational, and a lot of fun! This course took seven people with little to no winter mountaineering experience and taught us to operate as a team and take care of one another in challenging wilderness situations. I am excited to take these lessons on future climbs with AAI!

Being on Rainier in the winter was a truly unique experience. With the storm we had on the first 2 days, it was likely that we were the only people on the mountain. It gave a feeling of being completely on our own, which heightened the lessons our guides were teaching about self sufficiency, self awareness, safety and survival. We needed to work as a team, shoveling our camp out from the snow, and gave us an opportunity to appreciate the wild beauty of where we were. It was an amazing experience.