Seattle’s mountaineering institution since 1906 — the Seattle Branch alone runs over a thousand member-led trips a year across hiking, scrambling, alpine climbing, sea kayaking, and backcountry skiing, plus deep skills courses out of its Magnuson Park program center.
Year-round, member-led — 100+ hikes a year, midweek and weekends
📍 Rotating trailheads around the Cascades & Olympics
Led trips on the branch calendar; pace-graded and no-one-left-behind.
Spring–fall — off-trail summit scrambles (course graduates)
📍 Rotating Cascade & Olympic peaks
Stepping stone between strenuous hiking and technical climbing.
Annual course (winter–spring) · rock, snow & glacier skills
📍 Seattle Program Center + Cascade field trips
Classroom plus field instruction; unlocks club climbs.
Winter–spring · member tours plus a Seattle course
📍 Rotating Cascade backcountry (Snoqualmie/Stevens)
Avalanche awareness expected; courses build skills for tours.
Spring–fall · day trips & overnighters (course graduates)
📍 Rotating Puget Sound & San Juan launches
Requires the Basic Sea Kayaking badge or equivalent skills.