American Alpine Institute

Shoulder season can be some of the best climbing of the year. With fewer crowds and the right weather window, you can still find excellent conditions and get plenty of time in the mountains.

But the margins are different.

Weather can change quickly this time of year. A sunny, dry day can turn into rain, freezing temperatures, or several feet of snow in a matter of hours. Conditions can also vary dramatically with elevation and aspect, so what you see at the trailhead may not tell you much about what you’ll encounter higher up.

And it’s not just rock climbing that changes. Fresh snow can make glacier travel significantly more difficult by obscuring crevasses and changing the surface conditions. Early season snow can cover hazards that were obvious just days before, while colder temperatures, ice, and shorter daylight can add complexity to an otherwise familiar route.

Shoulder season is a great time to get out, but it calls for more preparation and vigilance. Know the forecast, check current conditions and recent reports, understand how conditions may affect your route, and be prepared to change plans if the mountains aren’t giving you the window you expected.

There are still plenty of great days to be had. Just remember that this time of year rewards good preparation, strong mountain judgment, and the willingness to turn around when conditions change.

Get out there. Just know before you go.

It has been confirmed that Yosemite's Dome Fire was sparked by an abandoned campfire. The US Department of the Interior is holding $1.2 million in wildfire mitigation funds from Joshua Tree National Park. And it's possible that Chiricahua will become Arizona's fourth national Park.

Read about this and a whole lot more in this week's climbing, skiing, mountain rescue and outdoor news round-up:

www.alpineinstitute.com

🐻🎃 CO***NE BEAR: A HALLOWEEN SCREENING 🎃🐻

Things are getting a little unhinged this Halloween.

Join us October 29th for a special showing of Co***ne Bear, plus a costume contest with prizes!

👻 6:00 PM: Halloween party + costume contest
🐻 7:00 PM: Co***ne Bear on the big screen
🏆 Prizes: Yes. Costumes: Highly encouraged. Good judgment: Optional.

Round up your crew, put together your best costume, and come celebrate Halloween with one of the wildest movies of the last few years.

October 29th | Party & Costume Contest at 6 PM | Film at 7 PM

If you’ve been following routes, cleaning gear, and letting someone else take the sharp end, Learn to Lead is where that starts to change.

Our **Learn to Lead** program is a four-day introduction to traditional rock leadership, focused on the skills that let you lead single-pitch trad climbs independently. You’ll get hands-on practice with gear placement, anchors, lead belays, rope management, route planning, and the decision-making that goes into putting it all together. ([American Alpine Institute][1])

You'll not only learn how to place gear, but how to assess a route, build a system, manage the rope, make good decisions, and solve problems when things don’t go exactly according to plan.

And you get to do it on real rock in some pretty incredible places, including Leavenworth, Red Rock, Joshua Tree, and Moab.

Ready to take the sharp end? Learn to Lead!

Washington's insanely popular Prime Rib (5.7, III) was recently re-bolted. A second flash flood has washed through the Grand Canyon. And Utah is trying to create a publicly owned ski area.

Read about this and a whole lot more in this week's climbing, skiing, mountain rescue and outdoor news round-up:

www.alpineinstitute.com

Ready for your next adventure, even when you're off the mountain? The American Alpine Institute is hiring a Program Coordinator for Satellite Programs in Bellingham, Washington. If you're organized, energetic, and passionate about outdoor recreation, this is an incredible opportunity to help create life-changing mountain experiences for climbers around the world. Climbing experience is helpful, but curiosity, strong communication skills, and a love for the outdoors matter most.

Join a team that lives and breathes the mountains while building a career in the outdoor industry. Learn more and apply today.

Fall is in the air. The mornings are getting colder, the leaves are changing, and somehow pumpkin spice has already taken over everything. As the seasons shift, we’re starting to look a little farther ahead, toward shorter days, snowy mountains, and winter objectives.

Our AIARE Avalanche and Ski Mountaineering and Avalanche Leadership Part 1 (SMALP) programs are a great place to build the skills you’ll need for the season ahead, from winter travel and mountain movement to avalanche awareness and decision-making.

The best winter days start with the right skills. Explore our winter programs and start getting ready.

At the end of the season, we give a little back to the mountain that gives us so much.
The Kulshan Clean Up brings climbers, guides, local organizations, and community members together to help clean up Mt. Baker and the surrounding landscape.

American Alpine Institute is proud to participate in the cleanup and donate to support the effort.

We spend a lot of time on Kulshan teaching, climbing, and exploring, so taking responsibility for the places we use is part of being a good member of the mountain community. It is also at the heart of Leave No Trace. We should all strive to leave the places we love better than when we found them, whether that means packing out what we brought in, picking up something someone else left behind, or simply taking a little extra care with the places we visit.
The cleanup may happen at the end of the season, but stewardship is a year-round practice. Leave it better than you found it. 🏔️

Some of the things we removed from the mountain:
* 48 human poops
* 2 sleeping bags
* A nice patagonia vest
* A half bottle of w**e
* A hefty v**e pen
* Socks... so many socks.
* Also underwear, so much underwear
* All the microtrash
* And so, so much more

Thanks to all those who participated and donated:
* Alpine Ascents International
* American Alpine Institute
* Cascade Mountain Ascents
* North Cascades Mountain Guides
* International Mountain Guides
* Upward Transitions Institute
* RMI Expeditions
* Mountain Madness Inc.
* kulshanguidingcollective Collective
* Backcountry Adventure Guides