The Trip
Mount Baker Climb · Mount Baker, Washington
Three days to find out whether you’re a glacier climber.
Mount Baker carries more glacial ice than almost any peak in the lower 48—real crevasses, real route-finding, glaciation at a scale you’d otherwise fly to another continent for—on a mountain you can climb over a long weekend.
That’s why it works. Before you commit a month and a great deal of money to Denali or the Andes, three days here tells you whether glaciated mountaineering is something you want more of.
You don’t need previous glacier experience for two of the three routes. You’ll have it by the time you come down, because Baker isn’t just a climb—it’s three days of learning the systems every glaciated peak will ask of you.
And if you already have that experience, the North Ridge is waiting: sustained steep snow and ice, real exposure, and a route that rewards moving well.
Quick facts
| Length | 3 days, 2 nights at high camp |
| Summit | 10,781 ft / 3,286 m |
| Routes | Easton Glacier · Coleman–Deming · North Ridge |
| Ratio | 3 climbers per guide on glacier routes · 2 per guide on the North Ridge |
| Experience | None needed on glacier routes · North Ridge requires mountaineering experience |
| Season | May–August |
| 2027 dates | Glacier routes July 3–5 and July 17–19 · North Ridge July 7–9 and July 21–23 · or custom dates |
| Rate | $1,400 per person (glacier routes) · $2,000 per person (North Ridge) |
Choose your route
All three run over three days from a high camp, and all three teach the same core skills. What changes is the ground under you.
Easton Glacier—the most accessible
A steady, moderate glacier climb on the mountain’s south side, with a long but straightforward summit day. The route we most often recommend for a first mountaineering objective.
Coleman–Deming—the classic
The north-side ascent: the Coleman Glacier, Pumice Ridge, then the Roman Wall to the summit plateau. More crevasse navigation, more route-finding, more to learn—and the best balance of challenge and instruction on the mountain.
North Ridge—the technical line
Sustained steep snow and ice, with sections approaching 70 degrees, real exposure, and a requirement to move efficiently. Descent via Coleman–Deming. Previous mountaineering experience is required.
What you’ll learn
Glacier travel and rope-team movement—how a team moves as one unit, and why
Crampon technique—efficient footwork on snow and ice
Ice axe use and self-arrest, practiced until it’s reflex
Crevasse hazard recognition and rescue fundamentals
Route-finding and decision-making on glaciated terrain
Alpine camp systems—staying comfortable, dry, and fast at camp
These are the skills every glaciated peak asks for. Learn them properly here, and Aconcagua, Ecuador, and Alaska become conversations you can actually have.
Small teams
Three climbers per guide on the glacier routes—up to six with two guides. Two per guide on the North Ridge. On glaciated terrain, ratio isn’t a comfort question. It’s how quickly a rope team can respond when something happens.
Where this leads
Baker is one of the clearest stepping stones we run. Climbers go from here to Aconcagua, Ecuador, and Alaska.
Prefer to ski it? See the Mount Baker Ski Descent—three days in late-spring conditions.
This is a BBE program. We set the standards, choose the guides and decide how it runs. On the ground it’s operated by Wasatch Mountain Guides, our Utah-based operation, co-owned by Willie Benegas — so registration and payment are completed directly with WMG, and we’ll send you the link when you’re ready.
Questions before you book?
We answer every inquiry personally.
