TERRAIN
Rolling trail through old growth forest
10,781 ft summit
LENGTH
3 Days, 2 nights
EXPLORE
Guest to Guide Ratio 5:1
Price: Varies by group size.
Kulshan Climb
Kulshan / Mt. Baker is an iconic summit of the PNW and North America. Of all the volcanoes, it provides the best intro to truly glaciated mountaineering. The crevasses, views, and overall feel are as grand as some of the biggest mountains in the world, but the risk and effort are wildly more accessible. Rolling trail through towering old growth forest, fields of wild flowers, views out over Puget Sound, sulfurous steam from the summit crater, and surround-sound summit views — climbing Kulshan is grand and beautiful.
In 3 days,
Ascend to the top of one of the most coveted summits in the Pacific Northwest. Eat delicious backcountry meals looking out over a sea of clouds and over the Pacific ocean. Challenge yourself up the long ascent and congratulate the team when we hopefully reach the summit. Watch the sunrise from high on the glacier in the crisp morning air.
MOMENT BY MOMENT, DAY BY DAY
The perfect intro to glacier mountaineering.
DAY 1
DAY 1
Today we’ll meet in Sedro-Woolley at 9 am for a greeting and gear check before caravanning to the trailhead at the base of the East side of Mt. Baker. At the trailhead we set off on trail towards camp for the night. The hike is five to seven hours gradually uphill through beautiful forest and fields of wild flowers. Once at camp we’ll take time to settle in and take in the views before we get together to learn the fundamentals of glacier travel: cramponing, self-arrest, and travel on a rope team.
Once we’re feeling competent, we’ll share a delicious dinner and watch the sun set over the Cascades. Tonight we’ll try to get to bed early so we can be ready to roll early the next morning.
DAY 2
DAY 2
Today we’ll wake before the sun, have a quick breakfast, and set off uphill towards the summit. Often times, we’re treated with a sea full of clouds beneath us and the feeling that we’re on this mountain tucked away from the rest of the world. As the sun starts to rise, headlamps get stowed and the deep blues of seracs and crevasses come into focus. We keep a steady pace, taking breaks for food and water every hour. If all goes according to plan we’ll be standing at the summit just six hours after leaving camp, high-fiving and taking some sweet photos. In mountaineering, the summit only marks half way, so before long we’ll start our trek back down with a quick stop at the crater to look into the fumarols and smell the sulfur — it is a volcano after all.
Once back in camp we’ll rest and recover. Folks who want to learn more skills can have time with the guides — but no pressure if you’re beat. We’ll share a rewarding dinner tonight and play cards for the folks who are excited to.
DAY 3
DAY 3
Today we’ll have a restful morning and a delicious breakfast before packing up shop and moseying back to the cars. We’ll head back to Sedro Woolley where we’ll most often go out to get a delicious lunch / dinner before sharing photos and parting ways.
WHERE WE SLEEP
“You never climb the same mountain twice, not even in memory. Memory rebuilds the mountain, changes the weather, retells the jokes, remakes all the moves.”
Sandy Camp
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After our hike in on day one, we’ll set up camp around 5500 ft with views out over the cascades. Tents are provided.
WHAT PEOPLE ARE SAYING
BOOK A KULSHAN CLIMB
Step 1. Send us a quick note with what you’re interested in. Step 2. We’ll get back to you to discuss your trip.
Step 3. Fill out some info and send a trip deposit. Step 4. Adventure :)
BOOK A PRIVATE CLIMB
Fill out the form below and we’ll make it happen!
FIND OUT MORE
Have questions? Reach out below or text / call us.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Check out the FAQ’s below, or text or call us at 845-661-3008 to talk it through! Or send us an email. We love hearing from folks.
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This trip is a great intro to Cascades Volcano mountaineering. You don’t need to have any previous experience, though any experience with backpacking, camping, or climbing will come in handy.
People frequently underestimate the challenge of climbing Kulshan. You need to be in shape to hike 5-7 hours gently uphill on day one with a 30-40 lbs pack. On day you need to be in shape to hike 6 hours uphill and 3 hours downhill with a light pack. But you’ll be at elevation.
Baker is a great climb for just about everyone! But you’ll have way more fun and a way better chance of summiting if you show up in shape!
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Professional Mountain Guide with over 17 years climbing and skiing experience around the world & advanced wilderness medical training
1:5 climber to guide ratio
Tents
Dinners and Breakfasts (we can accommodate dietary restrictions)
All group gear climbing gear: Ropes, pickets, first aid kit, emergency communication device
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Personal gear: Backpack, clothes, mountaineering boots, crampons, ice axe, harness, helmet,
Lunches and snacks
Transportation to Sedro - Wooley or to the Trailhead.
Tips for guides and hospitality staff.
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We limit all our trips to 8 guests. If your trip has more than 5 people you will have 2 guides.
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Meals will be delicious backcountry cuisine. We’ve spent a lot of years in the backcountry and we like to eat well! That being said, we also don't love heavy packs. Our meals strike a balance between dehydrated backpacker food and gourmet fresh — in that balance are delicious meals without crazy weight. We can accommodate most dietary restrictions. Please reach out with questions. We will supply all the breakfasts, dinners, and occasional desserts for the trip. We ask guests to pack their own lunch snacks. On our trips lunch is between when breakfast ends and dinner begins — snack away!
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We’ll meet in Sedro Woolley and caravan to the trailhead from there (about a 1 hour drive). You can possibly arrange to take public transport from Seattle to Sedro and then car pool with other folks or your guide.
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We have people come on our trips by themselves all the time! There’s nothing like travel through remote wilderness to build community.
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Indigo Alpine Guide trips are most often run by the owner Jack Bynum and his closest and most trusted friends. All the people who work for IAG have over a decade of experience guiding trips in the most remote places on earth, have wilderness medical training and advanced guiding certifications.
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You may cancel up to 120 days of the scheduled travel date and receive a full refund minus a $500 per-person service fee. If you cancel between 120 and 60 days of travel, there is a 50% cancellation fee. Within 60 days of travel, there is a 100% cancellation fee. We highly recommend purchasing travel insurance as we are not able to make exceptions to this policy in cases of family/medical emergency or of the trip being canceled.
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We always encourage folks to purchase trip cancelation insurance in addition to the mandatory medical evacuation insurance. We require that you have at least $200,000 in medical evacuation insurance. Your insurance policy should cover hazardous sports and we recommend that your policy cover search and rescue. Since we cannot confirm each client’s policy individually, it is your responsibility to make sure your policy will cover you while you participate in your activities of choice on the expedition.
For US citizens, we recommend Global Rescue. You will have a choice of purchasing it with or without the cancellation coverage–so make sure to select the one that gives you the coverage that you need. Other commonly used companies include World Nomads and Squaremouth.
You are welcome to seek out other insurance options, as these are only recommendations. When selecting a policy, please make sure they insure all the activities you’ll be participating in (many don’t include roped climbing, skiing, mountaineering, etc).
STILL HAVE QUESTIONS?
We’re always happy to talk through anything on your mind. Oftentimes the quickest way to get it all done is by phone or zoom. Hit us up at the button below and we’ll get back to you as soon as we can (we’re often in the mountains.)
