7-day All Women Mountaineering Course
Mountaineering has traditionally been a predominantly male space. Still, the more you dig, the more you find stories of women such as Dora Keen, Betty Ivano Menard, Ada Blackjack, Barbara Washburn, Arlene Blum, Sophia Danenberg, Lhakpa Sherpa, and so many more who have been accomplishing impressive feats throughout the decades. Yet, women still can face small but accumulating nudges that make them less confident in their ability to thrive in challenging mountain environments. At AMS, we believe people of all genders have a place in the mountains to soak up the physical, mental, interpersonal, and spiritual health boost from spending time in these wild and awe-inspiring places. The countless benefits of mountaineering belong to everyone, and we are here to help make that happen. We know that all-women courses and expeditions can offer a uniquely empowering and equalizing space that allows us to challenge ourselves in ways that transform us for the better. In this group, we hope there is less impulse to assume we can’t do something and more ease and opportunity to learn what seems intimidating.
The AMS 7-Day Mountaineering Course is designed for anyone who wishes to travel and climb on a multi-day expedition in a glaciated mountain range. This course models a Denali expedition by utilizing fixed-wing aircraft to land on a glacier. This is not a base camping course but one that moves to at least one new location. Five full days in the field will be busy if we are to build a foundation of essential mountaineering skills.
Throughout the course, participants learn by doing, gaining confidence to camp, travel on a glacier, and climb mountains in a remote environment.
“I chose AMS because of their expertise, local knowledge and not least, the number of women they have among their guides and successful clients.” —Lisa Kostova
Schedule
June 13-19, 2027
Contact us about custom options.
What's Included
- All female instructors
- 1:3 instructor-student ratio as the gold standard
- Crevasse self-rescue class in AMS before departing
- Roundtrip glacier flight
- All food during your course and team lunch at AMS HQ on day 1
- All group camping and climbing equipment: ropes, tents, pickets, technical climbing gear, snow saws, wands
- Sled for each student, pre-rigged for roped glacier travel for use during the climb
- Snow kitchen equipment: kitchen tents, cooking stoves, utensils, and fuel
- Mountain communications: emergency use satellite phone, FRS on-mountain radios, Delorme In-Reach
- Maps, GPS
- Medical protocols, first aid, medication and repair kits
- Fully equipped staging area at AMS HQ and AMS Mountain Gear Shop in Talkeetna
- 24/7 support from staff at AMS in Talkeetna during your climb
- Regular social media updates during your climb
- Pre-course assistance with travel planning and training advice
- Post-course lodging and shuttle logistics
- Luggage storage and free parking during your course
- Camping at AMS HQ campground (tents are not provided)
- Welcome-back table with fresh foods and drinks after your course
- Knowledgeable staff to assist with lodging and shuttle logistics
This is a sample 7-day All Women Mountaineering Course itinerary. Actual day-to-day activities of any course vary depending on course location, weather, and snow conditions.
Meet at AMS in Talkeetna at 8:00 a.m. for orientation, equipment checks, packing personal lunches, weighing everything for the flight, and other expedition preparations. After a team lunch, we practice knots, put on our harnesses and helmets, and learn fixed-line ascension. After storing any gear you don’t need, we load the van and drive to the airport. We load the plane, fly to Denali National Park & Preserve and land on the glacier. We establish our first camp close to the airstrip. We eat as a group and retire into tents. Tents are either 2 people in a 3-person tent or 3 people in a 4-person tent. That way you have a little extra room for the bulky clothing and sleeping bags.
The first day starts with a group breakfast and then moves right into the climbing curriculum with building and testing anchors and glacier travel techniques. Learn rope identification and care, rope handling, snow protection, anchor systems, belay techniques, rope-team organization, sled management, self-arrest, and glacier travel. We like to go out for a tour for the afternoon. Evening discussion: expedition behavior, teamwork, and leadership.
We like to spend the day at a crevasse doing scenarios. Travel is by rope team to a suitable training site where students will practice fixed-line ascension, self-rescue, lowering systems, mechanical-advantage hauling, and team crevasse-rescue procedures. Evening discussion: altitude illness, cold-related injuries, and emergency communication.
Break camp and move to a new location that positions well for a future peak ascent. Practice route-finding, rope team management, campsite selection, probing out camp, and camp build: quarry, tent platforms, walls, kitchens, bathroom. Typically we are moving downhill from the airstrip. Each tent will have its own kitchen and kitchen shelter. Evening discussion: avalanche hazard.
This is an introductory course suitable for people with no mountaineering experience. Prior experience backpacking, tent camping, and belaying will put students at an advantage but are not required. Participants should arrive in good physical condition with a positive attitude and a desire to learn. Participants should be willing to work hard, have an open mind and be positive team members.
“The success of your climbing trip is very dependent on who you choose to guide you. I chose AMS because of their expertise, local knowledge and not least, the number of women they have among their guides and successful clients. I summited Denali in large part because of the support of AMS.”
—Lisa Kostova, Denali West Buttress
“AMS is incredibly organized and efficient in a way only decades of experience can yield. They have carefully selected staff members and make their standards consistent and systematic. They’re a great resource and learning center.”
—Yelena, Advanced Mountaineering Course
“Thank you AMS for a very clear concise, practical and comprehensive introductory glacier travel and crevasse rescue class. The instructors were excellent, the location ideal, I feel like I have the foundation to take the next step to explore.”
—Jennifer Bando, Glacier Travel and Crevasse Rescue Course
