Basic Climbing Education Program (BCEP)

BCEP 2023 is held from late March until late May and includes 4 technical field sessions, 3–4 hikes, and 6 pre-recorded lectures over the course of 8 weeks. Additional sessions are commonly offered by individual team leaders. There is also a mandatory skills assessment. 

High Time Commitment—BCEP is an intensive time commitment, and we highly recommend that you clear your schedule as much as possible during the duration of the course.

Moderate Duration—BCEP is an 8-week course that consists of required and optional activities.

Tuition is $525 for Mazama members and $600 for nonmembers. 

You may choose to Join the Mazamas prior to BCEP Info Night and receive the reduced rate. Standard Mazama membership is $72/annually +$25 initiation fee when you join.

BCEP teaches basic mountaineering skills including rock and snow skills. 
BCEP prepares you to be an active participant on Mazama A and B level climbs.

Students must be 15 years of age or older by the date of the first lecture. Students under 17 must enroll in the program with a parent or legal guardian.

Fitness level appropriate for the basic climbing program. A suitable reference point is the ability to carry a 25-lb pack from the trailhead of Dog Mountain to the top, in 2.5–3 hours.

No prior climbing experience is required.

We are offering a limited number of scholarships to allow students to participate who will not be able to do so without financial assistance and whose participation can help expand the Mazamas membership base beyond current cultural, economic, and ethnic demographics.

A scholarship is for course tuition ONLY. Mazamas may partially cover the cost of your course based on factors listed above. Other costs associated with the course may apply. 

Applications for scholarships will be part of the program application. The Mazamas will contact you with details of the status of your scholarship application when you are notified of your acceptance into the Basic Climbing Education Program.

Enrolling in this program involves an application process. After the application period is over, the course committee will select students and notify you if you have been accepted. 

When you apply, you will enter a credit card for payment. Your card will be charged only if you are accepted. If you are not accepted, your card will not be charged.

There is no application fee for the program.

We will typically receive 25–50% more applicants than we can accept into the program. 

BCEP typically receives more applications than we have spaces available.

When you complete your application make sure to answer questions about availability honestly. When we accept people, we put them in teams based on date availability. If we accept you and place you in a team based on your application information, and you are unavailable on your team dates, you may not be able to complete the program.

We do not recommend making any major gear purchases before BCEP begins.

For BCEP, you will need to own, acquire, or borrow gear to participate. We highly recommend waiting to purchase any gear until your team leader can provide you with guidance. Discounted gear at local shops will also be available to program participants.

Mountaineering: The Freedom of the Hills, 9th Edition. You will have the opportunity to purchase the book at a reduced price if you are accepted into the course.

A limited number of copies will be available to borrow from the Mazama Library for scholarship recipients.

Weekly course materials will be available online.

The Snow Field session will be held near Timberline Lodge & Ski area or in other locations determined by your individual team.

The Rock Field session will be held at Horsethief Butte near The Dalles or in other locations to be determined by your individual team.

Practice sessions and the final test are held at the Mazama Mountaineering Center* at 527 SE 43rd Avenue, Portland, OR, 97215.

*location may change to an outdoor venue if necessary

• Attend 100% of your teams' weekly breakout sessions
• Participate in your team's 5 technical field sessions
• Participate in a minimum of 3 team hikes
• Pass the mandatory practical and written exams at the end of the course

Upon successful completion of the program, you will be awarded the Basic Snow and Basic Rock Badge. These badges will allow you to register for upcoming Mazama activities fitting your skill set.

BCEP follows the Mazama policy for Covid-19. That means, at this time, we can only consider your application if you are fully vaccinated against Covid-19.

No, but info night will provide you with background information that will be important for you to know if you are interested in applying for the course.

No.

No. We have a "lottery-style" of acceptance. The date/time you apply will not be a factor. Take your time, review the application, think about the questions, then complete the application. Just make sure you submit it before the application window closes. 

Lectures are online and made available each week for viewing on your schedule. There will be optional online educational webinars from Mazama members on various topics that students can attend in the spring. While webinars are optional, students are encouraged to participate.

BCEP is a demanding course in terms of time. While students can miss a weekend, student's availability to attend the necessary educational activities does weigh into acceptance into BCEP. Many of the activities, such as field sessions, do not have makeup sessions.

Students are required to attend the following to complete the program:

• Intro to Rock weekend field session
• Intro to Snow weekend field session
• Navigation Exercise
• A minimum of 3 Conditioning Hikes (generally on weekends)
• Weekly team breakout sessions
• Final Exam

We typically receive more applications than the course capacity allows us to accept. Priority will be given to certain applicants, including: 

• Applicants from communities that have been underrepresented in mountaineering and/or underserved by the Mazamas. Please review the Mazama's Equity Statement for more information on our commitment to becoming a more diverse, equitable and inclusive organization.
• Applicants with a history of volunteering and engaging with the Mazamas
• Applicants who have been waitlisted when applying in previous years
• All remaining spaces in this course will be filled through randomized selection

When you apply for BCEP, a number of factors are considered in team placement, such as schedule availability, team dynamics, requested group preferences, affinity team preference, etc. While students can state a preference for a specific BCEP Team Leader, or placement with a partner, we can't guarantee we'll be able to accommodate all requests.

Yes! For 2023, we have teams that have their hikes and field sessions on weekdays. When you apply, you can indicate that you would like to be placed on one of these teams.

Yes, you can apply for one. See the Mazamas scholarship page for more information. We will inform you about your acceptance for a scholarship before sending the acceptance email.

Yes, you can request one as you apply for the program. Payment plans split the tuition into two payments, the first upon acceptance into the program and the second on the day the program begins. Please contact help@mazamas.org for assistance or questions regarding payment plans.

We can't predict your odds of getting in from the waitlist. However, things do change for folks, and we see a fair number of cancellations. Students who have been waitlisted will be contacted, as cancellations occur, until the week before BCEP begins. Keep your schedule open, and you never know what might happen!

To withdraw from the program, please contact bcep@mazamas.org for assistance. Canceling or withdrawing your application prior to acceptance will produce no charge to your credit card; you are only charged upon acceptance. After acceptance, the Mazama Education Program Refund Policy applies. 

The application form has a spot for you to indicate that you'd like to take the class with someone, but we do not guarantee that we will be able to accommodate such requests.

No, not all of them. The rock climbing session is likely to be at an out-of-town location and will be a full day. The snow session will be two full days, including travel each day to the location. The two indoor climbing skills sessions in the Mazama Mountaineering Center* are three-hour sessions that take place both on weeknights and during the weekend. 

*These sessions may occur at a local outdoor climbing area if necessary.

Not all, but the majority of them start before 9 a.m. and are unlikely to have you home before 5 p.m.

Typically, your BCEP team should set up carpooling options from a meeting place in or near Portland to the location and back.