About Mazama Alpine Alpine Climb Leadership

Climb Leader Development PresentationPDF Document | 96.9 KB

A vital part of the Mazama mission is to provide climbing opportunities for Mazama members and nonmembers. These climbs depend on the volunteer efforts of climb leaders. The history of the Mazamas is one of a proud tradition of volunteerism, leading climbs in the Northwest and beyond for well over a century. While the Mazamas is not a guide service, all Leader Development candidates and climb leaders participate in Leader Development and Continuing Education programs. The function of these programs is to provide sufficient training and learning opportunities for the development and growth of Mazama climb leaders.

A climb leader is a Mazama member whose skills and experience are appropriate for assuming the formal leadership role for a climbing activity. A leader is not a commercial guide and the Mazamas provides no certification for its leaders. Leaders may have various expenses reimbursed, but they are not paid for their role.  

A leader is expected to have sufficient technical skills in mountaineering to comfortably complete the routes he or she leads. By implication, required skill levels will vary depending on the difficulty of routes the leader wants to climb. A leader is expected to have studied and demonstrated in the field the basic accident management and rescue skills appropriate to the climb being led. First aid skills appropriate to mountaineering are required. No list of criteria alone is sufficient to ensure that any individual can become a leader for the Mazamas. The Climbing Committee will always use its judgment in appointing leaders. 

The Mazama Climb Leader Development Program is designed to fulfill the following objectives:

  • Provide opportunities for candidates to develop leadership skills and additional mountaineering experience
  • Allow leaders to view and critique the climbing and leadership skills of the candidate
  • Provide a standardized method for evaluating a candidate's leader development, ensuring the level of leadership proficiency expected by the Mazamas.

Entry into the Mazama Climb Leader Development Program

Mazama members may apply at any time during the year by submitting the following materials to the Climbing Committee:

  • A resume of climbing experience, education and any other outdoor-related information that the candidate would like to share. Note: To be eligible to lead intermediate (B&C) alpine climbs the candidate must have completed the Mazama Intermediate Climbing School (ICS) or equivalent education/experience. To be eligible to lead advanced alpine climbs (D&E) the candidate must have completed the Mazama Advanced Rock or Steep Snow and Ice School or equivalent education.
  • A letter explaining why he or she wants to become a leader
  • References from three current Mazama climb leaders.  

Upon acceptance, Leader Development candidates are expected to complete the program within 3 years.  If a candidate is inactive for 1 of those 3 years without good cause, he or she may be dropped from the program.

Upon acceptance, the candidate will receive:

  • Information on how to access the Climb Leader Google Drive, including the Climb Leader Manual and Leader Development Manual
  • Notification of addition to the Climb Leader Google Group, this is the email list used for all climb leaders to provide updates, training information, newsletters, etc
  • Information regarding the LD mentoring program. Mentorship is not a requirement but is available to interested candidates.