Volunteer Committees

Adventurous Young Mazamas features hikes, climbs, and other adventures for members and nonmembers who are (or would like to be) under 40 or just young at heart. Events are open to everyone regardless of age.

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This committee sponsors alternative activities for individuals who have been members for 25 years or more. Activities can include city walks and country hikes, nature tours, lectures, and social events. 

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The Climbing Committee manages the climbing program at the Mazamas. The committee oversees Mazama climbs, trains climb leaders in the latest mountaineering techniques, sets standards for climb leaders and assistants, and provides a rigorous training program for members who wish to become climb leaders. In addition, the committee is responsible for providing instruction in the principles and methods of mountaineering through its many schools.

The Conservation Committee promotes preservation of scenic and recreational resources throughout the Northwest. Since its beginnings, this committee has helped the Mazamas play a key role in preserving wilderness areas such as Crater Lake and Mt. Rainier National Parks, the Oregon Caves National Monument, and Forest Park in Portland. This committee maintains liaisons with land management agencies to promote the views of the organization in the wise use of these unique natural resources.

Adverse incidents can occur in the mountains and, although these are fortunately rare in the Mazamas, should they occur, they can have short- and long-term effects on the individuals involved. Trained Mazama members and nonmember ancillary personnel of the CISM provide private, confidential, and voluntary debriefings for individuals involved in these incidents, with the goals of speeding recovery, enhancing coping skills, and promoting self-healing.

The Mazama DEI Committee is committed to imagining, listening to, developing, recommending, fostering, and supporting changes to policies and programs within the organization that increase diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging, which forms the basis for the committee’s scope. The committee is made up of Mazama members, nonmembers, and friends of the committee to best represent the diverse communities that participate in activities and events with the Mazamas.

The Expedition Committee promotes mountaineering and exploratory expeditions through endorsements, sponsorships, and grants. This support is geared toward expeditions into remote mountain environments. This committee also organizes presentations to the public by well-known expeditionary mountaineers at various local venues.

Mazama Families Committee is dedicated to getting families outside together, and training the next generation of Mazama hike and climb leaders. The goal is to have kids participate in the Mazamas for years to come and encourage relationship-building through family social events.

This committee is not currently active. 

Along with the on-site managers, the Lodge Committee assists in the operations of the Mazama Lodge, located near Government Camp. This committee assists with Lodge maintenance and organizes volunteers to help with Lodge tasks. It also helps plan special Lodge activities, such as family weekends and special-use events such as weddings, and assists with publicity for the Lodge.

This committee is not currently active. 

Outings throughout the world are organized by this committee. These active tours can last from five days to three weeks and can involve climbing, hiking, trekking, backpacking, touring, whitewater rafting, canoeing, and/or ski trips. Although a number of destinations include natural and scenic areas of the western United States, others take participants to more distant locations. Recent outings have included adventures in Oregon, Washington, Hawaii, Mexico, the Swiss Alps, the Dolomites in Italy, Tibet, and Bhutan.

This committee is not currently active. 

The Program Committee plans and hosts informational and educational programs, including free Wednesday and Friday evening presentations, at the Mazama Mountaineering Center. These entertaining programs, which can range from movies and slide shows to lectures and demonstrations, are offered from October through May and are open to members as well as the public.

The Publications teams operates as a newsroom, sourcing interesting and relevant content for Mazama Publications, writing and editing content, and proofreading the documents.

The Research Committee provides grants, scholarships and awards for scientific studies promoting wilderness ecology, mountain travel, and safety in the outdoors. Investigations funded can include studies of phenomena pertaining to geology, volcanology, glaciology, botany, forestry, ecology, and those related to the other natural sciences. Summary reports of grantees are published in each Annual Journal and final reports are bound and archived at the Mazama library. Many of these final reports go on to be published in nationally- and internationally-recognized scientific journals. Grants can be awarded to graduate and undergraduate students, university faculty members, and local pre-college teachers and classrooms for projects involving our natural environment.

This committee has two functions: The first is to review any Mazama incidents and report on their causes to the Board of Directors; the second is to recommend to the Board of Directors any practices and educational policies which would enhance safe management of the risks inherent in our outdoor activities.

Hundreds of hikes in northwestern Oregon and southwestern Washington are sponsored each year by this committee, which organizes our schedule of trail trips, backpacks and the popular bi-weekly city walks known as “street rambles”. These can vary from moderately paced strolls to strenuous conditioning hikes. They can also include regular day hikes, weekend backpacks, and snowshoe trips.

The Education Committee is tasked with managing the education aspects of the Mazamas. The committee handles an education scheduling meeting in May to plan all educational activities for the upcoming class year (October - September). In addition they work with the subcommittees to update curriculum and provide oversight and educational expertise. The committee is comprised of a core group of committee members in addition to liaisons from the education subcommittees.

The Mazama Advanced Rock Course provides high quality instruction and training to enable graduates to be proficient at leading traditional climbs on vertical rock. We teach the technical and mental skills that will prepare you for a wide range of climbing, from single-pitch cragging to multi-pitch and alpine rock routes.

Backcountry Ski Touring offers an annual course in the skills required to accomplish ski mountaineering in a safe and competent manner, as well as avalanche training and classes on other winter mountaineering skills.

The BCEP subcommittee is responsible for running the Basic Climbing Education Program annually.

This committee provides instruction in first aid, with an emphasis on wilderness activities. This committee also provides first aid information and safety advice to the Board of Directors.

The ICS subcommittee is responsible for running the Intermediate Climbing School annually

This committee provides a ski school offering classes for beginning through advanced levels of cross-country skiing.

Mentoring in movement and leading in steep alpine terrain including steep snow and less than vertical ice (AI 1-3), including placement of protection and anchors in both snow and ice.