We love skiing. It’s that simple. If you can relate, the Backcountry Season Pass is for you. This is our way of rewarding your love of skiing and providing what we think is the best deal going to get you out there! Whether you are looking to develop your backcountry skills, or just want to get the powder goods when it's going off, this program gives you the flexibility you need to make the most of your winter.
A short and fun snowmobile ride up the spectacular North Cascades Highway provides access to the best backcountry ski and splitboarding terrain in the state. With the annual closure of the North Cascades Highway in the late fall thanks to heavy snowfalls, the season for backcountry skiing adventure starts lasts well into April. The touring opportunities in this zone are plentiful, and superb by any measure.
NCMG Owners Jeff Ward, Larry Goldie, and Josh Colle are instructors and examiners for the American Mountain Guides Association guide training and certification programs.
We often get requests from guides going through the AMGA training program for either additional training for advanced courses or structured preparation for an exam. If you would like to prepare for an upcoming course or exam please get in touch with us as soon as possible. Their schedules fill up quickly, especially right before the alpine and ski exams (late summer and late winter).
The Southwest Rib of South Early Winter Spire (SEWS) is one of the best 5.8 routes in the state. It contains a variety of climbing from chimneys to slabs and everything in between. It is one of our favorite climbs at Washington Pass and many guests come back to climb this route year after year.
This 2-day course is designed to teach you all the basic skills necessary to climb an alpine summit, and then put them to the test on day 2 on a summit climb at Washington pass. This is an ideal program for those wanting to get into climbing, as it will set a solid foundation of skills that you can continue to build on as you continue your development as a climber. It is also a great program for those that just want to climb an iconic peak such as Liberty Bell or South Early Winter Spire and do it comfortably and with a high margin of safety since we limit the group size to 2:1 or
Rescue skills are perishable, and like first aid skills, they should be refreshed every few years. This program is designed for graduates of an AIARE Level 1 course who want to ensure that the rescue skills learned during their course are still fresh in their minds. This is also a great way to keep abreast of best practices in the rescue world, new gear on the market, and insuring that you and your partners on on the same page with this life saving skill set.
Whether you have just taken your first avalanche course or have been skiing avalanche terrain for decades, this course can help take your terrain assessment skills to the next level. Terrain assessment is the most important skill for moving through avalanche terrain safely and being able to choose the right slope to ride given the avalanche conditions of the day.