Leavenworth Rock Guides: Women's Specific Rock Courses 

Taught by women, for women...

We love climbing with our male partners but there is something special about learning with, and from, other women. The intention of these courses is to provide a welcoming learning environment where we can open ourselves to learning new, challenging, and critical skills for staying safe while enjoying the mountains.

Olivia Race is an IFMGA guide and a member of the AMGA's instructor team but, unlike her children, she did not grow up climbing and skiing. Coming to these sports in her early twenties she remembers the steepness of the initial learning curve. This has informed her approach as an instructor. Through her time teaching developing guides for the AMGA, Olivia has loved diving deep into these skills & deconstructing them so she can teach the basic components simply and then repackage it all together to enjoy a safe and efficient day in the mountains.

At Northwest Mountain School we believe in the power of the learning mindset - unafraid of exposing what we do not know so we are empowered to ask questions and take our climbing to the next level.

Olivia has run the Northwest Mountain School, together with her husband John Race, since 1999. We strive to hire highly trained female guides to support a balanced guide team. As female guides and instructors we look forward to opportunities to teach and support other women in their own development as climbers. These courses are one small part of that process.

Course Specific Details 

Each of the courses listed on this page is a women's specific version of our standard Leavenworth rock courses. You will find a detailed description of the skills covered on each course at the corresponding page listed below.

• Rock Climbing Anchors Clinic
• Introduction to Lead Climbing
• Multi-Pitch Rock Climbing
• Crack Climbing Technique
• Improvised Rock Rescue Program

Itinerary 

At a 1:1 ratio these programs take 5-hours, and at a 2:1 or greater ratio they takes 8 hours. We also schedule courses on demand, so call if you are interested. It is often possible to schedule courses at the last minute, but you should try to call well advance of your chosen date so that we can request access with the US Forest Service and schedule your guide.

Qualifications 

Please see course specific page (links above) for relevant qualifications.

Registration 

To register for this course you should complete our domestic climbing application and return it to the Northwest Mountain School office. You can complete our online registration here. Once you have completed your application you can make your deposit or full payment here. It is best to call our office at 509-548-5823 to make sure that space is available on your selected program. Space is allotted on a first-come, first-serve basis.

This program takes place on US Forest Service lands under a commercial-outfitter and guide permit. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) prohibits discrimination in all its programs & activities and is an equal opportunity provider and employer.