2026 Price: $1,195 USD2027 Price: $1,295 USD
2026 Date:
-
June 26 – 28, 2026
2027 Date:
- June 28-30, 2027
Our Mt. Baker Classic 3-Day Climb is our most popular climb in the Pacific Northwest because it packs so much experience into a short three-day window. Gear check, forest approach, skills training, and summit climb all in one package, and you won’t have to take much time off work!
We meet in the small town of Sedro-Woolley, about an hour and a half north of Seattle, at 8:00 am the morning of your first day. The guides will take the team through a brief gear check and issue group gear to be divided and carried by the team on the approach to camp. With gear ready to go, the team will caravan another hour’s drive to the Schreiber’s Meadow Trailhead at 3,360 ft (1,024 m).
Leaving the trailhead, our approach winds through lowland temperate rainforest, across several small streams, and up a well-maintained trail to the beginning of the Railroad Grade. Railroad Grade is a climber’s path following the ridge of the Easton Glacier’s historical lateral moraine. If the weather is clear the team is treated to stunning views of the Easton Glacier, Mt. Baker itself, and a beautiful panoramic of the North Cascades all around. After about four hours of hiking, we arrive at Sandy Camp at 5,900 ft (1,800 m), our home for the next few days.
The climb itself leaves Sandy Camp and rolls through some snowfields and rock formations before crossing onto the Easton Glacier at around 6,800 ft (2,075m). Our route follows the Easton Glacier up to the saddle between the true summit and Scherman Peak, then ascends the Roman Headwall for the final climb to a broad summit plateau. Finally, a 10-minute walk across the flat summit plateau brings the team to the true summit of Mt. Baker, 10,781 ft (3,286 m). The descent follows the same route back to camp.
On our final day, we plan on arriving back at the trailhead by 1:00 pm and returning to Sedro-Woolley by 3:00 pm, ideally.
Mount Baker Inclusions and Exclusions
Our expeditions are designed to be fully inclusive, except for some services/items of a personal nature like flights, gear, insurance. Here’s a detailed list so you know what to expect
- Professional mountain guides
- All on-mountain food is covered including breakfast, dinner, and hot drinks. You may want to bring a few of your favorite snacks to supplement on summit day.
- All group gear, including mountaineering tents, cooking gear, stoves, ropes, etc.
- First-aid equipment
- Satellite phone to update the blog and available to clientele at $3/minute
- All in-town restaurant meals
- Hotels before or after the climb
- Transportation to and from the airport
- Flight costs
- All personal climbing equipment is the responsibility of the client
- In the event of a rescue, evacuation, or early departure from the group, any rescue expenses or excess expenses above and beyond our normal trip costs including transport, hotels, evacuation, flight changes, and gear shipping are the responsibility of the client.
- Guide tips (customary, but optional)
- Costs incurred as a result of events beyond the control of CTSS above and beyond the normal expedition costs
- Required trip insurance policy (for trip cancellation, interruption, rescue & evacuation, medical treatment, repatriation, etc.)
Mount Baker Classic Climb: Daily Itinerary
This itinerary is designed to get you to the summit of Mount Baker feeling strong and in good style, building technical skills along the way.
Elevations and distances are listed for the trailhead, Sandy Camp, and the summit, but expect some variation depending on where your guide sets camp. More broadly, expect the itinerary itself to flex. Success in the mountains depends on being flexible enough to capitalize on weather windows, group fitness, and mountain conditions throughout the climb.
Our guides will make decisions in real time to maximize your chances of success and take advantage of the best conditions and weather.
We provide these itineraries as an aid to your planning, but please know they can and will change. Come prepared to embrace the fluidity and joy of tuning into this very unique mountain environment.
- Overall: Park Butte Trailhead to Mount Baker Summit
- Distance (one-way): ~13.5 – 14.5 mi | 21.5 – 23 km
- Total ascent (one-way): ~7,400 ft / 2,256 m net gain
- Guide Tip: So much of the climbing on Komo Kulshan really does happen at home, in your training. Do the work ahead of time so that when you arrive on Day 1, you can be fully present, soaking in the environment, learning from your guides, and building connections with future climbing partners. Mental preparation matters just as much as physical fitness. Come knowing that it’s completely normal to feel nervous; this is a big mountain.
Arrive in Sedro-Woolley by 8:00 a.m. Once everyone has arrived, your guide will do a quick gear check and distribute any rentals from CTSS. After that, the team will drive to the trailhead in a caravan. Climbers without a car may hitch a ride with fellow climbers. The journey begins with the approach hike to Sandy Camp, where the team will establish a Base Camp while training. Today, climbers will learn or receive a refresher on expedition campsite selection and construction.
- Distance: 3.75 mi | 6 km
- Duration: 5 – 6 hours
- Elevation Profile:
- Start: Park Butte Trailhead ~3,400 ft / ~1,036 m
- End: Base Camp ~5,800 ft / 1,768 m
- Overnight: Tented Mountain Camp, Mount Baker Base Camp
- Meals: _/_/D
- Today Feels Like: This is the heaviest pack day, guides carry 40–55 lbs of personal + group gear (tents, kitchen, food split among the team). Today will feel like a lot, but the moment you arrive at camp, it’s completely worth it. On a clear day, you can see all the way to Mount Rainier, Mount Olympus, and the coastal mountains of BC.
- Guide Tip: Taper your training before you travel. Rest, hydrate, and arrive ready to absorb everything.
Weather and conditions permitting, today is summit day. Wake up early for an alpine start, usually around midnight, ascend the Easton Glacier Route to the summit, and descend back to camp. Back at camp, your guides will walk you through the climb, what you noticed, what worked, and how the skills you practiced translated to the real thing before packing up.
- Distance: 6 – 7 mi | 10 -11 km
- Duration: 6 – 8 hours
- Elevation Profile:
- Start: Base Camp ~5,800 ft / 1,768 m
- High Point: Mount Baker Summit ~10,781 ft / 3,286 m
- End: Base Camp ~5,800 ft / 1,768 m
- Overnight: Tented Mountain Camp, Mount Baker Base Camp
- Meals: B/_/D
- Today Feels Like: Summit morning starts in the dark and cold, with headlamps and layers. The climb up the Easton Glacier is demanding, variable, and completely absorbing. When you reach the crater rim, the world opens up in every direction.
- Guide Tip: Continue taking care of yourself and get as much sleep as you can. Your pack on summit day will be much lighter than on Day 1, count on around 15–20 lbs. Guides will carry extra water and first aid, so focus your pack on layers, fuel, and your personal kit.
Sometimes, weather or conditions shift the summit push to today. If that’s the case, the team will make the call at camp and adjust the itinerary accordingly. Either way, after packing up camp, it’s time to hike back to the trailhead and return to Sedro-Woolley. Return any rental gear and take a moment to celebrate with your team. Nearly always, as people are walking out, the conversation turns to what they learned and what surprised them about this experience.
It is advised that you book local accommodation for the night of your last day instead of traveling home when you will be tired.
- Distance: ~3.75 mi | 6 km
- Duration: 2 to 2.5 hours
- Elevation Profile:
- Start: Base Camp ~5,800 ft / 1,768 m
- End: Park Butte Trailhead ~3,400 ft / ~1,036 m
- Meals: B/_/_
- Guide Tip: Use some of your flight time to reflect on and integrate the experience. It’s been a big journey; this is a great in-between moment to absorb it all, before returning to the pace of your everyday life.