Acquiring a new skill is always a challenge, be it perfecting belaying techniques or bleating directions to the nearest freshwater spring to thirsty mountain goats. Live and learn with this Groupon.
$69 for Level I Beginner Rock-Climbing Course ($155 Value)
Novice climbers in groups of 4–10 master the basic terminology, selection, and operation of climbing gear and commands necessary to successfully scale Mount Erie as it stands regally over Puget Sound, the Olympic Mountains, and the Cascade Mountains. Expert guides sharpen climbers' rope-wrangling methods and ascension techniques, including rappelling, lead climbing, and refraining from mocking the weather during the full-day course. Climbers arriving from the Seattle area meet at Lake Erie Grocery in Anacortes, and those coming from north of Anacortes meet in Bellingham at Backcountry Essentials.
Peregrine Expeditions
The veteran athletes at Peregrine Expeditions nurture their already intimate relationships with Mother Nature during skiing and climbing excursions into the icy peaks of Mount Baker or jagged rock faces of Mount Erie. Backcountry skiing courses hone snow-skimming techniques, and intense skiing tours toe the border between the United States and Canada on two-day treks that embark each morning from a hut at base camp. Adrenaline junkies foray into Forbidden Peak for two or three days, conquering the ins and outs of navigating ice, performing mountaintop rescues, and backpacking in challenging conditions. Kid-specific expeditions tone tiny muscles and teach bird calls used to ask eagles the way to the nearest latrine as youngsters grouped by age engage in courses that span one to five days.