The Mazamas. Through its Climbing Committee, chaired by Don Erickson, The Mazamas of Portland, Oregon, offers comprehensive mountaineering education from beginning through advanced levels; organizes summer, winter, and rock-climbing schedules; selects and trains new climb leaders; and promotes safety in all Mazama mountaineering. There were 265 scheduled climbs in 2000, including 16 winter climbs. As usual, bad weather forced the cancellation of some.

The Basic Climbing Education Program enlisted 20 groups of nine students, each headed by a lead instructor and several assistants. In addition to rock and snow training, the groups made several day hikes into difficult terrain and attended indoor lectures and knots-and-belay practice. The BCEP is a fine-tuned evolution of instruction programs instituted before World War II. It introduces many new members into The Mazamas each year and allows instructors to bond firmly with beginning climbers.

The Intermediate Climbing Program instructs seasoned beginners in higher levels of rock and snow climbing and develops and screens future climbing leaders. A weekend at Smith Rocks offered the 33 students training on rock. However, because the training is now held between October and May, there were no open crevasses to provide glacier training. The Advanced Rock Program enrolled 21 students, with trips to Yosemite and City of Rocks. Heavy emphasis was placed on anchor building.

The Advanced Snow and Ice Program focused on snow and ice anchors, roped glacier travel, advanced crevasse rescue, high-angle rescue and evacuation, double-rope climbing techniques, and ice-climbing skills. Over 20 climbing leaders, a professional guide, and Portland Mountain Rescue personnel contributed to development of the overall program, which consisted of five evening lectures, four snow sessions, and four ice sessions. Each Mazama Education Program was attended by a safety officer, an experienced climber who did not instruct.

The Leadership Training Program further tightened its requirements. Ten experienced leaders must evaluate the knowledge and leadership skill of each candidate. By October 1, the end of the 1999-2000 fiscal year, there were 21 leadership development candidates, seven of whom were new provisional leaders.

For the Mazama Climbing Awards, 22 members qualified for the Guardian Peaks Award (Hood, St. Helens, Adams); three for the Oregon Cascades Award (Jefferson, Three-Fingered Jack, Washington, Three Sisters); and two for the Sixteen Major Peaks Award (all of the above plus Olympus, Baker, Shuksan, Glacier, Rainier, Stuart, Shasta). One person, Terry Cone, qualified for the 15-Point Leadership Award.

The Outing Committee, chaired by Joan Mosser, fielded trips to Costa Rica, Guatemala, Yucatan, Peru, the Amazon River, Maui and Kauai, the Australian Outback and Barrier Reef, Mount Kilimanjaro, Tibet, Vancouver’s Strathcona National Park, Mount Assiniboine, and Glacier National Park.

The Trail Trips Committee, chaired by Diana Forester, oversaw 582 events, including 26 snowshoe trips and 14 backpacks. Of these, 255 were weekend hikes and 223 night walks in the city. The principal Trail Trips Leadership Awards went to Richard Getgen (6,000) and Terry Cone (2,000) for Total Miles and to Richard Getgen (600) and Billie Goodwin (400) for Total Leads.

The Expedition Committee supported two expeditions, one the K2000, an attempt to ascend the North Ridge of K2. The second was the Mazama Explorer Post trip to the Mount Cook Range in New Zealand. The Committee also sponsored a slide show of Jim Bridwell’s expedition to the Bear’s Tooth in the Alaska Range.

Mazama Lodge bade farewell to lodge managers Jason and Jasmine Star, who left after four successful years at our Mount Hood retreat. They were succeeded by Todd and Wendy Koebke.

On the Executive Council, Christine Mackert was re-elected President, Joe Whittington Vice-President, and Susan Pyle Erickson Treasurer. The new Council members elected October 1 are Brian Holcomb, David Sauerbrey, and Mary Stadler.

Jack Grauer, Historian