Climbing
Andrew Dale
Skier, Climber, Mountaineer
Location: Seattle, WA
Contact: aw.dale@icloud.com
Intro
I am focused on developing the portfolio of skills needed to climb big mountains safely. I enjoy remote, hard to access places with dramatic scenery the most. I train hard physically to make sure I am ready to take advantage of every day in the mountains.
Skills
- Backcountry skiing (60+ days)
- Sport climbing (lead up to 5.9)
- Trad climbing (follow)
- Mountaineering
- Ice climbing (follow up to WI4)
Selected Climbs
August 2025 - Glacier Peak
Route: On the first day, we took North Fork Sauk Trail to camp at White Pass. The next day we moved camp to Glacier Gap, where we refreshed our glacier travel skills before resting early. On summit day, we left at 3:40am and made our way to the Disappointment Peak ridgeline, before crossing the Gerdine Glacier at sunrise. We then went up and over the Cool Glacier before gaining the final ridge to the Glacier Peak summit itself.
This was Ethan and my’s first climb together.
May 2025 - Black Peak (North Cascades)
Skin in, boot up long steep snow slop to col, rock scramble in boots to summit. On descent there was a light snow storm.
June 2024 - Mt. Rainier
Route: Emmons Glacier Route
[PLACEHOLDER: Add 1-2 paragraphs describing the climb. Include details about the route, your experience with the glacier travel, altitude, and any memorable moments from the ascent.]
April 2024 - Mt. Shasta
Route: Avalanche Gulch
[PLACEHOLDER: Add 1-2 paragraphs about your Shasta climb. Describe the conditions, what the route was like, challenges you faced, and what made this climb memorable.]
August 2023 - Forbidden Peak
Route: Ascent via North Ridge
[PLACEHOLDER: Add 1-2 paragraphs describing this technical climb. Talk about the approach, the quality of the rock, the exposure, and your experience on the North Ridge.]
August 2023 - Ruby Mountain
[PLACEHOLDER: Add 1-2 paragraphs about Ruby Mountain. Include route details, conditions, and what stood out about this climb.]
2022 - Mt. Baker
Route: Squak Glacier Route
[PLACEHOLDER: Add 1-2 paragraphs about your Baker climb via the Squak Glacier. Describe the glacier travel, crevasse navigation, and summit experience.]
2022 - Mt. Shasta
Route: Hotlum-Wintun
A few months after Mt. St. Helens, I went with friends in late June to try Mt. Shasta. The road to the Brewer Creek trailhead was very bumpy, and it was a long hike late in the season to the start of the snow. We were slow on the skin up but managed to get to a campsite I had read about at 12,000 feet. I was able to catch my first-ever glimpse of a glacier not far from our tent. We planned to summit the next morning, but the weather had other plans, and overnight a storm developed that became a little frightening. I had to get up and resecure the floorless shelter twice during the night. By morning, it was clear things weren’t improving, so we decided to pack up and ski down. It was a whiteout, so we took it slow and relied on the recognizable lava rock walls of the worm flow (and my watch GPS breadcrumbs) to guide us. Once we get below about 10,000 feet, the weather magically cleared and it was a beautiful, sunny day. Sadly, in my haste to break camp, I made a poor choice to strap my new Feathered Friends sleeping bag to the outside of my backpack, and while descending in vertigo-inducing whiteout at 2mph, I fell over which must have knocked loose the strap holding down the bag. A few turns later, it popped off and $650 of hand-sewn Seattle goose down shot down a side chute into the misty depths. I briefly considered chasing it before deciding I would rather live.
[PLACEHOLDER: Add 1-2 paragraphs about this different Shasta route. Compare it to Avalanche Gulch if relevant, and describe what made this route interesting.]
2022 - Mt. St Helens
Route: Worm Flows
My first volcano, back in the day. Got epically sunburned, almost lost a ski during a transition, and met some cool friends. Life changing. Probably only a year or so into touring.
[PLACEHOLDER: Add 1-2 paragraphs about your St Helens climb. Describe the volcanic terrain, the Worm Flows route, and any unique aspects of climbing an active volcano.]
Courses & Training
March 2025 - Mountain Trip in Ouray
Best 4 Days Ice Climbing
2024 - The Mountaineers
Wilderness First Responder (WFR)
2024 - Pro Guiding Service
Crevasse Rescue Course
2024 - Pro Guiding Service
AIARE 2
2023 - Pro Guiding Service
Backcountry Ski Navigation Course
2024 - Pro Guiding Service
Intro to Ice Climbing
2023 - Pro Guiding Service
4-Day Ski Mountaineering Course, Mt. Baker
2023 - The Mountaineers
Navigation Course
2023 - The Mountaineers
Ski Mountaineering Course
2022 - Pro Guiding Service
AIARE 1