Mazamas — Attraction in Portland

I have participated in Mazamas activities for a number of years both as a participant and a volunteer. Unfortunately, while there is some value in the organization, they are deeply dysfunctional and have some serious problems with the group culture.

One of the main downsides of this organization is that they are very cliquish and somewhat unfriendly to newcomers. In my case, I was never really able to break in and was never able to make any friendships that led to climbing outside the organization (which was one of the main reasons I joined). They will not let you into more advanced classes if you aren't part of the "in group" regardless of your qualifications.

The organization strongly encourages its members to volunteer and those who are unable to get on climbs are told that they will do better if they volunteer more. However, in my personal experience this is false unless you plan to contribute a huge number of volunteer hours. Volunteers are also taken for granted and treated poorly. Once, when I showed up to help with a class I had signed up to help with the main instructor was very unfriendly and acted it was a big imposition to have me assist with it. Other Mazamas who were helping had a similar if slightly less hostile attitude. In another case, they waited until just a few days before an activity before requesting I fill out a mountain of paperwork that took hours to complete.

Another problem is that the instruction is not standardized. Every instructor has their own preferred way of doing things which may be significantly different from other instructors. To an extent, this is valuable since it exposes students to multiple ways of doing things. However, some instructors advocate unsafe practices when they should know better due to having taken advanced classes like ICS and AR. The lack of standardized practices gives these instructors the flexibility to maintain their questionable practices and pass them on to newer climbers.

There is no mechanism for recognizing skills learned outside of the organization. If you don't take their advanced classes (which require up to 9 months and cost up to $900), you will always be a beginner to the organization even if you already have the skills and won't be able to participate in climbs that require those skills.

It is also very difficult to get on Mazamas climbs. They fill up extremely quickly and you have to apply to a large number in order to get on just a few. I had a success rate of less than 25% which made it feel more like college admissions than something that is supposed to be for fun.

There is some value in this organization but there are also a lot of problems. In the end, the downsides ultimately outweighed the...

I'm currently taking the BCEP course and having a wonderful time. Not only do we learn backpacking, rock, and alpine skills but we get to hang out with a great group of people.

The course is a big commitment at 7-8 weeks with a weekly class and 1 or 2 weekend days taken for training. In addition, there is a large cost for gear and the class itself. That being said, if you're interested in traveling safely in the mountains and finding friends to go with it is well worth the investment of your time and money.

The mazamas also have many opportunities to volunteer with the community, get outside and be active, and take more advanced classes to continue your education.

It's been a great experience and I recommend giving it a try! Even if you don't take the class, anyone can join a hike and meet...

The Mazamas is a great organization if you are interested in the outdoors and in making new friends. As one of the top hiking and climbing climbing clubs in the country they offer all of the related activities and education for all ages. If you want to learn to enjoy the outdoors in the northwest safely, this is the place. They've done a fantastic job transforming an old church building to meet their needs, including climbing walls for teaching the basics. In the winter we enjoy attending their Wednesday night travel programs, put on by...