There are some experiences you expect to need a plane ticket, a big-budget guide service, or a once-in-a-lifetime splurge to ever have. And then there are the ones you can access because you go to college in Garrett County.
This January, a group of Garrett College students stood on the summit of Mount Washington in New Hampshire (one of the most extreme and weather-beaten mountains in the world) as part of their coursework in the Outdoor Leadership & Adventure Education program.
“I felt like I was in the Arctic,” said student Ashlynn Anderson. “But I was really glad I did it. It was a really cool accomplishment.”
Mount Washington is famous for its brutal winter conditions. The mountain has recorded some of the highest wind speeds ever measured on Earth, and even on good days, winter ascents demand preparation, focus, and respect for the environment. It has dangerous exposure to ice faces, weather conditions, and height,s and takes specialized training to stay safe.
Enter the Garrett College program.
The climb was part of OLA 125: Introduction to Alpine Climbing, a 12-day immersive, three-credit course in Garrett College’s Outdoor Leadership & Adventure Education program, led by Program Director Andrew Hershey. This is a full expedition experience including ice climbing, avalanche education, winter backcountry camping, technical skills training, and ultimately, a summit attempt on one of the Northeast’s most iconic peaks.
The course began weeks earlier with preparation and planning, then took students north for nearly two weeks of hands-on learning in the White Mountains. Along the way, they earned their AIARE Level 1 avalanche certification, learned to use crampons and ice tools, practiced self-arrest techniques, and built real-world mountain experience.
For many students, including Brooks Mead, this was a first. “I’d never done anything like this before,” Brooks said. “Using crampons was completely new. It was fun, but it was very tiring. Just the ice picking was a workout.”
His mom, Julie, saw an opportunity in the experience. “As a mother, I felt really comfortable with the group. It’s legit, and they take safety very seriously,” she said. “I loved that he got to have this kind of experience through school.”
That’s a big part of what makes this program special: this isn’t a far-away, elite experience reserved for students at big-name mountain schools. It’s happening right here, for local students, through Garrett College.
Most of the required technical gear, such as mountaineering boots, ice tools, crampons, helmets, packs, and even expedition-weight sleeping bags, can be borrowed from the college’s Adventure Equipment Center. The course also received major support from the Scott Hess Adventure Sport Student Fund, which covered lodging and avalanche training fees, reducing the cost of the course by about $1,000 per student.
The course itself is part of a larger Outdoor Leadership & Adventure Education degree, where students complete a full field skills track—options
include alpine climbing, rock climbing, mountain biking, paddlesports, and snow sports. These aren’t “try-it-once” classes. Each field course involves long days, real environments, and professional-level training.
Anderson says the Mount Washington experience changed how she sees what’s possible, and that may be the biggest takeaway of all. Students don’t just come home with photos and stories. They come back with confidence, technical skills, certifications, and the knowledge that world-class experiences aren’t out of reach and they’re part of what’s available right here at home.
To hear all of the interviews with Garrett College students, find our new podcast, The Backbone, on Apple, Spotify, and YouTube.