Yes! We can offer most courses on a custom basis. The advantages of a custom course are:

• You pick the date
• You decide who goes
• Your group’s goals are the focus of the trip
• You can skip or add curriculum or objectives to a custom trip

Certain courses require additional planning or staffing. These include AMGA certification courses and AIARE courses. Check out our Custom Courses page to get started.

Great question! This is because either:
1. The course is out of season. (ex. Mt. Hood climbing season ends in early July).
2. The course is booked as a custom course only. Please get in contact with us and we'll help create the perfect experience for you.

For overnight courses, you should expect to hear from your guide 7-10 days prior to your trip. For any single day courses, expect communication 3-5 days in advance. If you have immediate questions, our entire office team has extensive outdoor experience and are happy to answer your questions!

All of our overnight courses, as well as our Mt. Hood Summit Climb and AIARE 1 and 2 courses include a scheduled virtual meeting prior to the trip/course. This is usually an online Google Meet remote meeting held 1-2 evenings before the first day of your course. During that meeting, your guide will go over your packing list, food, navigation, weather, group gear, meeting location and time, and other critical planning items to ensure a successful trip. Be sure to have your gear out and ready to ensure you have everything you need.* Attendance is mandatory.

*(If you are renting gear from Kaf or the Mountain Shop for Mt. Hood, you do not need to have picked up your rentals prior to the meeting.)

Here are some of our recommendations for gear layers and specific items, in case you are looking to purchase. Please support your local gear shops! Many items can also be purchased in good condition at consignment shops such as Wonderland Gear Exchange (Seattle) and Next Adventure (Portland) as well as online marketplaces, as a great way to reduce costs and help keep used gear in circulation.

Foot Layers

• Boots: plastic or leather with at least 3⁄4 shank and well treated with waterproofing. Ie. La
  Sportiva Nepal EVO.
• Socks: at least 2 pairs, lightweight liners help prevent blisters. Three pairs are recommended,
  with one being a comfortable pair for in the tent/sleeping in.
• Gaiters: High enough to cover ankles of boots and lower calf (helps protect pants from crampons).

Leg layers

• Two base layers: wool, synthetic, or lightweight fleece long underwear.
• One extra insulating layer if you get cold easily; this is also nice for overnights.
• Softshell pants.
• Waterproof shell pants. Full-length zippers are key so they can be put on/off without removing boots.

Torso Layers

• Two base layers: 1 thinner wicking and 1 insulating. ie. Smartwool 150 + Patagonia R1 Hoody
• Warm parka, most prefer a hood.
• Extra vest or fleece jacket for colder days, or if you get cold easily.
• Rain Jacket with hood.

Head and Neck Layers

• Warm hat, beanie style, must cover ears
• Neck Gaiter
• Sun hat with brim or visor

Hand Layers

• Liner layer
• One insulating layer
• One waterproof layer

Personal and Camping Gear

• Large backpack (at least 50L or 3,000 cu. inches) internal frame: Osprey Variant 52L
• Sleeping Bag (15-30°): Montbell Spiral Down Hugger
• Sleeping pad (inflatable or solid foam): Thermarest Neo Air or Ridgerest
• Two water bottles: at least 2 liters, Camelbaks are okay with at least one additional hard bottle
• Cup and bowl to eat and drink from: can be the same vessel but that means tea/coffee cannot accompany meals. And a spoon, to eat with.
• Extra food and snacks, lunches for all days.

Climbing Gear

• Ice axe: Black Diamond Raven/Pro
• Crampons: BD Sabertooth
• Helmet: BD Half Dome
• Harness: lightweight alpine harness, BD Couloir or Petzl Altitude
• 2 locking carabiners: BD Positron or Petzl Spirit Screwlock
• Glacier Rig Kit:
• 2 prusik cords: 5-6mm nylon cord, cut into two lengths (one ~6’ and one ~12’)
• 3 locking carabiners: pear shaped – BD Rocklock or Petzl Attache
• 2 non-locking carabiners: BD neutrino or Petzl Spirit
• 1 – 48” (double-length) sling: BD 18mm nylon or 10mm dynex runners

Possibly!

Youth must be at least 13 years of age to join us in any public course. However, youth ages 13-15 must have a parent or guardian also registered for the course. Youth ages 16-17 must have their parent/guardian sign off on their attendance on a course.

Any course/trip/event with kids younger than 13 must be booked on a custom, private basis. Inquire by sending an email to register@kafadventures.com

Weather in Washington can be unpredictable, even in the summer! Your guide will reach out to you with information specific to your course about 5 days prior to the course. Typically, we aim to choose locations close to Seattle (Exit 32 or 38, Index, etc.), but further travel may be required if weather dictates. Often our spring courses are held in Vantage or Tieton.

Yes! However, commercial climbing permits for Mt. Rainier are extremely limited and rarely available to smaller and medium-sized guide services like ours. We only get one permit annually.

Our Mt. Rainier climb is typically in late July and we run it as a fundraiser climb for the Washington Trails Association. Space is limited to 9 climbers. See our Mt. Rainier Summit Climb page for more details.

Upon completion of an AIARE course with Kaf, we log your course completion* in AIARE's system. From there, you can log in or create an account at avtraining.org to access your certification. Be sure to use the email address you used to register for the course when logging into AIARE's website.

*You must also complete any required online coursework to obtain your certification.

We embrace our PNW moisture, and generally do not cancel for poor weather. Properly dressing for the weather forecasted is the first step in setting yourself up for success. That said, if avalanche conditions or a mountain storm would stop a trip before it starts, we will reschedule as we are able. If we cannot reschedule, we will offer Kaf credits for other courses/dates, or refunds. Our guides make the decision to run a course based on all available weather data in the days before your course. If you need to cancel, please check out our Cancellation Policies.

All cancellations for any reason are subject to our Cancellation Policies. We do not offer refunds within 10 days of a cancellation.

Any trip or course cancelled by you is subject to our cancellation policies.

If you are owed a refund for an early cancellation or Kaf cancellation, we will send you a refund confirmation email. From there, please allow 3-5 business days to see your refund to the payment method used for the original purchase.

We're so glad you asked, and want to thank you for making an investment in your education! We highly encourage protecting your experience by purchasing trip insurance. Consider reading through our cancellation policies to determine if trip insurance is right for you.