A spell of high pressure in December means it’s time to get high in the back country. Mark U. and I warmed up on the East side of McMillan and found virgin powder. Me donning Black Diamond Verdicts and Mark on his K2 Coombas, we floated down Northeast facing slopes towards Cement Creek. Day two…
December has been a great month for snow, especially in the Southern San Juans between Coal Bank and Red Mountain Passes. More great news for ski conditions in the high country. Check out this storm profile! A WINTER STORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 6 PM MST WEDNESDAY. * PERIODS OF SNOW… HEAVY AT TIMES……
On Saturday the 19th and Monday the 21st, SWAG guide Gary Falk led one of our past Level 1 Avalanche Course particpants, and veteran of the ski the peaks program, on a couple of days of Backcountry Skiing in the San Juan high country. They experienced generally stable conditions on both days, culminating in a…
Last week we conducted our first SWAG Ski Guide Training for all of our Backcountry Ski Guides here in the San Juans. We will conduct an additional training in the month of March, prior to the start of our spring skiing season. Guide training and certification is something we take quite seriously at Southwest Adventure…
Last week Ari and I continued the ice climbing progression we began working on last season. At the end of last year, I had given him a number of training exercises to maintain good fitness for ice climbing season. Happily, the training seemed to work out very well as he was able to “hit the…
We are proud to announce our new partnership with Backcountry Access, makers of the finest selection of avalanche beacons and gear in North America. Backcountry Access is owned and run by dedicated backcountry skiers and snowboarders that live for fresh lines. Their passions are ski touring and innovation. They constantly strive to break new ground…
We all gathered at the office today to discuss training dates and refine skills prior to the start of another busy winter season of guiding in the San Juans. The snow has been falling at a steady rate all day, which bodes well for the snowpack up in the mountains. Our first AIARE Level 1…
Check out this text from the National Weather Service. Winter is in full swing, ice conditions are superb, and this storm should really help ski conditions, though with the early season snow sitting around doing nothing but faceting there are certain to be some touchy avalanche conditions during and directly after the storm. Stay tuned…
Winter has officially begun in Durango and the San Juans with a few inches of snow in town this morning with A LOT more up in the high country. Have a look at this forecast from NOAA! With winter shaping up nicely, now is a great time to sign up for one of our AIARE…
Last week I spent 3 days in the Utah desert with Erik Weihenmeyer and fellow guide Ben Kiessel. Erik has joined us on a few trips over the years, including trips to Red Rocks and Peru. It’s always inspiring to climb with Erik. Not only because he is a blind climber, but also due to…
This video was put together by Martin Volken, one of the examiners for our Alpine Exam, and it highlights the process of becoming a Certified Alpine Guide. ND
I’m glad to report that I’ve successfully completed and passed the AMGA Alpine Guides Exam! It didn’t come easy, and a whole lot of time, money, effort, support and commitment was required to make it all happen, but it sure feels great to have done well and passed the exam. To read more about the…
Joe came out to Colorado for a mountain climbing vacation. He started out his trip in the San Juans and then is heading up to the Maroon Bells and Rocky Mountain National Park to round out his trip. The objective in the San Juans was the beautiful Arrow Peak. Joe was on a tight schedule…
From September 15 – 26 Nate will be taking his Alpine Exam with the American Mountain Guides Association. A separate Blog has been set up to chronicle the trials and tribulations of his endeavor. You can follow Nate’s Blog by clicking here. Subscribe to the blog by clicking on the link at the bottom of…
After getting rained out prior in the season, the Karch family returned for a trip into Ice Lakes Basin of the San Juan Mountains. We met under blue skies in Durango and drove to the trailhead at the end of S. Mineral creek road. The hike up entailed gaining 2,500 feet in 3.5 miles. Ted took many…
Nate and his mother Terry came out from Boston to see some western sights. After they visited the Grand Canyon and Mesa Verde, we went backpacking in the Weminuche Wilderness. I have to say that is a grand-slam tour if I have ever heard of one. We took the train up from Durango to Elk…
This was an incredible journey! We spent eight days playing in the great outdoors in Southwest Colorado! This included climbing at a local crag, climbing one of our great 13ers in the area (Snowdon Peak), and then traveling into the backcountry of the great Weminuche Wilderness to visit Chicago Basin, the 14ers there, and end…
Just completed a busy week, the headline of which was a backcountry trip into Stormy Gulch for a climb of the E. Ridge of Storm King Peak, along with the E. Ridge of E. Trinity with Andrew K. and Marty L. The trip began with a road trip into Beartown via Silverton and Stony Pass. …
Jim and Jill from New Jersey climbed Snowdon today, which was their first mountain ever. Jill, who has done marathons all over the world and is currently training for one in New Jersey and Jim did a great job having never climbed before. They both were in great shape which allowed us to be on…