San Juan Mountain Guides will be adding the Ortler Traverse, a prominent ski tour in Italy’s South Tyrol, a mountain range straddling the Italian-Austrian border. Despite the 4000+ meter peaks and the luxurious hut systems – this expedition is a experience of fused cultures: that of the Austria ancestry that resides in the Northern Italian…
Pat is a fully certified IFMGA Mountain Guide, having completed his AMGA Rock, Alpine Guide, and Ski Mountaineering Certifications. This will be his second trip on the Ortler Traverse. What intrigued you about the Ortler Traverse and why did you decide to guide this trip? “The Ortler is known for having the best huts…
The Lodestar Jacket With winter upon us in here in the San Juans, our technical layers take on added importance. SW Colorado and the San Juan Mountains offer up a veritable cornucopia of conditions. Everything from whiteout conditions, 45 mph winds, warm sunny days, feet of snow, and frigid freeze-your-fingers cold is par for the…
Classic Line Back In Condition Climbed Ames with Kevin today. The first pitch is in the fattest and most protectable condition I have ever climbed it. The second pitch has a few interesting cauliflowers to work around, but mostly protects well and the chimney is too full of ice to need rock gear. The third…
Classics are IN and Getting Climbed After a bit of nervousness with respect to how the trajectory of this early ice season was going to play out, I’m happy to report that cold weather is back in a big way in Ouray and the San Juans. Consequently, our ice conditions have improved dramatically in the…
Early November Ice Conditions Report It’s that time of year again – ice season is fast approaching. Winter has returned to the San Juans – with snow and ice starting to come into condition throughout the range. Make sure to bookmark our San Juan Ice Conditions webpage. We will be doing twice weekly updates starting…
Stokin’ ain’t just for the fire and keeping your average stoke-level high ain’t easy. If it was easy to be stoked on everyday life as we get stoked for our outdoor pursuits and life passion, then the very existence of “stoke” would cease to exist and life would almost be…well boring. With that being said,…
Vestal Peak, elevation 13,870 ft (4,230 m), is a summit in the Needle Mountains of southwest Colorado. The peak is southeast of Silverton in the Weminuche Wilderness. Described by many as one of the most aesthetic peaks in the San Juans, our client David Yurko was able to capture this incredible Alpine adventure summit of Vestal Peak on his…
Dawn Glanc, pronounced, “Glance”, was born and raised in Brunswick, Ohio. In 1996, at the age of 21, she moved to the Black Hills of South Dakota. This is where she learned to rock and ice climb. After 8 years in the hills, Dawn wanted to explore bigger mountains and more complex terrain. In 2004,…
Ryan Riggins is a Durango transplant, originally from Orinda, California. He came to Colorado chasing the “white surf” as he went from a the never-ending Cali summers to the never-ending winters of the San Juans. A Fort Lewis graduate in Marketing, Ryan has been guiding since his Sophomore year in College. Ryan received his…
Andrés and Christel had a wonderful expedition to Alpamayo. They have been enjoying the descent and being in the mountains. This morning they were in Cachapampa and will be going to Huaraz today. We look forward to hearing their stories and seeing photos. Congratulations on a great trip!
Congratulations Andrés and Christel! ¡Felicidades! The team started climbing from High Camp around midnight last night and were the first on route. After climbing through the night they were rewarded with a beautiful summit. Andrés checked in this morning from High Camp. They had an awesome climb and are now resting.
Andrés and Christel are doing well at High Camp (5,490m/18,011 ft.). They are feeling strong and tonight will go for the summit of Alpamayo (5,947m/19,512ft). The French Direct Route leads out from the glacier, over a significant bergshrund, and onto the steep, beautiful SW face of Alpamayo. The team will endeavor the climbing of 50-70…
Andrés phoned in this afternoon. Christel and him are doing terrific, both are feeling great. Christel is super strong and positive, so together they are an outstanding team. They are at Moraine Camp (4,900m/16,075ft) tonight and hope to advance to high camp tomorrow (5,490m/18,011 ft.). We are cheering them on from the San Juans, wishing them a…
Andrés and Christel are doing excellent en route to Alpamayo. They are at Base Camp (4,300m/14,100ft) feeling great. Today they did a carry to Moraine Camp (4,900m/16,075ft) and will stay tonight at Base Camp. Sending them BUENA ONDA, positive vibes from the San Juans!
San Juan Mountain Guide Bill Grasse captures the experience of summiting Mt. Sneffels with his client. Mt. Sneffels is located in the heart of the San Juan Mountains in the SouthWest of Colorado. It is a prestine 14,000+ peak and considered a classic in Colorado. If you are interested Mt. Sneffels or Mountaineering in the…
San Juan Mountain Guide’s second Alpamayo Expedition of the season is underway. Senior Guide, Andrés Marin is accompanied by the wonderful Christel Hennet. They arrived to Huaraz over the weekend with time to watch Christel’s team win the World Cup, Congrats! Yesterday they met the burros and hiked from Cachapampa to the first camp. Andrés…
Classic Couloirs of the San Juans Gilpin Peak’s North Face Couloir [image_frame style=”framed_shadow” alt=”Gilpin Peak” title=”North Face Couloir ” height=”250″ width=”360″]https://dev.mtnguide.net/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/gilpin.blog_.1.jpg[/image_frame] The San Juan Mountains are blessed with a lifetime’s worth of climbing and mountaineering challenges in all seasons. One of the most overlooked times of year to climb in the San Juans are the…
The Alpamayo Expedition is safe and they are now on their return trek to Cachapampa. They attempted the summit two nights; the 4th and 5th. Due to energy levels and weather, they did not make the top. Certainly, the journey was incredible and they learned a lot. That’s what these expeditions are all about, learning…
If you haven’t been on the Telluride Via Ferrata, you need to check it out! It’s an adventure for the whole family!