Alpamayo Summit Success! [image_frame style=”framed_shadow” align=”right” alt=”High Camp on Alpamayo” title=”Alpamayo Expedition #1″ height=”263″ width=”320″]https://dev.mtnguide.net/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/elias.alpamayo.4.jpg[/image_frame] On Tuesday July 9th, we moved to high camp after a 3 day snow storm that had us tent bouded at Morraine Camp. Upon arrival to High Camp, we struggled to set camp up with the almost 1 m of…
Back in High Camp Elias called to report that he and his two clients successfully summited Alpamayo and were back at high camp, preparing for the rest of their descent back towards basecamp. Elias will write up a full accounting of the summit day in the days to come. Congratulations everyone!
Established at Alpamayo High Camp Elias just called in with an update for their Alpamayo team. After 3 days hunkered down at Moraine Camp due to weather and plenty of fresh snow, the team finally made their climb to high camp and are now established and ready to push for the summit tomorrow. The weather…
Progress Towards High Camp [image_frame style=”framed_shadow” align=”right” alt=”Alpamayo Expedition” title=”French Direct Route” height=”320″ width=”263″]https://dev.mtnguide.net/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/alpamayo-1.jpg[/image_frame] Elias and his team are making good progress on Alpamayo. On the 4th of July they checked in from basecamp, and were planning to do a carry to moraine camp the following day. Everyone was doing well and in good spirits.…
Alpamayo Expedition #1 Begins [image_frame style=”framed_shadow” align=”right” alt=”SJMG Guide Elias and Team” title=”Alpamayo Expedition” height=”263″ width=”320″]https://dev.mtnguide.net/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/elias_peru.jpg[/image_frame] The team is finaly in the capital of Peruvian Andinismo! After a late arrival into Lima due to a flight cancellation out of Houston, we made it to Lima just on time to grab some rest and be headed…
A Brief History and Essential Equipment [image_frame style=”framed_shadow” align=”right” alt=”Telluride Via Ferrata” title=”In an Unmatched Setting” height=”320″ width=”263″]https://dev.mtnguide.net/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/ferrata4.jpg[/image_frame] Via Ferrata is the Italian name for what might fairly be called extreme hiking. First built in the Italian Dolomites during World War 1 these “iron roads” were intended to facilitate the rapid movement of troops through…
As I was riding the coal powered steam train up to Elk Park I was checking the weather and it didn’t look good. NOAA was predicting 70% chance of precipatation and a chance of snow. Luckily NOAA doesn’t always get it right! We ended up summiting Vestal Peak and Arrow Peak with great weather the…
Tim had climbed Mount Sneffels before via the standard route and was looking for a little more of a challenge. The SW ridge is an amazing route on an iconic Colorado 14er. Climbing up the SW Ridge and down the standard route gave us a great tour of the mountain. As always, it was great…
David and I left the Los Pinos trail head with food for ten days, not 100% sure where we were going. We knew we wanted to try to climb Mt. Oso but besides that we were going to play it by ear. We ended seeing people on day 1,2,9 and 10; but on days 3-8…
Moving Fast in the Alpine by Nate Disser – AMGA Rock & Alpine Guide [image_frame style=”framed_shadow” align=”left” alt=”Alpine Rock Climbing” title=”Pack and all……” height=”263″ width=”320″]https://dev.mtnguide.net/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/big.pack_.blog_.jpg[/image_frame] Managing risk and objective hazard in alpine environments is clearly a top priority for all comers – guided or not. Surely this is always the case for all outdoor activities,…
As you can imagine at San Juan Mountain Guides we can never get enough steep frozen water. So as we watch the ice here in the San Juans melt and the trees begin to bud, we book our plane tickets to the Alaska range where winter is far from over. Some call it an addiction…
Ski Mountaineering Guide Tip Andrew Klotz – AMGA Ski Guide [image_frame style=”framed_shadow” align=”left” alt=”Ski Mountaineering” title=”Guide Tips” height=”320″ width=”300″]https://dev.mtnguide.net/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/ski.blog_.jpg[/image_frame] Spring is here and the snow is stabilizing so it is time to hit the big lines that you’ve been waiting patiently for all winter. This is the first installment of a mulit-part series on getting…
I recently had the opportunity to climb with three great guys – Kevin, Brant, and David – all of whom were long time friends prior to the trip, and had previously had some mountaineering experience on Mt. Rainier and Denali (Mt. McKinley). Their mountaineering experience led them to become curious about gaining more technical climbing…
Scott and Mark came out to Ouray for and intro to winter mountaineering. A day of learning to ice climb in the Ouray Ice Park. A day to snowshoe into camp, and set up camp. A day to learn skills necessary for climbing and traveling in the winter backcountry. And finally a day to summit…
For many people the Ouray Ice Park and front country ice climbing is the extent of their ice climbing horizons. However, for the first time this year among the many terrific seminars offered at the Ouray Ice Festival, participants had the chance to hone their skills on backcountry ice in a seminar run by athlete and…
Get it while it is hot, or cold as the case may be! Cold enough for Kennedy’s Gully to come in. This is one of the coolest pitches in the San Juans. 50m of ice at a dream angle so you can see the air beneath your heels but you aren’t quite hanging off your…
Every few years the weather provides us with enough cold and overcast days in a row for a few finicky San Juan classics to form. At a New Years party, Mark “Coach” Miller and I were discussing the weather and ice conditions when we both realized Gravity’s Rainbow might be perfect the next day. After…
Happy Holidays from the crew at San Juan Mountain Guides. May your new year be full of hero-ice, blower-powder, and splitter hand cracks!
Andy and Scott recently joined me on an 8 day Alpine Leadership course. Day 1: We started out at X-rock where we rock climbed in addition to learning climbing technique, belaying, rappeling, basic anchors and traditional gear placement. Day 2: We climbed Snowdon via the West Buttress and descended the Northeast Ridge to the Northwest…
Robert just came out and joined me in some Fast and Light climbing. I had planned a standard solid itinerary but in quickly became apparent that standard was not what Robert came to Colorado for. Day 1: We drove up to Andrews Lake and hiked into Snowdon planning to climb it on day 2. We…