Southwest Colorado’s combined cold spring and overall great snowpack during the 09/2010 winter have created long-lasting winter conditions in the high country. John flew in from Malaysia for a couple peak climbs during the end of April. On the 25th, Nate took him up Engineer and John admitted to being wide-eyed most of the day…
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. …
Climbed Vestal Peak via the Wham Ridge with Pat from El Paso, TX this week. We did the trip as a 2 day climb, riding the train to Elk Park and hiking into Vestal Basin on Day 1. An alpine start on Day 2 got us up and down the Wham Ridge and back to…
After a quick flight 2/3 of the way across of the US, Dave from New York and I, hopped the Durango – Silverton Railroad with our heart set on Vestal’s North facing Wham Ridge. The train offered a great introduction of the views to come of the San Juan Mountains and a time to eat donuts and coffee.…
We recently hosted a Leave No Trace (LNT) Trainer’s Course here in Durango. Kate and Tracy, the LNT traveling trainers stopped by for the 2 day course to help make sure that Southwest Adventure Guides is current on the most recent information regarding leave no trace backcountry protocols. It was a great course and is…