As a full-time mountain guide, I put my technical layers through the ringer and while I need my kit to be durable, every ounce counts when it comes to carrying things on your back 200 days a year. The Patagonia Down Shirt has proven to be one of my favorite layers for year-round insulation…
Date: September 18, 2015 Route: SW Chimney 5.8 TH: Cross Mountain Time: 10:05 total Distance: 10.1 miles El gain: 3,060 ft. Gear: 70m rope, standard double rack and a single #4 was plenty for pitch 1, and a ½ rack plus the #4 for the final pitch Lizard head is a classic ascent that ranks…
As guides, we often have opportunities to go to remarkable places around the globe. It’s hard to pick real favorite trips, but whenever I think about trips that are generally just plain fun and enjoyable, I tend to think of Aconcagua. My first time up the mountain was in 1996, when my mentor on Denali,…
I’m just back from a great couple of weeks climbing volcanoes and traveling around the beautiful country of Ecuador with Greg, Vanessa, and Nick Blasic. We met in Quito and made the requisite tourist visits to the Mitad del Mundo (the Equator line), and beautiful historic Old Town Quito. It was my first visit to…
Dallas Peak, CO 13,809ft Date: July 23, 2015 TH: Mill Creek Time: 11:40 total Distance: 10.1 miles El gain: 4,420ft Gear: 60m rope, #.5 – #1 Camalots, set of nuts Dallas Peak is a exciting adventure comprising of some excellent single track trail, off trail hiking and a great deal of 3rd classing with…
Mountain Trip seeks the best guides in the business. Our guides are well traveled, highly knowledgeable, professional and awesome people. But, don’t take it from us, get to know our guides for yourself! Nick Shepherd joined the Mountain Trip family in 2006 and epitomizes the adventurous spirit of the guiding life. Nick packs a lot…
Denali season is upon us! 2015 marks the 40th year that Mountain Trip has been guiding on Denali. No other guide service has guided continuously for so long on North America’s tallest peak. We are looking at another busy season on the mountain, with 19 teams preparing to attempt what is arguably the most challenging…
Mountain Trip seeks the best guides in the business. Our guides are well traveled, highly knowledgeable, professional and awesome people. But, don’t take it from us, get to know our guides for yourself! Jacob Schmitz chose to become a mountain guide in the late 90s while working in the backcountry of Yosemite National Park. He…