Training for Mountaineering Preparing to climb a big mountain like Denali or Mount Everest requires a lot of work and is a huge investment in time and money. Training for mountaineering is primarily about endurance, but how do you build that endurance, and what is endurance? We strive to ensure that climbers who join us…
A slideshow we put together after Mountain Trip’s 2009 Denali expedition season. The mountain certainly hasn’t changed, and a lot of the characters are still around climbing and guiding on Denali today. We are excited to be getting ready for Mountain Trips 42nd year of guiding climbers on the gem of North American mountaineering. We…
On Saturday July 23rd we lost a beloved member of the Mountain Trip family and our extended climbing and guiding community. Gary Falk, a husband and father of two rambunctious boys and a highly respected guide died while guiding on the Grand Teton in Wyoming. Gary was a consummate professional and a fully certified…
I received a phone call from a climber yesterday who had been on one of our Denali expeditions this summer. While looking back at his photos from the expedition, wanted to reach out and share a story about passing around the infamous Windy Corner at around 13,400’ on the West Buttress Route. He thanked us…
Nine members of our ice guides staff participated in a training day in the Ouray, Colorado area in late December. Long time Mountain Trip guides Clint Cook and Dave Ahrens provided coaching, modeling and instruction in the craft of climbing ice, with emphasis on some of the techniques that are somewhat unique to…
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…