Family Ice Climbing in Colorado “You really want me to ice climb?” “C’mon Dad! I know you can do it!” cried 8-year old Izzy, tugging on her father’s hand and directing him toward the leather couch in our reception area. Grinning in the thin air of Telluride’s 8,750 foot elevation, Ernie allowed himself to be…
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Training for climbing a big mountain like Denali or Mount Everest is a huge commitment of time and energy. Get a plan so you can spend your training time efficiently! It’s not just the will to succeed on a big mountain, its the will to prepare. Here is another great article from our friends at…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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,…
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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…
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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…
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