Wow! What a year in Alaska! We had several weeks of great snow, good stability, and almost entirely good weather. We rode big glacier lines and steep ramps with descents approaching 5000 vertical feet! Following are some photos from our most memorable days of big mountain riding in the ski mountaineering capitol of the world.
Alaska Ski Mountaineering Course 2012
Read our Spring 2012 Newsletter to learn about NEW rock and alpine climbing programs in the San Juans, a ski mountaineering course on 14,150′ Mt. Sneffels, a special small-group climb of Mt. Rainier, world class rock climbing in Red Rocks, and our Gear Pick of the Season: the K2 Lockjaw Ski Pole. It can be viewed by clicking on the image below. Enjoy!
The Colorado College Outdoor Recreation Club took hut skiing to a new level in February with pillow drops, log hits, and all around incredible skiing! This video is from a Blue Lakes Hut Trip we did with this crew over President’s Day weekend. A big thanks to guide Mike Bromberg for his artistic talent in compiling this short film.
After using the K2 Carbon/Aluminum Lockjaw ski poles for backcountry skiing and ski mountaineering this season we have found them to be one of the best adjustable backcountry ski poles we have ever used. These poles are fully featured for skiing while also having a built in inclinometer, snow depth markings, and an incredibly easy-to-use adjustment lever for tuning in the perfect height. We give them 4 out of 5 stars! The following gear review of the K2 Lockjaw Carbon/Aluminum poles describes the merits of these fine ski poles.
The K2 Carbon/Aluminum Lockjaw Poles receive 4 out of 5 stars in our gear review.
Have you ever screwed an ice screw just a bit too far and – bing! – you feel one of the teeth grate the rock below? Ouch! Any screw that has been damaged will become very difficult to place, sapping precious energy when you’re on a tough lead. Fortunately, with a little handy work a damaged screw can be repaired. Here is a video from our friends at Petzl that describes how to revive your dull ice screws into like-new condition.
The big storms of mid-to-late January have produced excellent backcountry skiing and some lively conditions for avalanche courses. Since January 16th the San Juans have received over 3 feet of snow, most of it coming in “right-side-up” storms that have started warm and finished cold, making the surface snow cold, dry, and soft – which is primo for skiing. The big load has also tested the snowpack’s strength, creating a perfect learning environment for our avalanche courses. We’ve been out enjoying the nice skiing as well as the great conditions for avalanche education. Following are some photos from our recent trips.
Recent storms have produced excellent backcountry skiing.
The ice climbing season in Southwestern Colorado is off to a terrific start. Cold nighttime temperatures along with mild days and minimal snow have created excellent ice climbing conditions in both the Ouray Ice Park and the surrounding backcountry. Following are some photos from a few ice climbing programs we have done recently in conjunction with our friends at the American Alpine Institute.
Ice climbing season is off to a great start!
We had a great AIARE Level 1 Avalanche Course over New Year’s weekend. The interesting snowpack conditions made for good learning opportunities and we skied some good snow too! Following are some photos from the course.
Tyler digs a quick snow profile to evaluate the reactivity of wind slabs.
Give the gift of skiing or snowboarding! When you book a day of backcountry skiing or snowboarding for a friend, you come along for free! A third person can join for 1/2 off! All touring equipment is included free of charge. This special is valid for any day of backcountry skiing or snowboarding during the 2011-2012 season. Reservations must be made by December 25, 2011. Email us at info@peakmountainguides.com or call 970-318-1011 to make your reservation today!
Visit our backcountry skiing webpage for more info.
Give the gift backcountry skiing or snowboarding this year with our holiday special.
We just received word from the National Park Service that we have been awarded a permit to offer a six day mountaineering school and summit climb on Mt. Rainier in 2012! There is a great deal of competition for these permits so we are very pleased to have been selected for the third year in a row! Our trip will take place July 15-20 and we’ll provide instruction in basic mountaineering skills while making an ascent of the Disappointment Cleaver route. Our group will be limited to just 4 clients in order to provide in-depth instruction and to maximize our chance of success on the summit attempt. You can learn more on our website or feel free to call us at 970-318-1011 for more information.
A beautiful sunrise greets climbers during an ascent of Mt. Rainier.
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All Peak Mountain Guides staff hold certification from the American Mountain Guides Association as Rock Guides, Alpine Guides, or Ski Mountaineering Guides. All Peak Mountain Guides staff are members of the Certified Guides Federation.
Peak Mountain Guides, LLC | PO Box 992 Ridgway Colorado 81432 | 970-318-1011 | info@peakmountainguides.com
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Apr 19th, 2012|