Colorado Alpine Climbing Courses & Trips

We conduct our alpine climbing and mountaineering courses and trips in the Weminuche Wilderness of the San Juan Mountains. The San Juans typically have the best mountain weather in the United States, allowing us to concentrate on skill acquisition and climbing, not on miserable weather. From our base in Durango we have access to 14 mountains over 14,000 feet and hundreds in the 13,000 foot range. These attributes make the San Juans a fantastic training ground to learn the basics of alpine mountaineering, and to beef up your skills for longer and more technical climbing expeditions throughout the world.

At over 500,000 acres, the Weminuche is Colorado's largest designated wilderness area. It offers some of the best scenery, backpacking, and alpine climbing in the Western US. The area is dominated by two major sub-ranges: The Needle Mountains and the Grenadier Range. The Needle Mountains are home to the popular Chicago Basin and the 14'ers Windom, Eolus, and Sunlight Peaks. The Grenadier Range is home to Vestal, Arrow, and Storm King Peaks among others. Together they offer amazing alpine climbing and the perfect venue to hone your backcountry skill.

2010 Offerings

Winter Mountaineering Courses - December - April
We offer both an Introduction to Winter Mountaineering and Expedition Climbing, as well as the popular Denali/Alaska Prep Course for those who are gearing up for an expedition in the great white north. Our courses are desinged to help you attain a solid background in cold weather mountaineering and expedition climbing for other trips throughout the world. The San Juans provide the perfect terrain for skill acquisition.

Spring/Summer Alpine Climbng Courses - May - September
We offer courses specifically designed to help you achieve alpine climbing proficiency and efficiency. Whether you are interested in learning the finer aspects of steep couloir and snow climbing techniques, or alpine rock climbing routes, our course offerings afford you the ability to achieve your goals whatever they may be.

Private Instruction and Guiding - Year Round
If the dates of our regularly scheduled courses do not fit your needs or schedule, we offer the ability to tailor the dates and curriculum of the trip to your specific needs. Whether you are looking for 1:1 attention from one of our experienced professional guides, or would like to arrange a trip for a small group, we will work with you to ensure that you achieve the specific goals you've set for yourself regarding your training and skill acquisition.

Chicago Basin 14'er Trips - June - September
Our popular Chicago Basin 14'er Trips will get you to the top of Sunlight Peak (14,059 ft.), Mount Eolus (14,083 ft.) and Windom Peak (14,084 ft.). 3 and 4 day itineraries are available.

San Juan 13'er Trips - June - September
Our Centennial 13'er Trips climb classic lines on some of Colorado's most sought after peaks. Ascents include Jagged Mountain (13,824 ft.), Vestal Peak (13,854 ft.), Pigeon Peak (13,972 ft.), and many more!