Category: Blog

by Micah Sherman As we skinned our way up a snow covered forest road to the Heliotrope Ridge trailhead, we knew we were about to have a fun time on Mt. Baker, but we had no idea what a spectacular adventure we were in for. With heavy packs supported by fresh legs we made our […]

Headed to Denali this Spring? Start planning that team name! Every expedition cooks up a team name they use to identify themselves when they check in each day via sat phone for the Cybercast. Family members can follow along with the Cybercast from home as teams make their way up the mountain, marveling at clever […]

by Ciara Sampaio I went over the Denali Prep Gear List a million times and checked everything off.   I was ready to go!   Was I really ready to go?   Eventually, I just had to go.  Checking off the carabiners and gloves was the easy part.  I found assembling 8 days worth of food to be […]

by Eric Murphy  Our ongoing and very successful ($37,000 +) Kilimanjaro Covid-19 Hunger Relief Fundraiser has just completed the 2nd food distributions for all 310 crew and staff. Members from our Tanzanian partner company Big Expeditions handled all aspects of whole purchase and transport of over 12,000 lbs of rice, corn and sugar. Arusha crew […]

Hey Alpine, I’m headed up to Denali this May (!!!!) and I heard that climbers insulate their ice axes? Interesting… What’s the rationale and how do I do it? Thanks in advance and see you in Talkeetna! Sincerely, Seeking Toasty Mitts Hi Toast Mitts, Thanks for reaching out and stoked you’re headed up to the […]

Nanda Devi, Indian Garhwal Himalaya by Gordon Janow When I heard that writer and climber Ed Douglas was publishing a book on the Himalaya, I wondered what more could possibly be written?   Any account by Douglas was clearly a must-read, but I couldn’t help but anticipate a rehashing of well-worn tomes such as John […]

It’s T-minus 88 days until our first Alaska mountaineering course flies onto the Kahiltna Glacier.  Have you figured out your insulated mitten situation yet?  If your digits run cold or want a glove that you can take on Denali, consider OR Alti Mitts.  They are built for 8,000-meter peaks and Arctic expeditions.  If Denali isn’t […]

Dear Alpine Ascents, I’m gearing up for an 8-Day Alaska Course and I see that you require double-wall four season tents. I found a single wall four-season tent that is supposed to be bomber (saw photos of it being used in the Himalaya) and it would save me 5 pounds. What gives?  Sincerely, Trying to […]

by Paul Koubek  As one of the western guides fortunate to work with the Alpine Ascents Kilimanjaro Program, when I was asked to write a blog post about any topic I wanted, the first thing that came to mind for me about my experience on Kilimanjaro was: the people! Every Alpine Ascents climb of Kilimanjaro […]

We have not been able to operate Kilimanjaro expeditions since February 2020, and during that time our friends over in Tanzania have not been far from our mind. COVID-19 has decimated the Kilimanjaro tourism industry and the income that the local people rely on to house and feed their families. In a typical year, travel […]