Category: Blog

It’s Not Awkward, It’s Reality As adults, we’ve got our bathroom & “private part” habits down. We know how to keep ourselves comfortable, clean, and efficient. But what happens when we step into the backcountry for the day? For several nights? For a month-long expedition? For those heading into the backcountry with a female anatomy, […]

By Mike Hawkins It has been a long day – one of the most demanding climbing days you have ever experienced. Your legs are wrecked. Your back is sore and you have small bruises on your hips from your hipbelt. You have sunscreen caked into every nook and cranny, but even that didn’t keep you […]

By Mike Hawkins “Man, this is a really great pack…” I said it over and over for months until my wife had finally had enough of it. She had to get one for herself.  While 50 liters is a little small for most multi-day mountaineering and winter ski tours, the small size is plenty versatile […]

By Val Peckarsky Regardless of past matrimonial experiences, we have all experienced cold feet at one point or another. As mountaineers, with our penchant for traveling willingly into extreme conditions at high altitudes, we frequently find ourselves on the frontlines of the battle against allowing our extremities to become too cold. Cold-related injuries vary greatly […]

By Marc Simonpietri You probably have more midlayers in your closet than you realize. That still-fitting fleece jacket from summer camp? It could work. A light, puffy jacket that never seems warm enough for actual cold weather? That could work too. Truth be told, midlayers are a very adaptable layer that can come in many […]

Above: crampons are required equipment on almost every mountaineering trip, like Mount Olympus’ Blue glacier, pictured. Words: Mike Hawkins In the beginning there were crampons, and they were not so good Have a look here for a fun, brief history of crampons in mountaineering.  Crampons have been around for a very long time, and for […]

I am deeply passionate about good backcountry food. While quick missions have me eating ramen and oatmeal packets, I typically stick to “real food” in the backcountry. Cooking is creative, interesting, and just plain fun. Little beats the satisfaction of feeding backcountry partners (and myself!) well, and little beats the peace of watching a wilderness […]

Hiking deep into the North Cascades. Photo by Marc Simonpietri.   Long gone are the days of heavy canvas and external frame packs with more tie-down points outside than space on the inside. While these packs were used for decades on on early ascents around the world, backpack technology has progressed at a steady clip. […]

Guide Brooke Warren in prime insulated pant conditions on the summit of Mt. Rainier. Photo by Patrick Chu. Insulated Pants can seem like a burden (will my legs really be that cold??), but they can be a critical piece of clothing in mountaineering, and can make a cold night at camp much more pleasant.  Why […]

If you are preparing to embark on a Denali Prep course or a Denali expedition with Alpine Ascents, you are also about to enter into the wonderful world of snowshoe travel. There are several reasons for our unilateral use of snowshoes over skis on these trips. First, the learning curve for snowshoeing is far less […]