Category: Blog
How To: Clean & Store Your Summer Gear
By Trevor Husted What to do with your gear when the time has come to accept the changing of the seasons? Whether you like it or not, the seasons change. With the fading daylight and dropping temperatures, the seasonal gear quiver is transformed. Some gear will get stashed in the corner of the garage (farewell […]
How To: Find New Mountaineering Partners
By Kate Keith-Simms Hey Alpine, I’ve done everything to be a strong budding mountaineer- I’ve joined summit climbs, built some bomber anchors on the 10 day- now I want to get out there on my own. But where are all the climbing partners? I’ve been holding up “Will provide a capella tunes for a belay” […]
Strength Training for Mountaineering: What does your physiology have to do with it?
by Lyra Pierotti, CSCS and Alpine Ascents Senior Guide Climbing big mountains requires incredible endurance. You don’t necessarily have to move fast, but you have to keep moving for hours, days–sometimes even weeks. Training to have an excellent aerobic base is critical, not just for that continued movement ability, but also for your body’s ability […]
How to: Downsize Your Pack
by Lyra Pierotti, Alpine Ascents Senior Guide Outdoor equipment has certainly evolved from the days of external frame backpacks and wool knickers, but the goal is the same: Minimize the stuff you’re carrying and you can go further, higher, climb harder, ski more fluidly, enjoy the movement—so long as you have everything you need. As […]
Revealed: Alpine Ascents New Guide Training
by Kate Keith-Simms After building up your climbing resume, assembling the required certifications, and submitting your application materials to the Alpine Ascents Guide Manager, you finally receive that long awaited email… Congratulations! After making a very favorable impression during the interview process in addition to excellent references and an impressive climbing resume, we are happy […]
Dear Alpine: Internships?
Hey Alpine, My heart is in the mountains. Ever since I watched the sun rise over the Easton Glacier on my 6-day course this summer, I’ve dreamed of kicking my REI vest and nametag to the curb and picking up a rope and crampons. It’s time for an outdoor office. Other than my guided climb […]
2022 Aconcagua Webinar
If your 2022 winter plans include climbing the Stone Sentinel, check out the webinar we hosted on October 4th. Lead Aconcagua Guide, Rachel Molstad, outlined both climbing routes and what to expect on the expedition. Our Gear Manager, Ciara Sampaio, walked us through gear considerations along with helpful information on porters, money, and pre-trip logistics. […]
Guide Skills: Mentorship in Guiding
By Trevor Husted As part of our Guide Skills Development Series, this next post focuses on the importance of mentorship in guiding and where to find it. Look into the origins of the word mentor and you will find links to Greek Mythology, more specifically Homer’s poem “The Odyssey.” In this epic, Odysseus goes off […]
Find your people. Find your community.
by Liane Lau Arriving to the Alpine Ascents Seattle Office at 0630 for gear check – made me question my life choices. To be an effective mountaineer, you should be a combination of a marathon runner, a weight-lifter, and a climber. I am none of those things. I don’t even particularly like those things. The […]
Plants of Washington and their Native Roots
By Kate Keith-Simms Plants provide invaluable insight not only to the spaces they inhabit, but also to those who live upon the land. Since time immemorial, Native American communities have foraged, hunted, and thrived on the resources the land offers. This is a short pick of a few plants of Washington used by specific Native […]
