Morgan McGonagle

Guide: Washington

Morgan grew up in Denver, Colorado and spent most of her childhood hiking, biking and skiing in the Rocky Mountains. She moved to Washington in 2019 and since has fallen in love with the jagged North Cascade peaks and lush green PNW forests. Morgan recently started ski patrolling at Crystal Mountain and this summer will be her first season working professionally as a guide. When she isn’t patrolling or out skiing steep lines in the Washington backcountry, she spends her time singing in a band with fellow patrollers, taking photos of her friends, dancing, baking sourdough bagels and jumping into cold bodies of water. Morgan has a BE in Mechanical Engineering from Dartmouth College, where she competed in Division I rugby.

Take 5 with the Guide

Favorite movie
Despicable Me

Guilty Pleasure
The Bachelorette/Bachelor Franchise

Favorite childhood breakfast cereal
Honey Bunches of Oats or Raisin Bran because I’m a little weird

If you could be stuck with anyone (past or present) at base camp for a week
Probably my golden retriever, Sundance. Or my Mom, she’s very funny.

One piece of advice for aspiring mountaineers
Get out and climb some stuff whenever you possibly can! Go climbing with people who have more experience than you and pepper them with questions. Eat up as much knowledge as you can from them!

Significant Ascents

Mount Rainier
Mount Baker
Mount Adams
Forbidden and Isolation Traverses, Mt. Eldorado (4-day ski traverse and ski descent)
Annapurna Circuit, Nepal

Certifications

Wilderness First Responder/CPR
AIARE Avalanche Pro 1
Leave No Trace Trainer
National Ski Patrol Member (1 year)

ALPINE ASCENTS BLOG

What Type of Boots Do I Need for Climbing?
By Dani Osman Getting your mountaineering kit dialed in can be a complicated, strenuous process – So many options! So many opinions! – and rarely is the process more stressful than when it comes to boots. As literally and figuratively the base of the whole operation, getting your boots right can make or break your […]
Training for Mountaineering Webinar
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 to recover, day after day. On January 30th, Senior […]
Women on Top: Expert Advice from a Mountain Guide Webinar & Tips
There have historically been fewer women than men in mountain sports, but that statistic has been changing as more women establish first ascents, inspire others by summiting challenging peaks and find cohorts of other women climbers. At Alpine Ascents we are fortunate to have more than 25 female guides and offer dozens of women’s programs. […]

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Partners & Accreditations

Alpine Ascents International is an authorized mountain guide service of Denali National Park and Preserve and Mount Rainier National Park.
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Morgan McGonagle