alpine climbing
Alpine climbing can be the whole game - snow and rock and remote commitment with trusted partners. The discipline covers everything from classic mountaineering to ice climbing to technical rock climbing along beautiful ridges above sparkling glaciers. It’s endless variety, a lifetime of discovery, with as many opportunities as your imagination can run with. If you’re new to the sport or an old salt, if you’re ready to tackle the hard lines or don’t quite know where to start: I’m stoked to be able to guide in some of the most awe-inspiring places on earth and happy to help you realize your next adventure. Here are a few ideas to get the gears turning - updated for 2021!
“There are only three sports: mountain climbing, bull fighting, and motor racing. All the rest are merely games.” - Ernest Hemingway
June - September: Mt Baker, Mt Shuksan, and glacier peak
Mt Baker has every mountaineer’s route, from the beginner friendly Coleman-Demming to the technical North Ridge with its crux ice pitches. And with 75% the distance and the height of Mt Rainier, its the perfect training ground to practice glacier travel and crevasse rescue if you have your eyes on that mountain to the south.
Mt Shuksan is the rockier neighbor to the east, with mandatory 5.4 climbing to reach the summit. The North Face is one of the classics in the Cascades. But for a real alpine rock experience, consider skipping the summit altogether to climb the Northwest Aryete, completely surrounded by the mountains upper glaciers.
Just to the south is the under appreciated gem of Glacier Peak, and the North Ridge defines remoteness with a day-long approach through old-growth forest, guaranteed to spot bears and mountain goats along the way.
June - September: cascades alpine rock
From Snoqualmie Pass to the Canadian border, the Cascades have been the training ground for 5 generations of climbers. In the southern reaches you can find day climbs in Alpental Valley that let you make it back to Seattle in time for dinner, while up north classic routes like the Torment-Forbidden Traverse require you to spend two or three days hiking and climbing with a stripped-down, bare essentials pack. Even more committing routes lie in the famous Picket Range, as well as three “alpine treks” - The Picket High Route, the Inspiration High Route, and the Ptarmigan Traverse - offer multi-day alpine journeys with only moderate technical demands.
august - september: The italian dolomiti Alpine rock
In Sud Tirol, there is are mountains that stretch as far as you can see. There is so much to climb here that its no trouble at all to gain solitude if that’s what you’re looking for, climb incredible limestone from moderate to difficult grades, and end the day eating amazing Italian meals in refugios. Then you get to wake up in the morning, have a cappuccino or an espresso, and start at it all over again. I first visited Italy in 2015 with two other veterans, and we climbed technical routes that wandered past or topped out into WWI history. Our experiences on that trip and the next two years were written about in Smithsonian magazine and online. I’ve completely fallen for the warm hospitality, fantastic rock, and delicious food and coffee. Along the way I’ve visited Milan and Venice. And of course the Swiss and French Alps are only a short drive away - so if you want “big” mountains like Monte Rosa, the Matterhorn, or Mont Blanc that’s completely possible. Of course you’ll be going right past the Marmolada, the Gran Zebru, and the Brenta Dolomiti. If you love rock climbing and history, then come join me in one of the most unique corners of Europe: the Dolomite peaks of South Tyrol.