Blog

At Alpenglow Expeditions, we firmly believe that the outdoors are for everybody. As such, we are proud to offer our very own Via Ferrata as a way for those of virtually any skill level to get outside and be part of a unique, engaging, and unforgettable adventure. 

Over the span of written history, it is evident that humankind’s fascination with high mountain ranges is universal and has only strengthened with time. The last three centuries, however, have seen exponential growth in terms of the safety equipment and technology that allows us to answer the call…

Written by Griffin Mims, International Coordinator

On May 12th, 2022, Alpenglow team members Christina Ochs, Topo Mena, Ngima Tenzing Sherpa, and Phu Rita Sherpa summited the 5th tallest peak in the world after just 16 days on the mountain. At 27,766 feet (8463m) Makalu is one of the most difficult and coveted summits on the planet. Our Rapid Ascent Approach allowed our team to achieve this remarkable feat in only 26 days round trip.

We’ve broken down our Rapid Ascent Approach into three components: pre-acclimatization, Keep Reading...

Written by Robert Kyte

At Alpenglow Expeditions, it is our mission to offer an array of options wide enough to accommodate climbers of any experience level. Whether you’re brand new to the sport, a gym climber looking to make the leap outside, or a seasoned ascensionist looking to hone your skills, our guides are ready to cater a personal rock experience to achieve any goal.

Nonetheless, such an expanse of opportunity can be overwhelming when deciding which of our courses best suits your individual or group needs. We’ve put together this brief guide to provide a basic overview of…

Written by Robert Kyte

Crampons are attachable traction devices designed to keep you upright and secure on technical terrain covered by snow and ice, thus making them an absolute necessity for almost all advanced mountaineering pursuits and glacier travel. However, not all crampons are made equal, and there are different styles designed to tackle various types of terrain that are best suited for specific activities. We’ve put together a guide to help you learn about the different types of crampons and ultimately choose what works best for you.

There are three main types of…

Written by Alpenglow Guide, Mike Pond

For all Mount Shasta Climbing and Skiing programs, we will provide breakfasts and dinners on the mountain. You will be responsible for providing your own food during the climbing day. We will not have a proper “lunch,” but will instead carry food to eat on the go during the day. A typical climbing pattern is to travel for an hour, rest for 10 minutes, during which you can eat, drink, adjust layers, etc. Individually packed items are great to stick in your pockets for easy eating on…

Written by Allie Ace, Alpenglow Guide

When people think of Lake Tahoe, they often think of it for our winter or summer season. Lake Tahoe is known for its epic mountain terrain with 13 ski resorts, endless backcountry, and averaging over 450 inches of snow annually. It’s even more popular as a summer destination with hiking, biking, climbing, and every type of water activity you can imagine. Northern California is certainly a mecca for outdoor adventure in the winter and the summer. However, my favorite season is spring!

Here’s why:

Deeper…

Oxygen. It’s what keeps us alive; especially above 8,000m. When it comes to climbing the biggest mountains in the world, the oxygen system that you’re using is vital to success. As we get closer to our 8,000m peak climbing season, we figured we’d take a quick deep dive into the oxygen system that Alpenglow Expeditions uses on all our 8,000m peaks.

For all of Alpenglow’s 8,000m peak expeditions, we use the Summit Oxygen System. The Summit Oxygen system is the lightest oxygen cylinder and regulator on the market, and we have been using the Summit…

As we transition into the spring skiing month’s here in Tahoe (with a few intermittent powder dumps, we hope!),  a few words of wisdom from a local legend and one of our favorite ski guides will surely enhance your day out touring!

Don’t know much about Glen? Learn a little about him in his bio on our Alpenglow Guides page! (I stress ‘little’- Glen is an elusive character with enough epic stories to last a lifetime of campfire sessions)

Gear Requirements: First off, your gear…

It is clear that COVID-19 will remain a challenge this winter, and that it will be important for us to continue taking precaution in order to keep our guests and staff safe. In an effort to do our part in limiting the spread of the virus, we will follow all local and state guidelines in regard to our COVID-19 policies and procedures. One of the biggest lessons we’ve learned during this time is that we need to be flexible and responsive to frequent changes as they arise. That being said, we will update our practices accordingly as things progress throughout…

Written by Matthew Beals

Welcome to Winter in October! While I usually loathe to jinx the season with over-optimism, the goods are here and this season has already over-delivered: the storm we just saw had the offshore barometric pressure of a hurricane, delivering record precipitation to some areas and instantly building a base to support October opening dates for Palisades Tahoe and Mammoth.

I think we can all breathe a sigh of relief that an epic fire season is coming to a close with a solid dousing of precipitation (8 trillion gallons by some accounts). Weather nerds can’t help…

Looking for an opportunity in the outdoor industry?

Alpenglow Expeditions is looking to expand its office team this winter season! We are looking for someone who is hardworking and passionate about the outdoors. Joining our team means being surrounded with people who love the outdoors and want to share their passion with others. Whether you’re chatting about our avalanche courses or discussing how to stay safe in the backcountry, our goal is to provide a unique and excellent experience for each client who desires to explore mountains across the world. Our expeditions and treks were created to combine our guides’…

Written by Mike Pond

Mountaineering can be quite intimidating. Those mountains are huge! (And that’s kind of the point, right?) But how do you get into this wild activity? Where do you start?

Mt. Shasta is a perfect training ground to begin on your mountaineering journey. It has all the aspects of the great mountains, but just a little smaller and more easily digestible. Shasta mountaineering involves glacier travel, thousands of feet of ascent, camping, sometimes challenging weather, altitude, navigation – but almost all of these are at an introductory level.

This also makes Shasta a downright terrific ski…