Blog

Written by Robert Kyte

In just five seasons, the Tahoe Via Ferrata has become a staple on the list of must-do summer activities in the Lake Tahoe area. We’re proud to share that we’ve had another momentous season of climbing on the beloved Tram Face here at Palisades Tahoe! (And it’s not over yet — the Via season will extend into the fall). Nonetheless, we’re here to revel in the stoke and share some of our favorite moments from the Summer ‘22 season on the Tahoe Via Ferrata:

This year, we had the pleasure…

Written by Robert Kyte

We are so excited to announce our return to the famed 360° Route for the 2022 climbing season!

There exists a multitude of reasons why Aconcagua should sit high on any mountaineer’s to-do list. At 6962 meters (22,837 ft.), Aconcagua is the tallest summit in South America and thus one of the storied Seven Summits, making it the perfect jumping-off point for anyone with Himalayan aspirations. Additionally, the 360° Route offers non-technical climbing all the way to the summit: consisting almost entirely of dirt and the occasional seasonal snowfield,…

Words by Alpenglow Guide Sam Kieckhefer

“For anyone who has spent time in the US’s Pacific Northwest, you’re familiar with the southern Cascades volcanoes. Maybe you’ve driven along I-5 and stared up at Mt Shasta towering above, or enjoyed a rooftop cocktail in Portland, OR, peering east at Mt Hood. Wherever you’ve seen them, they’re simply stunning. Across the equator, about 6500 miles south, sits an equally as magical series of volcanos in Chile’s Lake District, with small cities and little towns dotting the region, all along, ironically, the Ruta 5 Sur highway. First, rewind to the start.…

Written by Mike Pond, Alpenglow Guide 

Every now and then, everything lines up. For all the trips where you get bad weather, illness strikes, you encounter difficult mountain conditions, or face any number of other challenges — sometimes it all lines up and the trip goes without much of a hitch. Denali 2022 was one of those times.

Typical Denali trips (including my previous six) run about 20 days, though only about 14 are assigned a task. The remaining days are allotted to waiting out brutal weather and resting from the altitude and workload. On this trip, we were…

Written by Tiffany Pearson

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…

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 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…