Blog

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…

Via Ferrata has been around for a long time! Originating in Italy via ferrata quickly became a popular recreational activity. Today there are over 400 Via Ferratas in Italy alone with thousands more around the world. Most of these via’s use the traditional via ferrata set for anchoring the climber to the cable. This lanyard set consists of a shock absorber and two tethers with carabiners on the end. The climber is able to clip and unclip the carabiners from the cable to pass cable anchor point. While there is the redundancy of having two carabiners the potential exists…

Written by Emily O’Dean, Women’s Ecuador Expedition member

“Oh, should I have given you a hug up there?” the trip leader asked as I cried into the arms of man who had hiked up to meet us from base camp as we hiked down from high camp. The three of us stood in the middle of a snow-covered talus field at 17,000 feet of altitude in Bolivia. I gasped for more oxygen between my sobs.

Over the past few days, I had made a quick ascent from 12,000 foot trailhead to the 18,000 foot base camp with four of the…

Written by Matthew Beals

Behind every #influencer summit selfie, there’s a journey filled with thoughtful moments assessing risks and hazards, steep leg-and-lung-crushing approaches, and occasionally, some unforeseen challenges. We find ourselves at the receiving end of one of the hard lessons the mountains teach us: sometimes things don’t work out the way we envisioned. “Everybody has a plan until they get punched in the mouth,” to quote the great Mr. Tyson.

As we face another unprecedented California fire season, there is a tangible feeling of loss for the homes and forests in the path of the fire, and on a…

Written by Isaac Laredo

Friends don’t let friends teach each other how to backcountry ski because it’s an environment that can be unforgiving to the school of Knox style. We believe formal education is essential to build a responsible and safer backcountry community. One of our AMGA-trained guides is eager to teach you the necessary skills to prepare, plan, and execute a backcountry tour. These skills are taught in our Backcountry Series Courses and will set you up for memorable days in the backcountry while managing risk.

The Backcountry Series includes 3 courses Backcountry 1.0, Backcountry 2.0, and…

Written by Mike Pond and Amy Olson;   High Sierra photos by Lorenzo Riano

Have you been bitten with the climbing bug? Whether you recently discovered climbing and are intrigued by the greater world where climbing can take you, or you’re an experienced climber looking to go higher, harder, and faster – we can take you there. Our knowledgeable and passionate guides can show you the ropes. After all, most of us started climbing in the gym!…

Written by Mike Pond, Photos by Lorenzo Riano

40 hours, 20 miles, 13,804 feet of elevation gain, Five 14ers, one epic adventure

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Looking for an opportunity in the outdoor industry?

Alpenglow Expeditions is looking to expand its office team this summer 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 Tahoe Via Ferrata or discussing climbing at Lover’s Leap, 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’ passion for…

Words by Alpenglow CEO & Founder, Adrian Ballinger

Alpenglow has confidence that Tibet will open for our Everest North Side 2022 expedition next April. We’re having good communications with our local partners in Tibet and they’re hopeful that they will begin normal tourism by the end of 2021, which should set us up well for Everest expeditions in the spring of 2022, a few months after Tibet has re-opened. They’ve been working with us to consider different potential requirements like vaccinations and COVID testing. Tibet and CTMA (Chinese Tibetan Mountaineering Association)…