Stories: Rapid Ascent
Mountain adventures create the best stories, and we want to share some of ours with you. Dive into Alpenglow Stories to stay up to date on expeditions in the field, read blogs, and get tips and tricks from guides.
Lhakpa Ri: Your First Step Into the Himalaya
For anyone who’s thought about climbing Everest someday, the north side of Tibet holds a lot of curiosity. The road to base camp, the feel of the mountain, the exposure to altitude — it’s all part of the Everest experience. But there’s another peak, standing right next door, that gives you that same exposure without the full Everest commitment: Lhakpa Ri.
Read the story
Why Our Aconcagua Rapid Ascent Costs More
If you’ve been looking at Aconcagua expeditions lately, you’ve probably noticed prices across the board are higher than they used to be. Ours included. For 2025/2026, our Rapid Ascent of Aconcagua is priced at $16,450. Here’s a transparent look at why — and what you get for that investment.
Read the story
Climbing Everest with Us: What Sets Our Expeditions Apart
Our Everest approach is built on decades of experience guiding in the Himalaya and on a commitment to making every step safer, healthier, and more rewarding. Here’s how we do it differently.
Read the story
Cotopaxi Rapid Ascent™ – High Altitude in Just Five Days
Thanks to our Rapid Ascent™ system, climbers can attempt Cotopaxi in just five days—making it possible to step into big-mountain terrain without taking weeks away from home.
Read the story
Why It Matters to Have an IFMGA-Certified Guide on Aconcagua
Climbing Aconcagua—at 6,962 meters (22,841 feet)—isn’t just about physical strength. It’s about making the right calls in a high-consequence environment where weather, terrain, and altitude can change the game in a matter of hours. The guide you choose directly impacts your safety, your efficiency, and your experience.
That’s where an IFMGA-certified guide makes all the difference.
Read the story
Everest North Side 2025: A Season of Patience, Precision, and Perfect Timing
This spring, our Alpenglow Expeditions team returned to the North Side of Mount Everest with a small crew and a big plan. After months of preparation, pre-acclimatization, and weather watching, our Everest expedition 2025 culminated in an incredibly rare summit day—blue skies, no wind, and a quiet mountain.
Read the story
Climb Cho Oyu Before Climbing Everest
When it comes to climbing Everest, experience matters. Not just general mountain experience, but specific, targeted exposure to what it actually feels like to live and perform above 7,000 meters. That’s why Adrian Ballinger—founder of Alpenglow Expeditions and veteran of 14 Everest seasons—encourages nearly every aspiring Everest climber to summit an 8,000-meter peak first.
Read the story
Peak Lenin vs. Aconcagua
We guide both Aconcagua and Peak Lenin, and while they’re similar in height—Aconcagua at 6,962m (22,841’) and Lenin at 7,134m (23,406’)—the experience on each mountain couldn’t be more different. Both trips use our Rapid Ascent approach, which means you show up pre-acclimatized and we move efficiently through the mountain. But what those days look like, how technical the terrain is, and what you’re training for down the line—all of that changes depending on where you go.
Read the storyHow to Climb Mt. Everest
Climbing Everest doesn’t start in the Himalaya. It starts with basic skills, local mountains, and building experience one step at a time. If you’re asking how to climb Everest the right way — safely, successfully, and confidently — this is the path we recommend.
Read the story