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.
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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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Episode 22 with Dr. Monica Piris: Mount Everest’s Best Known Doctor
Monica Piris is an expedition doctor who has been working in the Himalaya since before Adrian started climbing there, by one expedition! Together, Monica and Adrian have completed dozens of expeditions, and Monica has established herself as one of the best known high altitude doctor’s on the planet.
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Climbing Aconcagua the Smart Way
Learn how pre-acclimatization, expert guides, and smart logistics makes South America’s highest peak more accessible—without cutting corners.
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Transitioning to 8,000 Meters on Cho Oyu
For climbers who have cut their teeth on peaks like Cotopaxi, Aconcagua, or Peak Lenin, the idea of stepping up to an 8,000-meter giant like Cho Oyu is both exciting and daunting. It’s the next logical step—but that doesn’t mean it’s an easy one. The jump from 6,000 or 7,000 meters to 8,000 meters isn’t just about altitude; it’s about a shift in mindset, preparation, and strategy.
Read the storyComparing Acclimatization Approaches in the Andes, Himalaya, and Pamirs: How Alpenglow Expeditions Tailors Its Programs for Success
When it comes to climbing high-altitude peaks around the world, how you acclimatize can make or break an expedition. The Andes, Himalaya, and Pamir ranges each present unique challenges based on altitude, terrain, and logistics — and acclimatizing properly to these environments requires an approach that fits the mountain, not a one-size-fits-all plan.
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