Expedition Calendar
The Alpenglow Expeditions Expedition Calendar lists all 2026/2027 guided mountaineering departure dates across 30+ peaks on 7 continents. Programs range from 9-day introductory climbs — including Ecuador Climbing School, Kilimanjaro, and Everest Base Camp Trek — to 35-day advanced 8,000m ascents on Everest, Makalu, and Cho Oyu. All expeditions are directed by Adrian Ballinger and Logan Talbott, AMGA/IFMGA-certified mountain guides, and operated using the proprietary Rapid Ascent™ acclimatization methodology.
Spring Himalayan season and Aconcagua departures typically sell out 12 months in advance. If you have a target peak and a target year, now is the time to secure your spot. Browse by departure month below, or get in touch with our international team to discuss the right expedition for your experience level and goals.
Questions? – Get In Touch With Our International Team.
February: Start the Year on Summit Ground
February marks the beginning of Alpenglow’s South American season, with the Ecuador Climbing School welcoming its first cohort of the year onto the high volcanoes of the Andes. It’s an ideal entry point for climbers building toward bigger objectives later in 2026 — and a reminder that summit season never really stops.
- 0.180653° S, 78.467834° W
Northern Hemisphere Winter Season Opens
April: The Biggest Mountains on Earth Are Open
April is the heart of the spring Himalayan window. This month sees departures for Mount Everest via the North Side Tibet route, Makalu, the world’s fifth highest peak and the Lhakpa Ri Rapid Ascent™, one of the most efficient ways to experience 7,000m climbing. The Everest Base Camp Trek also departs in early April for those beginning their Himalayan journey at ground level.
- 30.5723° N, 104.0665° E
- 0.180653° S, 78.467834° W
- 27.7172° N, 85.3240° E
Spring Himalayan Season
May: Build Your High-Altitude Base Before Summer
May keeps the South American season rolling, with the Ecuador Climbing School offering one of the last spring departure windows before northern hemisphere summer schedules take over. Reaching summits like Cayambe and Cotopaxi at 5,000–6,000m in May is the ideal physical and technical foundation for anyone with a bigger objective on the horizon.
High Altitude Foundations
June: Africa, the Andes, and the Roof of the World
June is one of the busiest departure months of the year. Climbers heading to Africa depart for Kilimanjaro, while Peru hosts back-to-back expeditions including the Peru Climbing School, the Alpamayo and Quitaraju technical route in the Cordillera Blanca, and the Cordillera Huayhuash Trek, one of the finest alpine treks on the planet. The Cotopaxi Rapid Ascent™ also runs mid-month for climbers targeting their first high-altitude summit.
- 0.180653° S, 78.467834° W
Peak International Season Begins
July: Central Asia and the Andes at Their Best
July opens the Central Asian season with the Peak Lenin Rapid Ascent™ departing into the Pamir Mountains of Kyrgyzstan, an 18-day route on a 7,134m peak that rivals the Himalayan experience at a fraction of the complexity. In South America, the Mountains of Bolivia expedition offers a rare multi-peak itinerary across some of the continent’s highest and least-traveled terrain.
- 39.34° N, 72.88° E
Summer Altitude Season
August: Snow in South America, Summits in Ecuador
August flips the calendar south. The Patagonia Backcountry Ski Expedition heads into the Cerro Castillo region of Chile for eight days of remote ski mountaineering in the southern winter, some of the most dramatic terrain Alpenglow guides anywhere in the world. The Women’s Ecuador Climbing School also opens in August, offering a 9 or 16-day program built specifically around the female athlete’s expedition experience.
Southern Hemisphere Ski Season
September: Tibet Opens and Chile’s Volcanoes Come Into Condition
The autumn Himalayan season begins in September with Cho Oyu, the world’s sixth highest peak, departing on its 29-day Rapid Ascent™ expedition from Tibet. In South America, the Volcanoes of Chile Ski Expedition launches for nine days of ski mountaineering on peaks reaching above 6,000m, some of the best high-altitude skiing accessible to intermediate mountaineers anywhere in the world.
- 28.099722°N , 86.66°E
Autumn Himalayan and Andean Season
October: Ama Dablam and the Post-Monsoon Window
October’s stable post-monsoon weather makes it one of the most coveted windows for technical climbing in Nepal. Alpenglow’s Ama Dablam Rapid Ascent™ departs mid-month for a 16-day ascent of one of the most beautiful and technically demanding peaks in the Himalaya. The Everest Base Camp Trek is also offered this month for trekkers wanting autumn color and uncrowded trails on the approach to Khumbu.
Autumn Nepal Season
November: Ring of Fire Season and Year-End Ecuador Departures
November brings one of the most adventurous itineraries in the calendar: the Ecuador Ring of Fire Ski Expedition, a 9–16 day ski mountaineering traverse across Ecuador’s chain of active volcanoes. Ecuador Climbing School departures also continue this month, keeping the high Andean season open well into the southern hemisphere spring. Cotopaxi is in prime condition for summit attempts throughout November.
- 0.180653° S, 78.467834° W
South American and Ecuador Season
December: End the Year at Altitude. Start the Next One Higher.
December launches the most anticipated season of the year. Aconcagua, the highest peak in the Western Hemisphere at 6,961m, begins its season with a late December departure, setting climbers up for a summit attempt in the optimal January window. The Volcanoes of Mexico expedition also departs mid-month, offering a 9-day introduction to high-altitude mountaineering across Iztaccíhuatl and Pico de Orizaba.
- 32.653179° S, 70.010868° W
Southern Hemisphere Summer — Aconcagua Season Opens
Expedition FAQs
Planning a guided mountaineering expedition is a big decision. Here are answers to the questions we hear most often from climbers at every level, from first-timers eyeing their first 6,000m peak to experienced alpinists ready to step onto an 8,000m summit.
