The Alpenglow Expeditions Strava Club
Train with the Community Behind the World’s Most Experienced Mountain Guides
The Alpenglow Strava Club is where our athletes, guides, and everyday mountain people come together. It’s a place to track your progress, stay consistent, and train alongside the same guides and climbers who shape our programs around the world. Whether you’re prepping for your first backcountry tour, building fitness for Aconcagua, or tuning up for an 8,000-meter season, this is the hub that keeps the entire Alpenglow community moving.
Cotopaxi Rapid Ascent 1-Day Vert Challenge
While our team takes on the Cotopaxi Rapid Ascent in February, we’re inviting the Strava club to climb the vertical gain of Cotopaxi in a single push. This challenge will run from February 1 – 28, 2026.
From the trailhead to the summit is a vertical climb of just over 4,000 feet. That’s the benchmark for this challenge.
Over the course of the challenge window, your goal is simple: climb 4,000 feet in any single push, however you wish. Hike it, climb it, ski it, jump on the stairmaster. Whatever works best for you, record your push and submit your entry HERE. Anyone who completes the challenge will be sent a gift card for $250 off the Ecuador and Peru Climbing Schools.
We’re heading to Ecuador! Check out the map and follow along with our trip.
Winter
Starting the year with momentum, the Japan Backcountry Ski delivers deep snow and and some of the most exciting skiing on the planet. The Cotopaxi Rapid Ascent is the epitome of our accelerated expeditions, delivering a big mountain summit inside of just 5 days. In Argentina, Aconcagua tests the engine above 22,000 feet for those looking to push higher.
Spring
Spring is where winter’s preparation turns into performance. April’s Ecuador Climbing School builds the foundation, Everest Base Camp keeps the door open to everyone who wants to get into the mountains, even with friends and family. Then, in Tibet, Everest North Side and Lhakpa Ri run concurrently in the center of the mountain universe.
Summer
Summer stretches the range. Technical alpine routes in Peru, high-altitude circuits in Bolivia, Kilimanjaro and Cotopaxi make an appearance, and Peak Lenin as a 7,000-meter progression goal. Long days, big terrain, and the kind of volume that changes what you believe you’re capable of.
Late Summer / Fall
As the Northern Hemisphere winds down, the calendar accelerates. Patagonia and Chile ski expeditions deliver early Southern Hemisphere ski mountaineering, Cho Oyu opens the 8,000-meter fall window. Carstensz Pyramid travels to the far corner of the earth for technical rock climbing, whereas Ama Dablam brings steep, technical snow and ice climbing in the heart of the Himalaya. Ecuador’s Ring of Fire Ski caps it off with high-altitude turns on equatorial volcanoes, before we return to Aconcagua to start it all over again.
Trips We’re Training For
- 0.180653° S, 78.467834° W
- 32.653179° S, 70.010868° W
- 30.5723° N, 104.0665° E
What’s Going on at Alpenglow?
“Give Yourself the Time”: Graduating from Trekking to Climbing with Topo Mena
While ‘walking’ may sound trivial, a number of big mountains involve a lot of walking, albeit in extreme places. To talk about the journey, we connected with IFMGA-certified Alpenglow guide Esteban ‘Topo’ Mena about graduating from trekking to climbing. For beginners, he had this advice to offer: “At first, it’s important to give yourself the time to walk in the mountains and appreciate the land and the opportunity to just be there.”Read the story
“The Best Snow in the World”: Ski Japan with Isaac Laredo
“There’s a common myth that Utah boasts the best snow in the world. I don’t think those people have been to Japan.” Alpenglow’s AMGA-certified Ski Guide Isaac Laredo thinks that Japan might just offer the best comprehensive skiing experience in the world. So, we connected with him to chat about his time spent in Hokkaido, home to Alpenglow’s newest expedition, the Japan Backcountry Ski.Read the story
3 Business Lessons I Learned While Summiting Mt. Everest Without Supplemental Oxygen
Adrian Ballinger reflects on lessons from the mountain that can apply to most anyone that’s trying to reach a business goal.Read the story
A Beginner’s Guide To Climbing Mount Shasta
Alpenglow Expeditions’ Guides answer all of your questions about climbing Mount Shasta. Join a Shasta trip to learn mountaineering with us!Read the story
Age Is Just A Number: Training for Everest Base Camp at 68
In February 2023, Robert Kyte of Alpenglow asked his dad, who turned 68 in 2023, to trek to Everest Base Camp in March 2024. With the help of Lynette Talbott of Billy Goat Swift, Alpenglow’s in-house expedition trainer, and many months of hard work and dedication, John Kyte trekked to Everest Base Camp in March 2024.Read the story
California climbers train for Mt. Everest from the comfort of their own beds
Ballinger is also pioneering a technique he calls “rapid ascent,” which cuts the duration of the expedition roughly in half: from about two months to about one. That suits his clients, who usually have more spare money than time. And it buys Ballinger more time to spend at home with his wife and newborn son.Read the story
Carstensz Pyramid: The Seven Summits Climb That’s Actually About Climbing
When people think about the Seven Summits — the highest peaks on each continent — they usually picture snow, ice, and high-altitude suffering. But tucked away in the remote jungles of Papua, Indonesia, Carstensz Pyramid breaks that mold.Read the story
Climbing Aconcagua: Changes Adrian Ballinger Has Seen Over the Years
Alpenglow owner and founder Adrian Ballinger started guiding and climbing Aconcagua in the late 1990s, around the same time that high-altitude mountaineering saw a massive surge in popularity around the world. However, regulations, ethics, and best practices in the mountaineering world failed to keep pace with the growth of the sport.Read the story