MOUNTAINEERING TRIPS
Mountaineering Trips
Join us on a 4 to 12-day trip to various areas in North America, such
as:
• Katahdin, ME
• Mt Washington and the Presidential Range, NH
• The Adirondacks, NY
• The Catskills, NY
• The North Cascades, WA
• Mexico
During these trips we’ll see the sights, review and demonstrate
new skills and techniques, and climb on rock, snow, and/or glaciated peaks.
Each trip has a lot of variables, so please call or write for more information
on content, rates, equipment, etc.
Upcoming Trips:
North Cascades National Park, WA
July 26 - August 1, 2008
This trip will focus on summiting some of the classic peaks in the Boston Basin area and Mt Shuksan as well.
We have obtained one of the limited camping permits for both locations during this time and plan to head to Boston Basin first, then to Mt Shuskan.
Option for trip objectives are:
• Forbidden Peak - via the reknown West Ridge, the East Ridge, the North
Ridge, or South Face
• Sahale Peak - via Queen Sabe Glacier
• Sharkfin Tower - via South-East Ridge, or South-East Face
• Mt Buckner - via North Face, or North Face Couloir
• Mt Shuskan - via the Sulphide Galcier, Fischer Chimneys, or North Face
Route choices are dependant on the experience levels of the participants. There are options for all ability levels. We will do a one-day glacier skills and crevasse rescue training day on the glaciers as well as a pre-trip meeting and training day before we leave.
We only offer the trips with a low climber:guide ratio of no more than two climber per guide, or a private (1:1). This low ratio allows us to move quickly through the terrain and give you the option of climbing onjectives that are more involved.
A sample itinerary would be:
7/25 Arrive in Seattle - meet and review gear, questions etc.
7/26 Drive to N Cascades, Hike into Boston Basin
7/27 Glacier Skills Review
7/28 Ascend Sahale Peak,Sharkfin Tower, or Forbidden Peak, etc
7/29 Hike out, drive to Shuksan
7/30 Hike into Shuksan
7/31 Climb Shuksan
8/1 Hike out, drive to Seattle
8/2 Depart
To see photos from our previous Cscades trips, please view our Cascades page.
Forbidden Peak and the Boston Basin
The 5.6 crux of the West Ridge, Forbidden Peak
Mount Shuksan
The final few moves on the ridge to the summit, Mt Shuksan.
Mount Baker is in view in the background.
Mount Rainier National Park, WA
August 3-7, 2008
We are excited to have been awarded a special use permit for Mount Rainier!
Our goal is to summit Mt Rainer via the Emmons Glacier. The trip will be open to a total of three
guests and provide one to two guides.
The Emmons glacier is a longer, more physical route than the popular regular route up to the summit. It involves detailed naviagtions up the huge glacier pasing deep crevasses along the way. It is an excellent route and provides climbers with a great mountaineering experience.
A sample itinerary would be:
8/2 Arrive in Seattle - meet and review gear, questions etc.
8/3 Drive to Mount Rainier N.P. Hike into Glacier Basin Campsite
8/4 Climb up to Emmons Flats
8/5 Glacier skills review, camp at Emmons Flats
8/6 Summit attempt in early morning
8/7 Second summit attempt if needed, Hike out, drive to Seattle
8/8 Depart
Trip is open for all ability levels. We will do a one-day glacier skills and crevasse rescue training day on the glaciers as well as a pre-trip meeting and training day before we leave.
Please contact us with more questions.
Presidential Traverse, White Mountains, NH
December 7-10, 2007
January 31- February 3, 2008
March 4-7, 2008
The Presidential Traverse is one of the most challenging and fun winter
mountaineering trips on the east coast. Many use this as training for
trips to Alaska and the polar regions; the weather can be fierce up there!
There are three White Mountain Presidential Traverses scheduled as of
now. They can be booked privately if you like, or if several people are
interested in the same dates the price will come down for everyone signed
up for that trip.
Andes Mountains, Ecuador
December 28-January 8, 2008
Here is an itinerary* for our 12 day trip.
Day 1: Arrive in Quito (9000ft/2800m) Ecuador’s capital city, head
to the hotel
Day 2: Head out for a hike/tour of the town and pick up and last minute
supplies. Sort and pack gear, get ready for the mtns. This is a good day
for acclimatizing.
Day 3 : Head to Pasochoa and hike up to the rock wall at 3,800M (12,464ft) and back. Pasachoa is one of the few places you can still see condors. Spend the night at a local hotel.
Day 4: Climb Guagua Pichinchia - 4300 M - a once active volcanoe. In 1999 it erupted a few times and covered Quito in ash. If it is clear, we'll be able to see down into the crater at the new formations.
Day 5: Head to Illiniza, spend the night in the refugio.
Day 6: Climb Illiniza Norte or Sur, return to camp, pack up and head toward Cotopaxi National
Park. Staying at a nearby hotel to clean up, repack and rest.
Day 7: Pack up and head up to the Jose Ribas Refugio (4800m / 15,750 ft)
to stay for the night.
Day 8: Review glacier skills and crevasse rescue on the
glacier during the day, eat early and get to bed for a summit attempt in the early hours of the next day.
Day 9: Get up at around 12am, eat, and head out at about 1am. We will
head up to the glacier. Once on the glacier, the normal route heads up
right for a couple of hundred meters and then goes mostly straight up
aiming for the right side of the rock wall known as Yanasacha (the Eye).
We ascend up right of Yanasacha and reach the summit of Cotopaxi (19,347ft
/5,897m).
Return to the refugio, pack up and head back to Quito.
Day 10: Head to Otovalo and shop the Indian Market for gifts for family
and friends. Visit the equator in Cayambe on the way back to Quito.
Day 11: An alternate bad weather day for Cotopaxi, or if we summit as planned a day to visit old town in Quito and explore the churches, art, etc.
Day 12: Depart to fly home - or stay for the "additional days" option.
Additional possibilities: stay a few extra days and continue climbing the Volcanoes.
Day 12: Head to Cayambe, pack in and camp around 15,000.
Day 13: Climb Cayambe (18,996ft/5790m). Ecuador’s third highest
peak, and the highest point on the earth’s surface through which
the equator directly passes. The climb consists of moderate to heavily crevassed glaciated slopes to
the summit.
Day 14: A back up day for Cayambe. If we summit as scheduled, we
can use this day to visit the hot springs, and/or tour around Quito.
Day 15: Head to Chimborazo and spend the night in the refugio.
Day 16: Climb Chimborazo
Day 17: return to Quito
Day 18: Fly home
Rate $2650 per person based on double occupancy for the 12 day trip.
Trip includes all lodging, mountain meals, park fees, transportation in
Ecuador, guide fees.
Trip does not include transportation/airfare to and from Quito, meals
and drinks while in towns, taxes, visa fees, or gratuities..
As for experience, you should have experience backpacking and camping,
have climbed (rock or ice) a few times to know how to use the equipment
and be able to belay and rappel, and have little to no glacier experience.
We will cover the glacier skills there, plus I like to get out a day or
two locally before we leave (providing you leave in the North East). If
you have glacier skills already – great!
*We may have to adjust
the trip accordingly to suit weather, climbing conditions, volcanic activity, etc with other
peaks and/or locations while in Ecuador.
Summit News:
On April 10, 2006 at 2pm, Alpine Endeavors was successful on the attempt to climb Carstensz Pyramid, the highest peak in Papua (West New Guinea). Carstensz Pyramid is also know as Puncak Jaya and has an elevation of 16,223 ft. It is one of the seven summits, and has been closed since 2002, only being reopened this year.
We are currently planning a trip there for 2007, limited to 4 guests.
If you have been thinking about climbing Cartstensz, please give us a
call for more info.
View some personal photos from a few trips to the Bugaboos
