‘A GUIDE TO UNDERSTANDING THE UPCOMING AVALANCHE EDUCATION INDUSTRY COURSE ‘SPILT’ FOR RECREATIONAL AND PROFESSIONAL AVALANCHE TRAINING AND CERTIFICATIONS…’ CMS AIARE Flow Chart Over the past decade we have seen tremendous growth and demand in formal Avalanche Training Education and…
RAB Boreas Pull-On From Rocky Mountain National Park, to the North Cascades National Park, to Denali National Park and beyond the RAB Boreas Pull-On is my go to piece for a wide range of activities. As a mountain guide I…
CAMP HMS Compact Lock The carabiner market is flooded with many different styles, brands, colors and intended uses. So what makes a carabiner stand out in the hands of someone who has handled hundreds of different styles throughout their climbing…
CAMP Storm Helmet At Colorado Mountain School, we are big fans of CAMP/Cassin equipment. I’m going to take a bit of time in this review to first teach you something about the company. C.A.M.P. is an acronym, not just a…
Sterling Evolution Aero 9.2mm Rope There is quite an impressive selection of climbing ropes on the market. For a climber in Colorado, we require a long list of requirements for our ropes: to be able to perform well on rock,…
Flash Harness Back in 1997 I bought my first climbing harness. It was a used (broke student) CAMP harness that I purchased from a colleague and was their lightweight offering at the time, fixed leg loops and lots of padding….
La Sportiva Partners with Colorado Mountain School June 13, 2017 (BOULDER, Colo.) – La Sportiva, makers of the finest mountain products for over 80 years, has inked an agreement with Boulder-based Colorado Mountain School (CMS), to be the official footwear provider…
This is my third pair of Scarpa Women’s Gea RS. Again, I would emphasize that this is my “third” pair. You are correct to think that I must really like them. In each pair, I put in at least 150…
It is very warm here in Colorado right now; a time when ice season is usually upon us. It’s a good season to be patient and think about upgrading some gear for when things do freeze up, maybe even those…
Star Rating: 5/5 Aero Pros: Lightweight, no bottom frame, durable, adjustable nosepiece, Air Link temple dampening system Aero Cons: None Stunt Pros: Durable, protective lens, good fit Stunt Cons: None Are sunglasses a dime a dozen? For $20, you can…
In 1984 Fritz Barthell patented the original frameless (tech) binding. In the early 90’s Dynafit launched the Tourlite boot/binding combo revolutionizing the ski mountaineering industry and saving pounds off skiers’ feet. Over 30 years later, Dynafit still makes their bindings…
A guide must be precise when making decisions in the high country. Equipment choice is one of the first things on my mind when planning for a day of work. What type of terrain will I be in? How many…
Have you ever walked up a trail in the rain and wind? Working hard, you have your fancy waterproof jacket on to keep you dry, but it just seems like you are in a boil-in-the-bag meal, getting wetter from sweat…
The new Freedom RS ski boot is the new stiffer version of one of my favorites, the Freedom SL. This new addition to the Scarpa line stands out immediately as it is bright orange and you can’t miss it. Besides…
Back in the day when climbers were tying in around their waist and climbing in hobnail boots, their only protection was looping the rope around horns or chockstones wedged in cracks. This gave a British climber the idea of filling…
I’ve taken the Julbo Stunts on long alpine days in Rocky Mountain National Park and big rock climbing days in Red Rocks, Nevada. The frames have held up well as did the lenses through the falling ice and blowing sand…
Rock season is here in the Colorado Front Range, so time to get outta the gym and get back on your outdoor project! Rope choice can play a major role in success or failure. My choice for multi pitch rock…
Boasting some of the best alpine rock climbing in the United States, Rocky Mountain National Park is blessed with a lifetime worth of routes. Within this abundance of riches for the rock climber, including many classics lines and summits, the…
I’m often asked: what’s your favorite route in Rocky Mountain National Park? In all honesty I can usually say, “Whatever route I’m climbing today!” If you’ve done much climbing in Rocky, then you know there’s enough to keep you busy…
1. We know the snowpack in Rocky Mountain National Park better than anyone. We have spent all winter teaching Avalanche courses, skiing, and ice climbing in this year’s snowpack. Since the first snowfall in November, we have been monitoring, documenting,…
The Marmot Quasar hoody is 900 fill goose down with a lightweight pertex quantum shell material. It is super light and packable but due to the high fill down gives phenomenal warmth. I have worn this as a summer alpine…
IFMGA Guide Mike Soucy has given these skis a thorough testing this season: New for me this year is a sub-100mm waist ski that I’ve toured on all winter long and will continue to ski until June. Dynafit’s Denali is…
For me, skiing the high country of Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado requires having great eye protection due to the nature of the extreme elements that I travel and ski in. The Julbo Universe category 2-4 has become my go…
The Colorado Mountain School has available guides year-round for any and all objectives you can dream of that takes place in the Front Range. But just because there’s snow doesn’t necessarily mean rock climbing is out of the picture or…
It is an interesting question, and one that I have been asked more frequently by both clients and fellow guides. At first it was pretty simple. Do BCA Float Packs or any other air pack really work? The simple answer…
Left Book, Lumpy Ridge, Rocky Mountain National Park Lumpy Ridge has tons of amazing climbing areas for all sorts of climbing abilities, all within roughly one hour’s hiking distance from your car. There are stunning views all the way from…
Many an alpine climber has asked themselves the question, “To bail or not to bail?” There are many times when it’s appropriate to take a chance and press on through what may end up to be just a burp in…
Let’s start with the simplest and probably the most common system, single rope. As the name suggests you climb with a single rope clipping all your pieces of gear to the one rope. This is the system we normally use…
Two weekends ago, my friend Whitney and I set out on our first Alpine climbing adventure. Our journey to the summit of Spearhead was nothing short of magical. The Rocky Mountain gods were on our side and we knew that…
Culp-Bossier, III 5.8+, Hallett Peak, RMNP Hallett Peak rises abruptly above Emerald Lake in Rocky Mountain National Park. For decades, a large percentage of the climbers looking to tackle its North Buttress went straight to the Northcutt-Carter route, one of…
A year ago almost to the day, I wrote the <a href="http://coloradoms.wpengine.com/things-youve-always-wanted-to-know-about-climbing-guides-but-were-afraid-to-ask/" onclick="_gaq.push(['_trackEvent', 'outbound-article', 'http://coloradoms.wpengine original site.com/things-youve-always-wanted-to-know-about-climbing-guides-but-were-afraid-to-ask/’, ‘Part 1 installment of this post’]);” title=”THINGS YOU’VE ALWAYS WANTED TO KNOW ABOUT CLIMBING GUIDES…BUT WERE AFRAID TO ASK”>Part 1 installment of this…
Nowadays, it seems like every single outdoor sports company is coming up with their own variation to the time tested Black Diamond ATC Guide and Petzl Reverso. The Wild Country Pro Guide Lite belay device is just that. Luckily for…
The Marmot ROM Jacket is a versatile soft-shell jacket that is well-suited for spring and fall activities or summer alpine climbs. It’s the perfect layer for those cool temperatures that do not require a lot of insulation. ROM stands for…
The transition from the padded, temperate, climbing gym to the great outdoors can be a difficult process. I should know; it took me three years before I ever ventured beyond my favorite gym, and even then my motivations were largely…
The mission of the HERA Women’s Cancer Foundation is to stop the loss of women from ovarian cancer by promoting Health, Empowerment, Research, and Awareness. They do this in various ways but there signature event is the Climb 4 Life…
Senior Guide Eric Whewell reviews Marmot’s 900-fill down Quasar Hoody midroute on the Moonlight Buttress!
Backcountry Access will release their latest and largest Float airbag pack for the 2014-2015 winter season. This year, I have had the good fortune to be a beta-tester for the pre-production version. The Float 42 is designed specifically for…
The long awaited BCA Tracker 3 is finally out. To BCA’s credit they waited to release the new three antenna beacon until they had all the bugs worked out and the beacon could work at the same fast time as…
If you enjoy touring in the backcountry and want to charge downhill, the Scarpa Gea RS – women’s touring boots are for you. I have worn these for long days of touring as well as off piste skiing with long…
I have a bunch of days now on the latest version of the Dynafit TLT Radical FT12 binding. This alpine touring ski binding has proven to be the best performing binding for the backcountry that I’ve skied to date. Without…
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