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Alpine Climbing - Private Guiding

Private alpine guiding is available either as 1 day ascents, multiday ascents, or as road trips of any length where multiple routes will be done.

Some of the best routes in the Rockies are described below along with information about difficulty and required experience. This is just a sample list, just about any peak is available for guided ascents.

More information About COE Guides.

Mt. Temple - S.W. Ridge Height: 3543 meters Difficulty: Beginner, Grade I, 8-14 hours. Season: Early June to early October. Prerequisites: Good level of hiking fitness Guide to Guest Ratio: Max 1:6 Route: Towering above Lake Louise, Mt. Temple provides a long scramble to the most accessible of all the 11000ft summits in the Rockies. A great way to get way up high in the Lake Louise area.

Mt. Athabasca - North Glacier Height: 3491 meters Difficulty:Beginner, Grade II, glacier travel, 8-14 hours. Season: All year depending on conditions. Prerequisites: At least 1 day of glacier travel training. Can be combined in a weekend with the climb of Athabasca. Guide to Guest Ratio: Max 1:4 Route: An elegant route winding it's way up the heavily glaciated North side of Mt. Athabasca. A perfect first glacier climb. Also See: Alpine Road Trip #3 for a scheduled program involving an ascent of Athabasca.

Mt. Edith Cavell - East Ridge Height: 3363 meters Difficulty:Intermediate, Grade III 5.3, 12-18 hours. Season: June to late September. Prerequisites: Good level of fitness, some rock climbing experience, at least 1 previous summit. Guide to Guest Ratio: Max 1:2 Route: The route follows ascends the left hand skyline over moderate quartzite rock and snow features. It is perhaps the best route in the Jasper area.

Mt. Abraham - Shoulder Route Height: 2800m Difficulty: Intermediate/Advanced, Grade III 5.8, 12-18 hours. Season: May to October. Prerequisites: Good fitness and must be able to follow 5.8 rock pitches with a light pack. Guide to Guest Ratio: Max 1:2 Route: A little known gem in the front ranges near Nordegg. This climb is one of the best alpine rock routes in the Rockies and has without a doubt the shortest walk to the base. In fact, the route starts right from the road and follows an exposed ridge with 10 pitches of climbing to the summit.

Mt. Athabasca - North Face Height: 3491 meters Difficulty: Intermediate/Advanced, Grade III 5.4 , ice to 55 degrees, 10-18 hours Season: All year depending on conditions, early summer and fall are usually best. Prerequisites: Glacier travel skills, some water ice or alpine ice climbing experience. Guide to Guest Ratio: Max 1:2 Route: The classic North Face ice route. Located in plain view of the highway, this superb route draws climbers from all over the world. After ascending the main ice face for a number of ropelengths, a short mixed crux leads to the upper snow slopes.

Mt. Temple - East Ridge Height: 3543 Difficulty: Advanced, Grade IV 5.7, 14-20 hours. Season: July to late September. Prerequisites: Either extensive previous mountaineering experience or at least one previous outing with a COE guide. Guide to Guest Ratio: Max 1:1 Route: The East Ridge of Temple is one of North America's all time classic alpine routes. It involves tricky climbing on excellent quartzite, extensive scrambling on high quality rock, and a photofinish across the final glaciated ridge.

Other Great Alpine Routes The Rockies have hundreds of excellent alpine routes. Talk to one of our guides to find a route that matches your ambitions and skill level. Some of the best routes include: Nordegg Area Mt. Elliot - NE Ridge (III 5.6) (Picture) Excoelis - Traverse (II 5.4) (Picture) Jasper Area Hawk Mountain (I 4th class) Morro Peak - West Face (II 5.7) Icefields Parkway Mt. Andromeda - North Face (III, 55 degree ice) (Picture) Mt. Andromeda - Skyladder (II, 35 degree ice) (Picture) A2 - South Ridge (II, moderate ice, snow and rock) (Picture) Mt. Sarbach - North Ridge (II, 4th class rock) (Picture) Lake Louise Area Mt. Victoria - Various Routes (III, ice) Mt. Wiwaxy - Grassi Ridge (II, 5.7) (Picture) Mt. Bell - East Ridge (II 5.4) Banff Area Castle Mountain - Eisenhower Tower (II 5.4) (Picture) Castle Mountain - Brewer's Buttress (II 5.6) Mt. Louis - Kain Route (III 5.7)

Multiday Rockies Expeditions Check out Rockies Expeditions for info on: Mt. Robson Mt. Cline Mt. Victoria Mt. Assiniboine And more...

Season Alpine guiding is available year round. The summer season generally starts in May and extends into early October. Please call to arrange your guided trip.

Cost For 1 Day 1 guest: $400/day 2 guests: $465/day 3 or more Days 1 guest: $350/day 2 guests: $400/day An additional $100/day fee is added for more serious routes graded IV and above. This is to cover the extra preparation, risk, and rest time for your guide.

Registration Give us a call to discuss routes, dates and logistics.