San Juan Mountain Guides

Avalanche Safety Backcountry/XC backpacking Ice Climbing Mountaineering Rock climbing Skiing/Snowboarding

Our Story

Who we are

San Juan Mountain Guides is dedicated to offering professional instruction and guiding that will contribute to a lifetime of safe and successful climbing. Our guides not only help you get to the top of your next big climb, they also share their methods and decision making processes so you can benefit from their years of experience. During our courses and climbs, we also seek to build and maintain friendships, and we pride ourselves on securing partnerships that last for many years. This educational approach and supportive atmosphere is the foundation of all our programs. Our school is based in Ouray, Colorado located in the heart of the San Juan Mountains. We offer both open registration courses and custom programs designed to fit individual goals. Custom programs allow us the flexibility to structure the curriculum to meet each person or self-organized group’s specific needs and objectives. Either way, your outdoor experience will be not only instructional, but also personalized and fun.”

Team Photo

If you’ve never rock climbed, only been in the gym a few times, or have yet to experience outdoor rock climbing, this course is a great way to learn the basics and receive a low stress introduction to outdoor rock climbing. In this course we focus on basic rock movement and fundamental climbing systems. We begin with friction climbing to develop your balance, and then incorporate both face and crack climbing techniques before progressing to more challenging climbs. You will learn standard climbing protocols under the guidance of AMGA Certified, experienced, and supportive instructors.

We consider rock climbing to be the foundation of mountaineering and alpine climbing. Gaining proficiency in rock climbing will aid in your ability to progress towards more challenging rock climbing objectives and venues, and will also help you to develop a well-rounded understanding of the basic safety principles and mechanisms that all climbers utilize – whether they are rock climbing, ice climbing, alpine climbing, or mountaineering.

Team video

Trekking the Continental Divide Trail (CDT) is truly one of America’s great wilderness adventures! Although much of the “official” continental divide trail actually walks beneath the ridges and highpoints of the actual divide, our experienced guides will navigate you safely along the very crest of the continent descending the beautiful ridgeline only to evade weather and for prime camp spots. This spectacular journey through one of the lower 48’s highest and remotest wildernesses will give our trekkers views of the east and west Rockies enjoyed by only a select few

No location Found

Start with step one

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Ut elit tellus, luctus nec ullamcorper mattis, pulvinar dapibus leo.

Highlights

Some Adventure Options

Introduction To Ice Climbing

Based in the renowned Ouray Ice Park, we offer North America’s most comprehensive and thorough 2 day Introduction to Ice Climbing Course in Ouray, CO. Our ice guides are the best in the business when it comes to instructing new climbers in the art of waterfall ice climbing. This is the program we recommend for first-time ice climbers. The course begins on low-angled terrain and ventures onto steeper terrain as climbers’ comfort levels increase. The guides enjoy teaching people how to climb, not just how to follow a guide all day. Climbing movement and technique, gear use, and decision-making are all taught and tailored to an individual’s pace.

Intro to Rock Climbing Course

If you’ve never rock climbed, only been in the gym a few times, or have yet to experience outdoor rock climbing, this course is a great way to learn the basics and receive a low stress introduction to outdoor rock climbing. In this course we focus on basic rock movement and fundamental climbing systems. We begin with friction climbing to develop your balance, and then incorporate both face and crack climbing techniques before progressing to more challenging climbs. You will learn standard climbing protocols under the guidance of AMGA Certified, experienced, and supportive instructors.

We consider rock climbing to be the foundation of mountaineering and alpine climbing. Gaining proficiency in rock climbing will aid in your ability to progress towards more challenging rock climbing objectives and venues, and will also help you to develop a well-rounded understanding of the basic safety principles and mechanisms that all climbers utilize – whether they are rock climbing, ice climbing, alpine climbing, or mountaineering.

Long’s Peak Ascents: The Diamond, Kiener’s, & more!