Alpine Ascents International

I’ve done two climbs and three classes with AAI and thoroughly enjoyed each experience. Yes, it’s expensive, but you get what you pay for. If you’re new to climbing like I was, don’t skimp on training— it’s reckless, for you and others on the mountain. They have skilled, experienced guides who are open and willing to assist you in achieving your mountaineering goals. Their 3-day DC climb is an efficient way up Rainier for beginners. Their 7-day basic course is great baseline for personal trips into the Cascades. Be prepared to exceed the fitness standards listed on the website. Altitude is humbling. AAI helped me, a guy from the lowest elevation state in the US, become a decent mountaineer.

Top tier professional and friendly guides (Keith and Sean). The full Alpine Ascents team and experience is seamless from start to finish. I highly recommend them for your outdoor climbing or mountaineering adventures. The price is an amazing value for what you get.

Loved our experience with Alpine Ascents! We did a 3 day Baker Climb in August 2024 and although the weather did not always cooperate we felt safe and in-the-loop the entire experience. Our guides - David, Matt, & Stephen - were incredibly knowledgable & helpful from start to finish. Also, the base camp that Alpine Ascents has on Baker is second to none - way above my expectations!

The training was absolutely top notch. The Dons took this native desert dweller who hasn't seen much snow in my entire life and turned me into a crampon wearing, crevasse rescuing, rope teaming junky in a few short days. If they can do it to me they can do it to anyone.

Great experience with excellent guides! I participated in a Mt. Baker climb in June 2024 with AAI - our guides were knowledgeable and experienced - I felt they made safe, conservative choices for our group and communicated those and their reasoning throughout the trip. But they were also so much fun! Loved being with Katie, Sammi, and Chris. Everything went seamlessly from gear check-in until the final debrief after lunch. We could not have had better weather for summiting or a team to summit with. My one note (not for them!) is to make sure you can descend at a similar rate to ascending. I struggled the most with going down hill pretty quickly and hadn't trained for that as much as I potentially could have.