Any Mountaineering people out there?

[Nickofthewoods]

Having worked in several outdoor industries in my life, I worked and am friends with several AMGA mountaineering, ski, and climbing guides. They are on another level as far as physical shape, mentality, and dedication. Even the most experienced and seasoned guides struggle for work a lot of the time. Almost all have multiple side jobs and spouses with good careers to help keep the dream alive. They work as snowmakers and ski patrollers at ski areas, fondue-snowshoe tour guides, bartenders in mountain towns etc. until they get the gigs they really want. The amount of experience and certifications is insane given the competition for the limited work available in that arena. You'll never get rich doing it, and your always one major accident or injury from walking away (hopefully) altogether. If it's your one and only dream go for it by all means, but otherwise their are safer more lucrative lines of outdoor industry jobs.

 

[thinhorn_AK]

Did you summit Pico on a day when you could see both the pacific and the atlantic? We climbed Izzta… however the hell you spell it, too. I believe it’s off limits these days due to volcanic activity.

Funny, I was in Mexico over Y2K and my mom was freaking out that I would be stranded there as the world collapsed.

Denali was on my hot list back in the day. I did Rainer with 2 guys as a test run, but it never materialized. My interest in it has been rekindled as of late as a snowboard attempt, but I have not skied a glaciated peak before so I would have to work up to that. My pursuit of snowboard mountaineering seems to be steadily growing, so, who knows, all of that experience may come back into play.

It was a clear day but I don’t remember if we could see both oceans. We didn’t get to climb iizzta because it was erupting at the time, we could definetly see that from the summit. We climbed la malinche which if I remember is a 14 thousand foot peak.

At one point there was a technical ice route on orizaba but I doubt it’s there any longer.

 

[Poser]

It was a clear day but I don’t remember if we could see both oceans. We didn’t get to climb iizzta because it was erupting at the time, we could definetly see that from the summit. We climbed la malinche which if I remember is a 14 thousand foot peak.

At one point there was a technical ice route on orizaba but I doubt it’s there any longer.

There is a pretty steep chute more on the east face. Not sure if it was the same route but there was a Russian group who died a few days before we summited -can’t recall the details but it was several of them and the entire rope team tumbled down the mountain, unable to arrest their fall. I think they must have been on that steeper face because it’s hard to imagine falling far enough to die on the main route.

 

[thinhorn_AK]

There is a pretty steep chute more on the east face. Not sure if it was the same route but there was a Russian group who died a few days before we summited -can’t recall the details but it was several of them and the entire rope team tumbled down the mountain, unable to arrest their fall. I think they must have been on that steeper face because it’s hard to imagine falling far enough to die on the main route.

It would be tough to die on the main route, I slid down it with a garbage bag...

 

[zion zig zag]

Having worked in several outdoor industries in my life, I worked and am friends with several AMGA mountaineering, ski, and climbing guides. They are on another level as far as physical shape, mentality, and dedication. Even the most experienced and seasoned guides struggle for work a lot of the time. Almost all have multiple side jobs and spouses with good careers to help keep the dream alive. They work as snowmakers and ski patrollers at ski areas, fondue-snowshoe tour guides, bartenders in mountain towns etc. until they get the gigs they really want. The amount of experience and certifications is insane given the competition for the limited work available in that arena. You'll never get rich doing it, and your always one major accident or injury from walking away (hopefully) altogether. If it's your one and only dream go for it by all means, but otherwise their are safer more lucrative lines of outdoor industry jobs.

I‘ve heard that the time and money required to get full IFMGA credentials is the equal to getting a masters degree.

 

[zion zig zag]

On another trip we were "peak bagging" (~~IV 5.10 a2) in Wyoming and the scariest thing we had to do all week was walk through the middle of a herd of moose blocking the trail on the hike out.

I always said that the mental crux of any Teton peak was the predawn approach to the Route. Lots of noises along the trail in the dark and some sound big.

 

[Nickofthewoods]

I‘ve heard that the time and money required to get full IFMGA credentials is the equal to getting a masters degree.

I would believe that. The amount of time and effort that goes into those certifications is unreal.

 

[Hoodie]

Hood is my back yard (hence the name).

I'd echo what others said about Cascade volcanoes being the place to start, but there's easier options than Rainier or Hood out of the gate.

I'd look at St. Helens or Adams for an easy first time trip. No glacier travel, no front-pointing, and gentler slopes for a beginner to practice self-arrest on. If you're an experienced hiker you could pick up crampons and an ice axe, watch a few youtube videos, and jump right in to those.

 

[P Carter]

My story is similar to other folks here. I've always admired the mountaineering world, and I've read a bunch of the books. I did one small glacier climb and one walk-up peak (with a glacier, so axe and crampons but didn't have to rope up) in the Andes. That said, I did not follow the pie-in-the-sky dreams and "go for it," got pulled away with school, then family. I think about it every once in awhile, but the objective hazards and the long, long list of deceased climbers makes it a no-go for me at this point in my life. I don't know a whole ton of climbers, but even in my little circle we had one guy take a bad fall and break his femur and back, and one guy took a freak rockfall to the back of the head and it was lights out for him. One of my co-workers has done Denali and some Himalayan peaks, and I've always admired his calm demeanor and fitness.

But, shoot, at 28, you might have 10 years or so to take a crack at it! As discussed, probably worthwhile to get hooked up with a local group to start tagging along with. It seems that having a good mentor would go a long, long way.

Here's me at the summit of the walk-up peak Cerro del Plomo, with Aconcagua in the background. (Hilariously, I think back at the gear I took up there, versus the gear I have now...I take on a day hike now better gear than I had up at 18,00 feet in the Andes! But that's a different conversation...)

 

[LostArra]

Pardon the interruption but those with mountaineering (and history) interests would probably enjoy this book

Amazon.com

 

[BeastOfTheTrees]

My story is similar to other folks here. I've always admired the mountaineering world, and I've read a bunch of the books. I did one small glacier climb and one walk-up peak (with a glacier, so axe and crampons but didn't have to rope up) in the Andes. That said, I did not follow the pie-in-the-sky dreams and "go for it," got pulled away with school, then family. I think about it every once in awhile, but the objective hazards and the long, long list of deceased climbers makes it a no-go for me at this point in my life. I don't know a whole ton of climbers, but even in my little circle we had one guy take a bad fall and break his femur and back, and one guy took a freak rockfall to the back of the head and it was lights out for him. One of my co-workers has done Denali and some Himalayan peaks, and I've always admired his calm demeanor and fitness.

But, shoot, at 28, you might have 10 years or so to take a crack at it! As discussed, probably worthwhile to get hooked up with a local group to start tagging along with. It seems that having a good mentor would go a long, long way.

Here's me at the summit of the walk-up peak Cerro del Plomo, with Aconcagua in the background. (Hilariously, I think back at the gear I took up there, versus the gear I have now...I take on a day hike now better gear than I had up at 18,00 feet in the Andes! But that's a different conversation...)

View attachment 308922

The fatal consequences thing is kind of what draws me into things. I have a wife and 3 kids, while I wish I was not wired this way, we dont get to choose our demeanors. I appreciate your information.

 

[BeastOfTheTrees]

Having worked in several outdoor industries in my life, I worked and am friends with several AMGA mountaineering, ski, and climbing guides. They are on another level as far as physical shape, mentality, and dedication. Even the most experienced and seasoned guides struggle for work a lot of the time. Almost all have multiple side jobs and spouses with good careers to help keep the dream alive. They work as snowmakers and ski patrollers at ski areas, fondue-snowshoe tour guides, bartenders in mountain towns etc. until they get the gigs they really want. The amount of experience and certifications is insane given the competition for the limited work available in that arena. You'll never get rich doing it, and your always one major accident or injury from walking away (hopefully) altogether. If it's your one and only dream go for it by all means, but otherwise their are safer more lucrative lines of outdoor industry jobs.

My spouse happens to be one of these. Her business recently took off exponentially. This is my window and she urges me to take it.

 

[JFin15]

I used to back before everything was so dang expensive, stateside climbs only, although I've done some hiking and hunting in South Africa and Canada. Now I spend most of my free time (outside of deer season) doing long distance hikes and some rec climbing (trees, boulders, small walls).

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[BroodBuster]

I don’t know a whole lot about mountaineering but I got a good look at the Emmons glacier route up Rainier yesterday. That’s one BIG sucker and anybody making that climb is badass in my opinion!

I saw the Alpine Ascents van at the trailhead so they are an option if you want a structured/guided course.

The route starts at the river, follows the moraine on the right up and behind the black pyramid and then straight up the glacier. Beastly!

Good luck and I say go for it!


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[ColeyG]

Re: the OP's original question, how to people get started, I started with hiking and rock climbing and those are common gateway activities that can lead to many other forms of alpine adventures.

My "climbing" path eventually lead to several decades of personal climbing, 9 years as a professional mountaineering and climbing guide and then 8 years as a mountaineering ranger in the Alaska Range. The last handful of years I've been walking around in the sheep mountains a lot more than on the glaciers and steep rocks though.

Climbing and mountaineering led to some of the most rewarding, challenging, and meaningful experiences of my life. I feel very fortunate to have both had those experiences, and survived them. My list of friends and colleagues who have died in the mountains is depressingly long and I've picked up more dead bodies in the mountains that I care to remember. That having been said, in nearly 30 years of technical climbing and high altitude mountaineering, I've never suffered anything close to a serious injury. These things can be done safely and most risks can be mitigated if you have the right tools, knowledge, experience, and practice good judgement. It takes a long time to build those things up.

In my time as a climbing guide and program coordinator at the mountain guide service, I definitely noticed a trend in the type of trips aspiring climbers and mountaineers were interested in. In the early days of mountaineering guide services in the US, most guide services focused on educational and skills based programs and many still do. In my time in that industry it seemed like the demand for those programs went way down and people were more interested in the summit oriented programs, 7 summits ascents, etc. Becoming a capable climber was of less interest than just simply getting to the top and having the picture to prove it.

I'd highly recommend taking a course through a reputable guide service to both introduce you to the world of mountaineering and climbing, and to develop a foundation of basic skills that will enable you to start doing some of these things on your own safely.

Something like the Alpinism 1&2 courses through the American Alpine Institute would introduce you to the range of alpine climbing (rock, glacier, alpine rock) and it takes place in one of the coolest places on the planet the North Cascades in Washington.

Alpine Climbing & Mountaineering Courses | American Alpine Institute

Skills Instruction for All Mountain Terrains and Conditions

www.alpineinstitute.com

Feel free to shoot me a PM with any more specific questions.

Best of luck and safe travels in the hills.

 

[ColeyG]

PS - here is what the view from the top of the continent looks like.