Welcome to the Alpine Ascents blog—where we share stories, knowledge, and inspiration from the mountains. From expedition updates and climbing conditions to training advice, gear tips, destination highlights, and stories from our guides and climbers, this is a place to stay connected to the world of mountaineering. Whether you’re preparing for your first climb, planning your next big expedition, or simply dreaming about the mountains, we hope you’ll find useful information, new ideas, and plenty of inspiration for the adventures ahead.
by Lynn Lau Spending three days on Kulshan with a group of like-minded BIPOC folks was a true mountaintop experience like no other. It was refreshing and different from any other mountaineering experience I have had. Thanks to Alpine Ascents, this affinity climb will stick with me for a long time. Once we started the…
By Chris Chou I came to the Alpine Ascents 2025 Kulshan Affinity Climb without much knowledge of the importance and history of affinity groups. I left with a firm belief that these types of opportunities are a critical element of building community for underrepresented groups in the outdoors and that the impact can be felt…
Submission by Uyen-Phuong Nguyen, a member of the 2024 BIPOC Guide Development Program. There are certain forks in the roadmap of your life, where the path you’re about to take has large implications for how the rest of life’s journey will take shape for you. By making a single choice, you turn down countless other…
Submission by Esteban Usuga, a member of the 2024 BIPOC Guide Development Program. After two exhausting years in graduate school, pursuing a career in medicine, I hit a wall—and not the cool kind of bonk that comes from pushing your body to its limit. This was deeper. I was mentally drained, struggling under the weight…
Submission by Avalon Qian. “Tag responsibly, keep the West wild.” I pause mid-mindless-instagram scroll. This is not the first time I have seen this sentiment in an instagram post or an article about leaving no trace: “Tag responsibly.” “Keep the West wild.” What does this tag mean? I understand the fear that wild places may…
By Sof Petros (she/they) So you’re thinking about applying to the 2024 Alpine Ascents x Edgeworks BIPOC Guide Development Program? My name is Sof Petros (she/they), I’m a rock climbing guide and instructor based in Snohomish, WA and a graduate of the inaugural 2023 cohort of this BIPOC Guide Development Program. I was truly so…
By Kate Keith-Simms Hey Alpine, I’ve done everything to be a strong budding mountaineer- I’ve joined summit climbs, built some bomber anchors on the 10 day- now I want to get out there on my own. But where are all the climbing partners? I’ve been holding up “Will provide a capella tunes for a belay”…
by Liane Lau Arriving to the Alpine Ascents Seattle Office at 0630 for gear check – made me question my life choices. To be an effective mountaineer, you should be a combination of a marathon runner, a weight-lifter, and a climber. I am none of those things. I don’t even particularly like those things. The…
by Alicia Mau As we made our way up the steep, northeast facing slope it became increasingly more difficult to sidehill. The wind scoured snow morphed into ice and my gloved fingers gripped my poles a bit tighter with every slip of my ski edge. We hoped switching to bootpacking would get us the rest…
