Colorado Mountain School

About

Moraine Avenue, a few blocks from downtown on the road toward Beaver Meadows, is where this guide service is based, near Kinley Built and Snowy Peaks Winery. In the warm months that means guided rock climbing, alpine routes and mountaineering courses, from introductory climbs to alpine objectives that take real skill practice.

Winter turns the program to avalanche training, backcountry ski and splitboard courses and guided ski tours. Guide training and trips abroad round it out for people who want to go further. Winter is when the avalanche courses matter most, before anyone heads into the backcountry above town.

What people take home is skills. The guides get credit for patience and for explaining things well, so a first-timer learns why and not just how, and backcountry safety gets real attention. A hostel option comes up often too, useful for anyone in town for a multi-day course. Everything runs by appointment, so book before showing up.