Winter has officially begun in Durango and the San Juans with a few inches of snow in town this morning with A LOT more up in the high country. Have a look at this forecast from NOAA!
Current satellite imageary for the Western US.
With winter shaping up nicely, now is a great time to sign up for one of our AIARE Avalanche Courses or our Backcountry Skiing Courses and Trips. We’ve made the Reservations/Registration process even easier with our Online Registration feature. Please don’t hesitate to send us an email or give us a call to discuss the options!
Last week I spent 3 days in the Utah desert with Erik Weihenmeyer and fellow guide Ben Kiessel. Erik has joined us on a few trips over the years, including trips to Red Rocks and Peru. It’s always inspiring to climb with Erik. Not only because he is a blind climber, but also due to his enthusiam and true passion for all forms of climbing.
We chose some of the classic lines of the desert, including the Honeymoon Chimneys on the Priest, Fine Jade on the Rectory, and a few Indian Creek splitters such as Incredible Hand Crack and Supercrack. The weather was a bit challenging on days 1 and 2, with high winds and rain to overcome, but we persevered and then had an absolutely beautiful day on Fine Jade for our last day of climbing.
There is still plenty of warm weather out there in the forecast, and the month of November is always a fine time to climb in the desert. Give us a call if you want to sneak in a few days of warm weather rock climbing before winter sets in for good!
ND
View of the Rectory and the Priest from the trailhead.
Erik hiking up to the Priest on Day 1.
Erik nearing the top of the loooooooong first pitch.
This video was put together by Martin Volken, one of the examiners for our Alpine Exam, and it highlights the process of becoming a Certified Alpine Guide.
Operating under special use permit in the Rio Grande - San Juan National Forest and the Grand Mesa - Uncompahgre National Forest - Wrangell St. Elias National Park - Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park - Indian Creek BLM. Southwest Adventure Guides LLC provides services and employment opportunities regardless of an individual's ethnic or cultural heritage, religious beliefs, sexual orientation or physical handicap.
