Skip to main content

Climber Reviews

Smith Rock, Oregon

“I wanted to thank you for some exciting, challenging, and educational climbing trips! Most importantly, though, was feeling safe. Ryan is a talented and knowledge climber/instructor, and I’m so glad to have had the opportunity to learn from him.” ~ Christopher, 2020

Mount Baker Glacier Mountaineering, Washington

The five-day glacier mountaineering course with NWAG was executed flawlessly. From the moment I booked, I felt prepared with their information guides, packing lists, and timely responses to questions about gear. At check-in the morning of the course, the guides were extremely professional, attentive, and thorough with gear checks and helping us pack.

Coming in as a beginner, I was amazed at the breadth and depth of knowledge the guides covered, and which I walked away with, to include proper crampon techniques, knots, hitches, rope coils, self-arrest, rope team travel, anchors and crevasse rescue systems, rappeling/belaying, and much more. The amount of material we covered enabled the team to successfully summit Mount Baker and put in practice everything we learned.

I’m addicted and plan to continue using NWAG/Mountain Gurus for future courses and climbs. The preparation, attention to detail, and dedication to client satisfaction did not go unnoticed. Special thanks to all those who made our experience so positive and successful- Minnie, Dennis, Joseph, Ryan, and especially our 5-day course guide, Terray.” ~ Windy, August 2019

Mount Baker Intro, Washington

“Spent this last weekend with NW Alpine Guides on Mt. Baker — it was the 3 day intro to mountaineering course. It was a wonderful experience! The guides, we had three, were all knowledgeable, attentive, and focused on our safety. The techniques class on Saturday was a great way to see how you’re feeling about summiting and to learn the skills you’ll need. The climb is no joke but with good preparation and great guides, it’s do-able! Sam, Nima, and Doug were awesome! Huge thank you to them for the great experience and safe summit!” ~ Melissa, 2019

Mount Baker, Washington

“Everything about the trip was excellent, from our guide Sam, to the tents, breakfast/dinner, etc. Sam is a really talented guide as well as a great guy just to talk to in camp. The mountain was very crowded on the weekend of our trip and Sam adjusted the itinerary to give us a shot at the summit when there’d be fewer people on the route. This made for a really nice trip. We had the upper half of the route ( and summit ) entirely to ourselves. Although I did a week long mountaineering course with another company previously, our guide Sam showed me some valuable things I hadn’t seen before. I am very happy with the way the trip went and definitely recommend these guys.” ~ Chris, 2018

Mount Baker Intro, Washington

“I took the Mt Baker 3 day course by Mountain Gurus and it by far passed all my expectations. Being my first mountaineering experience I learned a lot in a fun, encouraging, safe environment provided by the owner Dennis and other guides Matt and Terray; everything was well organized and communication/questions before and during the course was always addressed. Dennis and the guides are extremely knowledegable and have incredible experience in all aspects, along with being encouraging and supportive. Dennis was able to make adjustments to our team during the climb (as my pace was a bit slower) which allowed me to successfully summit , He really cares and takes pride in providing a great experience and in seeing clients meet their goals. I have done a few other hikes with other companies and none can compare to Mountain Gurus. I would certainly recommend Mountain Gurus and hopefully will be able to do another course/trip with them.” ~ Steve, 2018

Sahale Peak

“Thank you for coordinating a wonderful experience for the two of us. I have to say that Jeremy was an amazing guide. He was very thorough in his teaching. I appreciated his patience with us as we learned the basics. He was very encouraging and helped Kathryn and I push our limits. The North Cascades are absolutely stunning. There are certain memories that you have that are forever burned into your mind. That view atop Sahale was incredible.” ~ Tom S, August 2015

Rainier Charity Climb

“Earlier this week I climbed Rainier via the Disappointment Cleaver route with Mountain Gurus and had a great experience of it. The first day we hiked up to the snow line and did basic mountaineering training which was great for me (a novice). We learned the different steps and breathing techniques as well as self arrest and crampon use.

The following day, we did a well paced hike up to Camp Muir where we made camp and had some dinner. After a few hours of rest, the climb started at midnight and we summited by 7 am and started back down after a while in the crater.

The experience of the guides was evident throughout. Dennis has a great range of climbing and guiding experience, Craig has summited Rainier 410 times, and Tulsi has summited Everest twice. They were full of useful information and led a great trip.

Thank you for the great experience!” ~ Art, August 2018

Mt Rainier

“Myself and two of my friends booked a trip to summit Mt Rainier. Dennis gave us guidelines of what to bring and how to train. He even went on a few hikes with us up Tiger Mountain in preparation. The day we left they even rented us some of the gear that we would need for the trip. It was great trip with great weather. The training day went well and we decided to do an evening summit and watch the sun set rather than do a summit that would let us see sunrise, the typical timing for a summit. We decided in advance that whatever the guides said about a summit opportunity would be the gospel and we would follow direction. Unfortunately one of my friends had not trained as hard and at Disappointment Cleaver, Dennis and his partner decided that my friend should turn around and was not going to have what it took to summit. I had trained hard and was having a tough time keeping the pace myself. My friend turned around and was not able to summit with us. We did make the summit at a pretty fast pace and descending even faster. It was a great view and it is awesome to see the mountain on sunny days and realize that I made it to the top. Thanks to Mountain Gurus and Dennis in particular for making sure I was prepared and able to make the summit. It is a memory I will cherish forever. The accommodations we great, the service was top notch and the knowledge and passion of mountaineering that they shared was exceptional.” ~ Rick, July 2013

Mt. Rainier Trip

“Dennis is a wonderful and personable guide as were his assistants while we scaled Mt Rainier in July 2013. He took the time to answer our questions before the trip to ensure we had the right gear and were prepared for our adventure. Dennis and crew were very knowledgeable, friendly and I would highly recommend them for your mountaineering adventure.” ~ July 2013

Mt. Rainier Climb

“In early July 2013, I went on 3-day climb to Mt. Rainier with 3 other climbers and our 2 guides, Dennis and Craig. Both of them did an excellent job preparing us for the climb; everything from making sure we had the right clothing, equipment, food, and hydration. Throughout the climb to basecamp, they constantly monitored our physical condition and made sure that each of us was keeping pace. At basecamp they took very good care of us by preparing the meals, melting snow for our water bottles and even set up the tents in which we slept. On summit day, they continued to monitor our physical condition, encouraged us to hydrate at every rest stop and made sure that we were all keeping pace and not falling behind. At around the 13,500 foot level, it became clear to both Dennis and Craig that a different route to the summit would need to be taken because of deteriorating conditions on the mountain due to glacial movement. At the same time, 2 members of the climbing party had started to slow down and were not feeling well. For safety reasons, Dennis and Craig then made the decision to turn the climbing party around and head back down to basecamp.

Despite not being able to reach the summit, everyone on the team agreed that the decision to turn around was the right decision. Dennis and Craig were looking out for our safety first and for that, I am very grateful. The experience of climbing with them and the other members of the party is something that I will always remember. We all had a great time and the scenery was absolutely spectacular! I would highly recommend to anyone thinking of climbing Mt. Rainier to consider going with Mountain Gurus. Dennis and Craig are excellent guides and they will take you to places that very few people get to experience in their lifetime, and they will take very good care of you at the same time!” ~ July 2013

3 Day Mount Baker Climb

“Whilst researching the possibilities for a Mount Baker climb, I contacted many Washington state guide companies. Mountain Gurus were quick to respond and satisfied my many questions – they even managed to accommodate the exact dates I wanted. All in all a perfect fit!

Our Mt Baker climb consisted of myself from Vancouver BC and a father and son team from South Dakota and California led by our guide Dennis who is the owner of Mountain Gurus.

Dennis met us at the arranged time at the ranger station in Sedro-Wooley. He ensured that we had all of the correct and required gear as outlined in the pre-trip information that was provided win advance. Anything that was missing, Dennis either had extra that he could provide or he helped arrange rental equipment. Once we were all set, we headed to the trail head to begin our hike up to base camp. We did one final check and bathroom stop, adjusted our packs and set off. Dennis as our guide set a comfortable pace to suit us all and chatted about the mountain and its various flora and fauna. It was stressed to us the importance of proper layering of clothes and staying well hydrated and eating good energy food. We took adequate breaks without slowing progress.

Once at camp, Dennis showed us the most efficient way to set up, store our gear and collect good water. It was now time to do some basic training for group glacier travel. We were shown some popular methods for ascent and descent using crampons and also basic fall arrest techniques with the aid of an ice axe. We also learned some basic knots and rope travel. For anyone considering taking mountaineering to another level I feel this was an excellent introduction course.

After our mountaineering school, we were instructed to collect some water for cooking (and for our drinking water for our summit attempt). Dennis prepared our dinner which was provided by Mountain Gurus and showed us the correct way to store leftovers and keep the campsite clean and free of debris. He also went through ‘bathroom procedures’ and educating us on the approved waste disposal system.

We agreed as a group that our summit bid would begin at 2.30 am, so another gear check and organisation was in order, Dennis double checked that we were fully prepared and ready to go. We woke up to light rain and misty conditions – not good. After Dennis had prepared some breakfast and hot drinks for the group we set off into the dark. Visibility was limited and the rain got a little worse despite the fact that the forecast was for only a 10% chance of light precipitation on the mountain. During the early part of our ascent we encountered a small guided group coming down who informed us that at around 8’200 ft they encountered ‘whiteout conditions’ and deemed it too risky to continue from that point. I was quietly thinking what Dennis then confirmed – it was not looking good for the summit, however as we continued up the the weather eased a little and visibility became a little better, although it was far from ideal. We navigated a couple of hairy crevasses and Dennis really showed his skills by safely navigating us over and around them. The weather worsened and again Dennis warned us that it was very unlikely that we would be getting to the summit as the steepest and hardest part was yet to come. As it turned out we made it to the Sherman crater rim at around 9’400. Dennis at that point instructed us that as group leader, he was aborting the climb due to inclement weather causing dangerous conditions. We all agreed that this was the correct and wise decision. I believe there were a few groups on Mt Baker that night and despite the awful conditions and under the excellent guidance of Dennis, our group made it the highest of any in a safe and enjoyable manner. The descent was uneventful and we found time for photo’s and laughs. Mount Baker really is a fantastic mountain with crevasses, serac’s and scenery.

To summarize my trip with Dennis and Mountain Gurus I would say that Dennis is a highly professional guide. He has a great sense of humor and is very patient. When things get serious on the mountain, he is all business and takes full control of the situation with excellent command.

The equipment and food that Mountain gurus provided was of top notch quality and the instruction and information was very valuable.

Although I cannot speak for any of the other guides employed by Mountain Gurus, if they are of the same caliber as Dennis then you are in very safe and capable hands.

I would not hesitate in recommending Mountain Gurus and would most certainly use them again.” ~  Jason, August 2013

Intro to Mountaineering

“I joined Northwest Alpine Guides for an Intro to Mountaineering course this summer and don’t think I could’ve discovered, experienced, and learned any more than I did during such a valuable four-day trip. I was really impressed with the pre-planned itinerary that packed in a range of mountaineering, alpine, rock, and general outdoor safety and wilderness skills – PLUS, once the program started and we got on our feet we got to discuss and learn even more. The preparedness, efficiency, knowledge and humor of the guides made the trip all the more entertaining. We really enjoyed our down time and great meals at camp, just as much as reaching the summit of Mt. Shuksan. I ended up liking the program so much that I joined them for a subsequent climb of Mt. Baker, and Mt. Rainier a week later. The mountains in the PNW are truly majestic and unlike anything else. Overall I came to NWAG looking to further my mountaineering education, and I came away with a great new skill set and huge appreciation for such a well-rounded program… Trust these guys, they know what they’re doing!” ~ Rachel D, June 2015

Mount Baker

“A wonderful adventure. I summited Mount Baker with NW Alpine Guides last summer. The guide service is well organized and provided lots of helpful information about gear and logistics prior to the climb. Our two guides Sam and Craig had many years of experience and my girlfriend and I felt safe with well training as we headed towards the summit. The weather was a bit overcast but it was an exciting day. I would definitely recommend Northwest Alpine Guides for any climb in Washington State. I believe they also offer other international climbs as well.” ~ William D, July 2012

Mountaineering School

“Great trip! Guides where fun, friendly and knowledgeable. Curriculum was well covered and pacing throughout the trip was great. We took breaks long enough to catch my breath but kept our group moving. I also felt the information was delivered in a way that I never felt overwhelmed with what was going on or being taught. I came away from this feeling like I am ready to take my mountaineering to the next level. Great Local Company!” ~ Rob P