We are proud to offer world-class climbs and courses throughout the Pacific Northwest and beyond, and we know we cannot do that without a solid foundation of safety. Our guides are some of the best in the industry, chosen for their experience, training, judgment and commitment to client care. We maintain a low client-to-guide ratio to ensure each of our guests receives individual attention. We plan our itineraries to minimize risk, and we use only the highest quality, professional mountaineering equipment. All of this ensures that when you join us in the mountains, you can focus on enjoying the climb.
A wealth of experience
Since 2008, Northwest Alpine Guides has led adventures throughout the mountains of the Pacific Northwest, from Mount Baker, Mount Rainier, Mount Shuksan and other famous volcanoes, to the Olympic Mountains and the glacier-carved peaks of the North Cascades. Collectively, our guides have amassed hundreds of ascents of the classic Cascade climbs, and decades of climbing and adventure travel experience in the U.S. and abroad, from the Alaska Range to the Andes and the high peaks of the Himalaya.
Unmatched amenities in the North Cascades
Our trips begin and end at our Guide Hut in the town of Sedro-Wooley, Washington, the “Gateway to the North Cascades.” The Guide Hut offers extensive rental equipment and serves as a venue for pre-trip orientations. If you’re visiting from out of the area, the Sedro-Woolley region is home to excellent lodging and dining options, allowing you to avoid the expense and logistical hurdles of staying in Seattle or Vancouver. No other guide company owns and operates a full-service facility so close to Mount Baker, Mount Shuksan and the peaks of the North Cascades.
Specialized service
As a tight-knit, guide-owned-and-operated company, we offer a level of personalized attention that larger companies cannot match. Our friendly office staff are experienced mountain professionals. In many cases, the people who help you book your trip will be the same guides you climb with, and learn from, on the mountain. With our detailed pre-trip information, our delicious mountain meals, our commitment to individualized instruction, and our convenient location, we offer a level of service you cannot find anywhere else.
Instruction tailored to you
Whether you are an experienced climber preparing for your most challenging ascent yet, or you are taking your first steps into the exciting world of mountaineering, our courses offer something for everyone. From fundamental glacier travel skills to backcountry skiing, alpine rock climbing and ice climbing, we can teach you all the essential skills of the modern alpinist. Thanks to our small group sizes and focus on individualized client care, we often have the flexibility to tailor our instruction to each of our students.
Join our community of adventurers …
We strive to foster a community of adventurers who can come together, time and time again, to challenge themselves while exploring the world’s most beautiful places. Many of our first-time clients learn about us by word of mouth or referrals from their friends. Many of them go on to become repeat clients. By sharing experiences in the mountains, our guides and guests develop friendships that last for years. We have seen how these relationships can carry us across oceans and to the top of the highest peaks on the planet.
… and explore the globe with us
We offer international expeditions through our partner company Mountain Gurus. That means that once you get to know our guides in the Pacific Northwest, you can join them again on itineraries abroad. Whether you want to test yourself at high altitudes in Mexico or the Andes; trek with us through the Himalayas, Thailand, Morocco or Japan; or tick off the Seven Summits, you can do it with a guide you already trust.
A business rooted in stewardship
We believe we have a responsibility to act as stewards of the precious mountain environments and communities where we work. To ensure the places we love stay pristine for other visitors, all of our guides are trained in Leave No Trace principles. Through our partner company, Mountain Gurus, we founded the non-profit Himalayan Outreach Project (THOP) in 2015 to help Nepal rebuild after the devastating Gorkha Earthquake. Funded in part by proceeds from our annual Mount Rainier Climb for Nepal, THOP now supports childhood education as well as ongoing earthquake recovery efforts. We are members of the Kilimanjaro Porters Assistance Program in Tanzania, an initiative to improve porters’ living conditions and access to education while teaching visitors about socially responsible travel. We strive to pay fair wages and maintain quality working conditions for all our staff, not just on Africa’s highest peak, but also in the United States and in every country where we operate.
