Alpinism & Mountaineering Guides

Hiring A Cloud Nine Guide - Alpinism & Mountaineering
 

For more than 100 years the Canadian Rockies has been home to some of the most cutting edge alpine and mountaineering routes in the world.  The routes and summits of the Canadian Alps stand shoulder to shoulder with the many of the great ranges around the world.

From long alpine moderates, to the most technically challenging routes anywhere the Canadian Rockies is home to a wide variety of objectives that match well to any ability or interest.

Classic venues such as The Bugaboos, The Columbia Icefields, The Lake Louise Group and the massive architecture of the Selkirk Range continue to ignite the curiosity and sense of adventure from climbers around the world.

Climbing in the Canadian Rockies requires a well rounded skill set to access many of the more complex objectives. Given the vastness of the ranges present here however there are numerous objectives well suited to developing climbers and alpinists to acquire the skills and experience required for more technically challenging ascents.

Alpinism is often a game played against the odds. While less technical and more entry level ascents can be accomplished by many with higher success rates, it is not uncommon that more complex ascents will require patience, perseverance, ideal conditions and a well matched climbing team for successful ascents. As complexity and technical difficulty increase, the harsh and often unforgiving conditions present in the high alpine often dictate the likelihood of success.

Ascents often test an Alpinist sense of resiliency, physical strength and mental fortitude along with their knowledge and skill sets and ability to apply them with consideration to every changing conditions in their environment. We as Mountain Guides go to the mountains for this reason – as the experiences and connections we are fortunate enough to enjoy alongside and with our Guests can be incredibly meaningful.

Our Guides operate year round, and while our home ranges are certainly held within the Western Canadian mountains, we spend a significant amount of time frequenting many of the more interesting ranges around the world. From Chamonix, to Lofoten, to Cook Village, to the incredible peaks of the Karakoram, our Guides have experience designing and running programs on 5 continents and to altitudes of 7000m.

The Canadian Mountaineering Season stretches most typically from mid-may through the end of September with the best months for ascents June through August with lower elevation routes, and objectives on the eastern edge of the range coming into season earlier in the season.

Cloud Nine Guides has become known to many of our Guests as a premier provider of a wide range of alpine ascents around the world. With Mountain Guides on staff who have not only competed on the international stage as climbers, or those who maintain personal standards well into the 5.14 range, many come from a range of academic backgrounds and hold masters degrees in a variety of fields outside of their full time Guiding work. Our tight knit crew pride ourselves on a sense of humility and an ability to be understanding caring and compassionate to the needs of our Guests, and most of all enjoyable to share your time with.