Experience The Mountains Like Never Before

The world’s mountain ranges provide an incredible venue for enjoying the natural beauty of Earth and for testing your physical & mental limits. We strive to make every rock, alpine, or ice climb an unforgettable experience that expands your horizons.

Professionally Certified

Trained and certified in both rock and alpine disciplines by the American Mountain Guides Association.

Custom Experiences

Everyone is unique so we tailor every outing to build upon your previous experience to help you achieve your goals.

Educational Approach

Over a decade of outdoor education experience teaching and guiding in the mountains with a wide variety of guests.

professional Rock Climbing Guide

About Alpine To The Max

Founded by Max Lurie in 2020, Alpine to the Max is an independent certified climbing guide based in Boulder, Colorado. Max provides custom education and mountain experiences in the Colorado Front Range and beyond.

No matter what your previous climbing experience has been, we can help take you to the next level. From first time climbers to seasoned veterans looking to update their practices, we will work with you to achieve your mountain goals.

All our instruction is completely customized to fit your unique objectives. We offer guided trips and skills development or a combination of both.

Certification Badge For Alpine Climbing
Certification Badge for Rock Climbing

Our Simple Process For Booking Your Mountain Adventure

Before you can confidently climb in the mountains, you need a clear plan to achieve your goals for setting out in the first place. Whether you just want to have some casual fun or are looking to learn advanced technical skills, we’ve got a simple process to get started so you can get the most value from our time together.

Photo of Colorado Rock Climbing Guide Max Lurie

Contact ME For a Discussion About Your Goals & Objectives

The first thing we will help you do is identify your goals - do you just want a fun mountain adventure, an educational experience, or a combination of both? From there we’ll decide what to do based on your objectives.

Photo of step 2 of our process to start rock climbing - planning out the day

Get a Free Consultation and Plan Out Your Experience

Once we know what objectives you are looking to accomplish, we'll outline a quick plan together to make it happen. We will chat on the phone for a free consultation about how I can best help you progress your climbing career. During this conversation, we will decide on a date or dates for our session, sign a waiver, and you will pay for the day.

Photo of Max with happy rock climbing client

Be Ready to Experience The Mountains Like NEver BEfore

After our phone call, your climb we'll be scheduled. The next step is to simply show up on that date and just do it! I will be there to set you up for success with whatever our day entails.

Climbing Adventures We Can Take You On

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Alpine to the Max is an independent certified guide with more than a decade of experience in a wide variety of terrain. No matter your current skill level, when you climb with us you get a top-notch experience that is fully customized to meet your exact desires.

Rock climbing

Come join Alpine to the Max on a custom guided day of rock climbing. We offer top roping, sport climbing, traditional climbing, multi pitch climbing and instruction on all the aforementioned topics.

Alpine climbing

Take your climbing to the next level and apply your skills in the mountains. Many consider climbing a route in good alpine style to be the pinnacle of climbing achievement.

ice climbing

Experience climbing a frozen waterfall with Alpine to the Max. Ice climbing skills are necessary for anyone looking to climb in the greater ranges. It is also an incredible way to continue climbing in the winter.

An Exceptional Climbing Experience For Both New & Seasoned Adventurers

Whether you’re interested in trying climbing for the first time or you’re a seasoned veteran, we have a course that will allow you to take your climbing to new heights. Each coaching/guiding day is unique and fully customized to best suit your goals and desired outcomes. A single day of instruction will last a lifetime.

Novice Climbers

Whether you’re looking to try climbing for the first time or have some experience but want to receive more professional instruction. We’ve got a customized progression that will help you safely enjoy the mountains as a self-sufficient climber.

Expert Climbers

If you’re an avid climber who is looking to take their skills to the next level, we can provide you with the instruction and mentorship necessary to get you there.

Join Our Community Of Adventurous Climbers

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Alpine to the Max is an independent certified guide with more than a decade of experience in a wide variety of terrain. No matter your current skill level, when you climb with us you get a top-notch experience that is fully customized to meet your exact desires.

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“I climbed with Max last summer on a couple of couloirs in Rocky Mountain National Park. I’m a complete newbie to technical snow and Max was everything that I was hoping for in a guide. Knowledgeable, patient and passionate about educating his clients. It was a fantastic experience and I cannot wait to go back out with him.”

William Rosenberg
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“Max is easily one of the best guides I have ever taken a course with. Max's knowledge paired with his experience and skill set is unparalleled. I learned so much and I am so grateful to have taken a course with him! Max provided the education and knowledge I needed to continue recreating safely in the mountains.”

Nichola Krieg
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“Max was an amazing guide and instructor for our 2-day AIARE 1 course. Funny, affable, deeply knowledgeable, with an excellent approach to instruction and learning. We saw several other AIARE courses out there in the same locations, and in comparison, we were VERY glad we were spending our weekend learning from Max!

Dylan Cate
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Max is awesome! My climbing partner and I booked a day with Max to learn how to ice climb. Between making the meetup spot an easy to find location, to providing in-depth instruction throughout the day, I can't recommend Max enough. Max's instruction was clear, safe, and easy to follow. He's personable and easy to learn from.

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What an awesome experience. My friend and I spent four days with Max going through a variety of topics and we couldn't have been happier with the instruction. Max is SO well versed in a multitude of areas. And he's an awesome person to be around and it makes the guiding experience that much better. I would 100% do another session with Max!

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We strongly recommend Max as a guide and instructor. Having climbed with Max several times over the past decade, we always come away with a great experience and a smile. His enthusiasm and knowledge, plus a wry sense of humor, make for instructive and fun days of climbing. We hope to get out to CO to climb someday with Max again.

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It was awesome. We covered a ton of material in such a short window and I was able to apply everything I learned. I had pretty minimal experience at the start but he delivered everything in a super easy to understand manner that made it a ton of fun and extremely informative. I’ll definitely be coming back for future sessions.

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Max was incredibly helpful for our intro to trad course. He not only teaches the information, but makes sure to go over alternative techniques and general climbing philosophy. We were able to customize the class that day to go over things that interested us rather than a set curriculum, which I really enjoyed. I couldn’t recommend Max enough.

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I had very limited climbing experience coming into this guided rock climbing experience. Max takes me out and we literally jump right into my introduction to climbing. Max literally inspired me to get out of my comfort zone immediately and go beyond what I thought I was capable of. Thank you Max for an awesome experience in the mountains.

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Max is an outstanding guide! I couldn’t have asked for a better day of climbing and learning. I joined Max in hopes of setting a solid foundation of skills and knowledge in my own climbing endeavors to come, and I was beyond satisfied with the day he had prepared for us. An incredible instructor and ideal climbing partner!

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Max is adept, knowledgeable, and great to work with all around! He breaks down skills and explains them thoroughly, taking the time to make sure you understand a concept before moving on to something more complex. If you want to up your technical climbing skills and have a darn good time doing it then Max is your guy!

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Max was extremely knowledge and encouraging while we were learning and practicing building anchors and hauling for crevasse rescue. He also had a great sense of humor and kept the mood light while we were suffering through brutally cold temperatures during the practice. 10/10 would recommend!

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My partner and I hired Max for a day of self rescue skills and we had an absolute blast. Max is super knowledgeable and was more than patient answering all of our questions. We never felt rushed and had time to go through different scenarios and skills. I really enjoyed learning from a professional and would recommend to anyone!

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Max was a terrific mountain guide. We did a split-board tour of the Hidden Valley area of Rock Mtn National Park and I couldn’t have had asked for a better guide. He answered all of my questions and expressed great knowledge in snow science as well as mountain geology and avalanche safety. Highly recommend!

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I spent a day learning trad/multipitch climbing with Max in a "classroom setting". The dollars I spent on that session have been more valuable than any climbing trip or equipment. The techniques he taught me have stuck with me throughout my climbing career and set me up for success in the mountains.

Frequently Asked Questions

Rock climbing is an exciting sport that can be enjoyed by people of all ages. However, before heading out to the mountains, it’s important to be prepared. Here are some common questions climbers have along with answers that will help you get ready for your adventure with us.

What type of outing is right for me?
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Every single day of instruction/guiding we do at Alpine to the Max is completely customized to help you achieve your goals. We will talk on the phone and ask you some questions to get an idea of what your goals are. From there we can make some suggestions about how to get there together.
How do I pick a guide or guide service?
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This is actually a scary topic because there is no oversight or regulation in the mountain guiding industry. This means that anyone with a rope can call themselves a guide. Furthermore, guide services will often use language like “Professional Mountain Guides” while hiring young and/or inexperienced guides while paying them a fraction of what you pay for their services. Always ask if your guide is certified by the American Mountain Guides Association. This will ensure that your guide/instructor has been peer reviewed and has passed their examinations. By hiring an independent certified guide, such as Alpine to the Max, you are ensuring the quality of instruction or experience that you will receive.
How do I book a day/trip?
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Fill out the form on our contact page to get in touch with me. Every day of guiding or instruction is fully customized so before booking anything we need to find a date that works and come up with a plan for the day. From there we’ll send you a waiver and invoice for payment.
How do I prepare for my outing?
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This depends on the objective and can vary drastically from a day of rock climbing to a winter overnight or expedition. However, we will always set you up for success. This means that mentorship starts at the time of booking to help prepare you for your outing. Alpine to the Max is a resource of knowledge that you will have access to.
Where does Alpine to the Max guide/instruct?
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I live in Boulder Colorado and have access to all the local climbing venues: Eldorado Canyon State Park, Boulder Canyon, Flatirons, Clear Creek Canyon and Rocky Mountain National Park. I regularly travel and can guide most places in the US or internationally. However, pricing may vary because access to permits through local guide services who have a monopoly plays a role.

Schedule Your Next Mountain Adventure with Alpine to the Max

If you’re ready to experience the mountains like never before, then get in touch to begin planning a custom climbing adventure. I’ll personally help you put together an action-plan tailored to your goals and objectives to ensure an educational and memorable experience.

Photo of Max Lurie Rock Climbing