Alpine Climbing Colorado

challenge yourself like never before with a day of guided alpine climbing

Experience the thrills of alpine climbing in the Rocky Mountains and beyond with professionally certified alpine guide Max Lurie. An experienced and knowledgeable guide, Max will help you achieve your climbing goals safely no matter what your experience level is and level up your technical mountaineering knowledge.

Led By Fully Independent & Certified guide max lurie

100% Custom-Tailored alpine Climbing Instruction

rewarding alpine climbing experience welcome to all

90+ 5-Star Reviews left by past climbers on Google

go Alpine climbing in Colorado and beyond with a certified guide

Alpine climbing is a thrilling experience that tests both your physical and mental abilities. It is a challenging and rewarding sport like no other which can take you to some of the most beautiful mountain vistas on the planet.

This climbing discipline isn't for the faint of heart, as Alpine climbers must be able to navigate steep, mountainous terrain while roped up, as well as climb rock and ice routes. The physical demands of the sport are enormous, and climbers must be in excellent shape to participate.

Whether you've gone alpine climbing before and need help accomplishing a specific objective, or are ready to try out the most challenging sport the mountains have to offer, AMGA-certified alpine guide Max Lurie can lead a guided experience to help you achieve your goals.

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Learn the most challenging climbing discipline with alpine to the max

Max Lurie of Alpine to the Max has been providing safe and rewarding Alpine climbing experiences for over a decade.

By hiring Max to take you deep into the mountains, you are getting access to an extremely knowledgeable, detail-oriented climbing professional who will teach you the technical climbing and safety skills you need to traverse the world's greatest mountain ranges.

Ready to take your Alpine climbing skills to the max? Come join Alpine to the Max and scale incredible heights with AMGA-certified alpine guide Max Lurie. Click the button below to get in touch and start planning your day in the mountains.

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The benefits you Can expect from alpine climbing with alpine to the max in colorado

Alpine to the Max has a proven track record of providing incredible alpine climbing adventures in some of the top venues in the United States. If you're looking for a top-notch guide to help you expand your knowledge as well as your physical & mental limits, you're in the right place.

Increased confidence

Experience an increase in confidence that caries over into all aspects of life by challenging yourself like never before by alpine climbing.

A stronger mindset

The mental challenge provided by alpine climbing will inevitably lead to a stronger mindset and help you navigate difficult life situations.

Stress Relief

Forget the stress of daily life by going on a full-day guided alpine climbing experience with a professionally certified guide you can trust.

Welcoming community

Alpinists are known for their unique subculture and is regularly exploring the mountains with Alpine to the Max can help you form genuine friendships.

full body fitness

Alpine climbing is a challenging sport that is a great way to build fitness & endurance by testing all aspects of physical strength and conditioning.

nature escape

Revel in the awesome mountain landscape and experience the wonder of Earth from a vantage point reserved for only the bravest.

Alpine Climbing Overview

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Are you ready to take your skills into the mountains? Considered by many to be the ultimate expression of climbing, alpine climbing encompasses a wide range of mountaineering areas. As an American Mountain Guides Association certified Alpine Guide, Max can teach you the skills to be self-sufficient in the mountains or do a specific objective with you.

Popular Topics

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    Mountaineering basics (cramponing, self arrest etc…)
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    Winter anchors
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    Glacier travel and crevasse rescue
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    Alpine rock climbing
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    Snow couloir climbing
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    Expedition prep (Denali, Aconcagua, Everest etc…)
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    Custom Climbing Objectives
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    Rock Rescue

Popular Objectives

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    Sharkstooth
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    Petit Grepon
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    Hallett Peak
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    Longs Peak

Browse Our Most Popular Alpine Climbing Courses

Our independently guided alpine climbing courses offer something for everyone regardless of past experience or current skill level. With over 100 five-star reviews, you can't go wrong.

Photo of Ice Climbing Guide Max Lurie
Meet Your Alpine Climbing Guide

Professionally certified Alpine climbing guide max lurie

Alpine to the Max is owned by AMGA-certified rock climbing guide Max Lurie. Based in Boulder and providing custom mountain experiences in the Colorado Front Range and beyond, Max is a well known Colorado rock climbing guide that offers guided rock climbing experiences for all skill levels at the top climbing venues throughout Colorado.

From first-time climbers wanting to learn the basics to seasoned veterans looking to update their practices, Max will provide direct, hands-on instruction to help you achieve your mountain goals. All of the instruction is customized to fit your unique objectives and provide you with a memorable experience.

Schedule an alpine climb

Top Notch Alpine climbing instruction for both new & experienced climbers

Regardless of your current skill level and past climbing experience, Max Lurie will help you plan out a custom day of rock climbing instruction tailored to you. Use the tabs below to discover what a day of climbing will look like based on your experience level.

The type of alpine climbing you do on your outing is going to vary widely depending on the season and your goals. Alpine climbing can consist of summiting glaciated peaks to scrambling exposed rocky ridges. Most climbers acknowledge alpine climbing as the most difficult discipline of climbing because of all that it entails. Our typical outing will consist of an introduction to these skill sets.

We may practice cramponing on a firm snow surface and self arrest with a mountain axe. Or how to effectively use the rope on moderate terrain. These days can either be educational or experiential. Due to the inaccessible nature of alpine climbing, getting to and doing an objective often takes 10-12 hours in the mountains. 

Popular beginner Alpine topics

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    Crampon Use and Techniques
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    Self Arrest and Mountain Axe Use
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    Donning a Climbing Harness
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    Tying Into a Rope
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    Belaying
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    Rock Climbing
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    Snow or Couloir Climbing
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    Basic Knots and Hitches

Typical alpine objectives start well before sunrise. Encompass long approach hikes and can last 10-14 hours of intense physical activity in the mountains. Deeply challenging, yet equally rewarding. Conversely, the necessary skills to tackle an objective like that don’t always require such physical effort.

Learning how to rope up and travel on a glacier is a popular topic. As well as the associated crevasse rescue for when/if your teammate punches through the surface and falls into a hidden hole. There are many other skills necessary for being a well rounded alpinist, such as moving efficiently over rock, snow and ice in the mountains. It isn’t just the movement skills you’ll learn, but how to identify and manage the many mountain hazards we encounter.

Popular Advanced climbing topics

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    Glacier Travel
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    Crevasse Rescue
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    Alpine Snow, Ice and Rock Anchors
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    Rope Systems, Management and Transitions
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    Terrain Assessment
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    Risk Assessment and Management
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    Avalanche Education

What Our Community of Alpine Climbers Are Saying About their experience

We believe in forging great relationships with everyone who climbs with us. See what people are saying about their alpine climbing experience with Alpine to the Max.

“can't wait to put everything he showed us into practice!”

Working with Max was an incredible confidence booster! He did a great job helping us find our blind spots, and think about how to protect ourselves while climbing in alpine terrain. It was one of the best days I have had on rock

Nate D.

“I'd recommend him to any of my friends”

Max is great! We took a crevasse rescue course in a group to prepare us for Mt Rainier (and other future mountains).  The course was informative and fun! I plan to go to Max in the future for an avalanche course and I'd recommend him to any of my friends.

Jacqueline W.

“Max is the real deal”

Max @ Alpine to the Max has over a decade of guiding experience and is the real deal. I took my AIRE 1 Avalanche course with him and had learned a lot. There were so many helpful "tricks of the trade" that you can't get from watching YouTube videos that you do get from personal instruction. He is patient, knowledgeable and has a good sense of humor to make for a fun day in the mountains.

Eric C.

“a terrific mountain guide”

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!

James D.

“Will hire Max in the future!”

I have hired Max a few times, one for me and a couple for my husband. I did the 1st flatiron with him and my husband did an alpine trip in the NW and an alpine day in the Rockies. I trust Max and believe that besides being really experienced, he is also very safe and conscious of his environment. I will hire Max in the future!!

Carolina T.

“Definitely going to climb with him again.”

Had an awesome experience with Max. Courteous and patient, and a very good climber. Takes the time to explain everything and always made sure we were comfortable with the various routes.

Hezy S.

“We had a fantastic two days with him!”

Max was a knowledgeable and thoroughly prepared guide who led us through some awesome terrain while teaching us a ton. His clear explanations and willingness to explore any question ensured that the new material was easily digestible.

Samuel K.

“Excellent & enthusiastic educator”

Very professional as well as patient and understanding. Took me up Mt. Ranier. A goal I never thought I’d achieve.

Steven L.

What’s an Alpine Climbing Experience with Alpine to the Max Look Like?

A typical alpine climbing day will start very early in the morning, hours of hiking with nothing but the light from your headlamp to illuminate the way. Depending on the objective, it could be a snowy couloir, a rock route or a combination of both. Roping up for the technical climbing and spending many hours navigating steep mountainous terrain.

Finally reaching a summit or the top of our objective, the journey is only half over. We have to get home safely. With either a long hike or technical descent, likely both. We’ll finally make it back to the trailhead many hours later, tired but satisfied. With only the memories of success as the suffering already begins to fade.

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    Early predawn start time
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    Long strenuous approach hike
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    Complex and technical climbing objective on snow, ice and/or rock
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    Rappelling and/or long hike back to the cars
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    10-14 hours of physical activity
Schedule an alpine climb

alpine climb with max in two of the best venues in the entire united states

Experience the thrill of alpine climbing in the Rockies and on Mount Baker with Alpine to the Max. Explore some of the most rugged and beautiful mountains on the planet with complete confidence and safety.

Rocky Mountain National Park

Famous for its high quality granite alpine rock climbing in the summer and its long snow couloir climbing in the spring. Rocky Mountain National Park is quite literally the spine of the continent.

Mount Baker

Some of the deepest seasonal snowfall rates in North America are found on Mount Baker. This creates impressive glaciated terrain on a formidable peak. Mount Baker provides an excellent training ground for the greater ranges of the world.

Alpine Climbing Information

# of Participants
Alpine 1
Alpine 2
1
$750
$900
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2
$600
$750
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3
$350
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4
$300
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5
$250
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6
$200
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-
All alpine days in Rocky Mountain National Park are run in accordance with land manager regulations. Using permits and insurance through The Mountain Guides Colorado Branch.

Rocky Mountain National Park is the perfect venue for all things alpine climbing. From snow climbing and mountaineering in the Spring and Summer to technical rock climbing in the mountains. There is no shortage of spectacular terrain for climbers of all levels. From using a mountain axe for the first time to climbing a technical rock route on The Diamond of Longs Peak, we can get you there.

Alpine Climbing Venues

Rocky Mountain National Park, Grand Teton National Park, and Mount Baker Wilderness Area.

Go Apline Climbing

Frequently Asked Questions about alpine climbing with us

Preparation is critically important before a full day of alpine climbing. Below are answers to common questions to help you get ready for your alpine adventure.

What Months is Alpine Climbing In Season? 
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March through September are the ideal months for alpine climbing. Although it really depends on the objective and what conditions you want to do it in. For snowy objectives, earlier in the season is better. For rock objectives, later in the season is preferred.
What Prior Climbing Experience Do I Need to Go Alpine Climbing? 
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It depends on the complexity of your objective. Some beginner alpine routes require minimal prerequisites. However, more involved outings can take a lifetime of preparation. Give us a call and we will always find an appropriate objective for you.
How Long is a Typical Alpine Climbing Day? 
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A typical alpine climbing outing can be as quick as 8 hours or as long as 16 hours. It really depends on the route, conditions, fitness of the team and weather. A 12 hour day is about standard.
How Much Does Alpine Climbing Instruction Cost? 
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It can vary from $200/pp for a group of six learning new skills to $900 for a private objective based outing. Typical prices fall between those two extremes though.
What Gear Do I Need to Go Alpine Climbing?
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Admittedly, alpine climbing is an equipment intensive pursuit. The exact equipment you’ll need for your objective will vary widely. We’ll reach out well before the scheduled date to make sure you have everything you need. This includes helping you purchase the proper equipment or providing rental gear.
Can I Go Alpine Climbing With a Group?
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No. Alpine climbing can only be done at a 2:1 ratio, this means one guide and two guests. This is for risk management purposes. The complex and challenging terrain that encompasses alpine climbing means that a guide can only effectively manage two people at a time. However, classes to learn alpine climbing skills can be as large as 6 participants.
What Alpine Climbs Do You Guide Outside of Colorado? 
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Outside of Colorado, we run glacier travel and crevasse rescue seminar climbs on Mount Baker every summer. We also travel to New England every February for some ice and winter alpine climbing. Those are just the annual trips that we run. We are always open to discussion custom and unique trips or expeditions.