Peak Mountain Guides

Our Company’s Philosophy

Founded in 2008, Peak Mountain Guides is a company built around the idea of connecting clients with talented, motivated, and personable guides who have a genuine interest in helping people achieve their goals. The company places the utmost value on relationships and strives in every way to facilitate the experience each individual guest is looking for. There is nothing cookie cutter about what we do.

The guides working for Peak have chosen a career as a professional guide and have a significant amount of experience climbing around the world. They are also mature individuals who can relate to you and work out the best experience for you. Every guide in the field at a minimum meets the AMGA Scope of Practice guidelines. All of the guides working full time for Peak at minimum have at least one “guide track” certification.

Peak is permitted in 5 states and operates internationally to have the greatest number of options available for climbers and skiers to progress to. Our home base in western Colorado is ideally located as offer the most possible flexibility and is central to much of our ice climbing, skiing, and rock climbing programming.

Peak’s Core Values

1. Professionalism
Guides should be accomplished climber/skiers in their own right and able to inspire clients through their ability to move in the mountains. However talented and accomplished the guide, humility is the hallmark of the Peak guide. Certification is considered the place from which the learning process of guiding begins and not the penultimate accomplishment.

2. Relationships
Guides should have passion and enthusiasm for the opportunity to share experiences in the mountains with others. Dedication to the goals of clients and a commitment to meet individuals at their skill and interest level is the foundation of strong relationships. A guide should always have empathy for someone who is struggling.

3. Stewardship
All actions of a guide in the mountains (whether at work or at play) are to be considered modeling and will be held to the highest standard. Guides should model LNT practices and encourage others to do the same. Protecting the wild places we visit is an endeavor the entire organization embraces. It is a core value of Peak Mountain Guides to be respectful of the experience of other users and preserve a resource by self-imposing limits if needed on the number of people we will send to any given area.

4. Authenticity
Peak strives for transparency at all levels, including business practices. Internal and external communication of knowledge in the form of debriefs and outwardly facing public service is encouraged. In every action and interaction guides and staff should seek to present the most authentic version of themselves and feel as though there is nothing to prove. There is no greater compliment to humanity than to be honest and trustful.

What is AMGA Certification?

AMGA certification simply means an individual has met a minimum standard. There are different certifications within the AMGA for different categories of terrain. A very common entry level certification is the Single Pitch Instructor certification. As you might infer, the SPI is an individual has demonstrated mastery of skills needed in single pitch rock climbing. A certified Rock Guide on the other hand has demonstrated mastery of skills needed to guide in all types and length of rock climbing terrain up to 5.10+ in difficulty. Similarly, a certified Alpine Guide has been examined in glaciated and complex alpine terrain.

The process to become an AMGA certified guide takes years of dedication. Ask your guide about their progress in (or completed) AMGA track. Chances are they’ll describe a process of professional and personal development equivalent to earning a college degree.

Contact Us

970.369.1153
info@mountaintrip.com

Mountain Trip

135 W Colorado Ave 2A | Telluride, C0 81435

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Authorized Permittee

Peak Mountain Guides is an authorized permittee of the Grand Mesa, Uncompahgre, Gunnison National Forest; San Juan National Forest; Bureau of Land Management Monticello, Moab, Gunnison, and Glennallen Field Offices; Eldorado Canyon State Park; Ouray Ice Park, City of Boulder Open Space and Mountain Parks; and National Parks including Mt. Rainier, Black Canyon of the Gunnison, and Colorado National Monument. Peak Mountain Guides is an equal opportunity service provider.