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Greetings from AAI,
We hope you have had a good winter and that you are looking forward to some enjoyable climbing trips this spring and summer. We are still doing some great winter climbing and skiing in the San Juans of Colorado and the California Sierra, and plenty of opportunity remains for quality water ice climbing, winter skills training, and winter ascents.
If you have had enough of winter, remember we are climbing in the temperate desert sun every week from now through early May in Red Rock, Nevada. It's a wonderful place to advance your skills, develop your technique for leading, or just enjoy multi-pitch climbing in warm weather. It's a bargain to get there from most cities because of the high volume of traffic and competition among air carriers in Las Vegas.
In a couple of months we'll be shifting gears and looking forward to the new climbing seasons in the Alps, Cascades, Sierra, Peru, and Bolivia. Beginning first in the spring will be our Denali Expeditions, which start in early May. Three of our seven Denali Expeditions are full, and the others are gradually filling. Fortunately we have trips that leave every two weeks from early May through the end of June, and there are a number of spots remaining. If you haven't spoken to us about your interest in a Denali trip yet and are contemplating trying to make it happen this year, give us a call and we can talk about the possibilities.
In this edition of the newsletter you will find some great NEW PHOTOS and TRIP REPORTS from some of the spectacular climbs that AAI guides and climbers were able to complete in the Alaska Range last season. If you can, you should take a minute to view the slideshows and check out the beautiful scenery and remarkable routes.
Stay tuned to future editions of the newsletter for a trip report and photos from a first ascent expedition to a very remote and seldom visited region of China. Coming soon!
Cheers and good climbing,
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DENALI EXPEDITIONS - THE CLIMB OF A LIFETIME Alaska sets the standard for alpine grandeur. This range of granite and ice is home to some of the most beautiful peaks on the planet. Denali dominates the Alaskan landscape and it is hard, if not impossible, for mountaineers to lay eyes on the range and its highest summit without feeling a magnetic pull and the desire to set booted foot upon it's flanks. Being the highest peak in North America and having more vertical relief that any other mountain set it apart, but also making it special are the setting, routes, and international climbing scene you experience there. Our Denali Expeditions are 21 days long, and we still have space on the trips listed below. We hope you have a chance to look at a few photos from past expeditions. The average individual success rate on Denali is 53% overall and 58% in guided groups other than AAI. The Institute's success rate for individuals for the last ten years is 79% and for expeditions it is 86%.
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| THE INCOMPARABLE ALASKA RANGE - INSTRUCTION AND GUIDED CLIMBS Three weeks is a long time to be away from work and family, and a Denali expedition is not for everyone. Good news though! There are enough other peaks in the Alaska Range to keep climbers of all skill levels busy for a lifetime. Due to the ease of access and low elevation, peaks that would take weeks to attempt in other parts of the world can be climbed in just a matter of days in Alaska. If Denali is something you might like to aspire to one day, or if you just want to get a taste of climbing in Alaska, you should look into our week long mountaineering programs on the Ruth and Kahiltna Glaciers. We also guide privately on other prominent peaks in the range, and the beauty of some of these can make them an ascent of a lifetime. Take a look at our NEW PHOTOS and TRIP REPORTS on Mount Foraker, Mount Hunter, Mount Huntington, the Ruth Gorge, and more.  ICE CLIMBING - SIERRA AND ROCKIES  NEW WEB SITE!! - EQUIPMENT CATALOG @ guideschoice.com | We have just launched our brand new and much improved on-line gear catalog and retail store. New products, information, and photos! AAI conducts extensive international field testing of equipment and presents the Guides Choice award to manufacturers producing the best gear in each product category. Check out the list of award recipients. And if you are in need of advice on gear or need to purchase climbing equipment or clothing, you should take a look at our Guides Choice web site. We also feature a weekly special on a handful of items at substantial discounts. This week's specials are listed below. Check back each week for new items. WEEKLY SPECIALS through March 18, 2005 |
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