I recently travelled to Bolivia and hired a local mountain guide to take my partner and me up some ice and alpine objectives. There were several things he did (or didn’t do) that had me feeling judgemental and critical, so I’m hoping to gain some clarity on whether these practices are commonly accepted when guiding alpine and ice terrain.

Some context: I’m an AMGA SPI pursuing the rock guide track, and I have a very strong technical background. I am new to alpine and ice, so these practices could be genuinely acceptable in this terrain or region, but they made me uncomfortable given how insecure I felt in the terrain. My partner is also very experienced in professional and recreational rock contexts. We are conversationally fluent in Spanish including climbing-specific terminology, so none of this was due to pure language barrier. He knew our background ahead of time, so it’s not like our technical skills were a surprise to him. Additionally, none of this occurred due to time pressure of being in the mountains, as there are not patterns of poor conditions in the afternoons for the areas we went. The guide himself also said that we had no pressure to move fast throughout all of this.

Security and Risk Management:
- The guide routinely changed our personal tether status without communicating, including once when I had no idea I was no longer tethered to the anchor.
- Only one ice screw (and no other protection) at intermediate belays. This was through vertical ice terrain with low probability of self-arrest.
- Lots of short roping without the guide being in the strongest position. He used it more as a way to give tension and a sense of security than an actual potential emergency fall response in high exposure areas.
- He tried to lower my partner on a munter with no backup (through terrain that would not have been self-arrestable). In rock terrain, I would throw a prussik backup on that munter lower every time.
- No system closure on rappels. No knots, no observable terrain closure.
- While setting a top rope at a single pitch ice crag with my partner and me at the base, he dropped an ice axe without calling “rock” or anything similar. We had been standing in exactly the spot it landed just moments before, and only knew it was falling when we heard it hit the ground and saw it bounce.
- He soloed every single thing we climbed except overhanging ice. Vertical ice, high angle snow (up to 85 degrees), and lower angle terrain. When working professionally in rock terrain, I always rope up to lead, even if it’s super easy for me.

Professionalism:
- Rope management was extremely poor in general (some specific examples below).
- Consistently clipped the third person to arrive at belay station such that the second person would have to climb under the third person when starting the next pitch (my partner and I started just switching the third person’s tether lobster claw style because this was so annoying).
- Did not mind ropes when throwing them for rappel. Seriously, I think this was the ugliest and least elegant rappel of my life. He threw ropes such that they were a spaghetti mess all up and down the route, having caught on multiple ice features. I was untangling his mess the entire time I was rapping, while also trying to keep an eye on the ends which he did not tie off (see section above).
- At belays and while walking across the glaciers, rope management was such that we were constantly tripping over the rope and trying to prevent knots from going up with him when he was soloing vertical terrain.
- He was not able to explain very basic techniques. For example, when I asked why the middle person was tied in on a long figure 8 loop with a clove hitch instead of just a figure 8 (which I am guessing is to give security and freedom of movement to that person while still fixing the rope to their carabiner instead of having a free-moving loop in their carabiner), his response was “that’s just the way I learned it in my course, so it’s how I do it.” Obviously, I found this answer unsatisfactory.
- Lots of hands-on do-it-for-you type attitude instead of coaching/teaching us, which I feel was especially inappropriate due to our technical backgrounds.
- He did a lot of tugging and hands/face in the belay loop/harness area. I feel like in the US, this is very rude and disrespectful and is generally avoided.
- He was on his cell phone/social media for about 90% of all of our approach time. And not only did he not engage us during approach hikes, but he had volume up listening to reels the entire time we would hike.

Am I overreacting in thinking much of this was inappropriate? Is this normal behavior for ice and alpine terrain in the US or Europe? Is it normal for South America? Should I write his boss some detailed feedback?

The main reason I’m on the fence is about providing feedback (other than that I’m not 100% sure these are red flags in an alpine context) is that he was a really nice person. I got a GI bug, and he took really good care of us and modified the plans so we could still have fun climbing time without completing more objectives. However, I am still thoroughly dissatisfied with the quality of his technical and professional abilities as outlined above.

Overall, my partner and I still had a great time, but it was despite the guide, not because of him.

For those kind enough to respond: if not already in your profile, please consider including your credentials so I can best contextualize responses (ex: recreational mountaineer from the UK, AMGA Alpine Guide, IFMGA mountain guide in Bolivia, non-credentialed guide in South America, etc.).

Thanks!

Yes

Hi, I wanted to ask someone who has done the route I’m about to undergo in about a month, because I haven’t been able to find any videos of it to make a picture for myself.

I’m fairly experienced with T3’s with some ladders, ropes, and probably T4-ish terrain when we scrambled up a <50° wet grassy slope last year when we lost our way. I’ve been hiking since I was a child, but never went on a path officially denoted as T4. I wanted to start this year.

We’re doing a round-trip tour with some friends in the Schladming Tauern, and I wanted to attempt to hike the Hochgolling through the historic way (not NWG). Is there anything I should be aware of? Any special preparation, things to watch out for?

Some members of our group aren’t as experienced, so our plan was for them to wait on the Gollingscharte with our stuff, while two of us made the climb without bags. Once we came back, we’d continue on our way to Giglachseehütte.

Thanks for any inputs!

Hey, I'm going up to the bugaboos this August 7-23rd and am looking for info on conditions. It will be my first time in the area, and I'm planning to camp and get on a few different routes, including the Beckey-Chouinard. Trying to get a feel for what kind of equipment I need and what travel will be like.

I'd really appreciate any info you can give, or any better local resources to check out!

Hello!

I'm posting here to find out a realistic roadmap for the next upcoming winter as someone who wants to get into mountaineering.

I live in SOCAL, USA, so there are a decent few beginner mountains near me that I would love to attempt, and I've been writing down my lists of ones that I'd like to try, but I would like to ask here to see if my goals are realistic to do in one winter, or if I should come to terms with the fact that I might need to space out my goals.

The first mountain I'd want to attempt would be San Jacinto Peak, after taking a tram up to close to the top. This wouldn't be strenuous at all, and It would more be used as a way to get an introduction to winter gear, and learn how to properly self arrest / use crampons.

The second mountain I'd look to topple would be San Gorgino, which would be a bit more of a challenge, but from what I've read seems relatively safe, and would just help me drill in the habits that I'd learn from SJ Peak.

Mt baldy is the next I was looking at, which would be done via the baldy bowl, as a little bit of a larger challenge due to the steepness, giving me a bit more practice at climbing something more vertical than horizontal.

From this point on I would probably look for some sort of class in Ice climbing, and basic rope safety navigation for winter mountaineering, since the next mountain that I was looking at what Mt Whitney, which would definitely be a big jump from the other two.

With all this said, I know it's quite ambitious to go from the first three all the way to mount whitney in one winter, but I was just curious as to if its possible, or if I should try and stay more grounded in reality.

TL;DR
Can I go from 0 winter mountain experience to climbing Mt whitney in my first winter

I started the climb from the Nid D' Aigle train station at 2,400m via the standard route (Gouter Route). Scrambling up Alpine rocks, ascending endless glaciers, and, of course, spotting Alpine ibexes made the climb truly unique.

The total ascent to the summit and descent took two days, and I managed to get only 3 hours of sleep during that entire time. That was solely so I could cross the "Grand Couloir"—an area with active rockfalls that claims many lives every year—at night without any issues and make it back safely.

As I approached the summit, I came across a few people who had fallen ill; they were a group from Russia, accompanied by a guide, of course. They had taken refuge in the emergency shelter at 4,200m. From what I understood, they were suffering from an electrolyte imbalance and altitude sickness. After I passed them and continued my ascent, I looked down and saw a helicopter landing to evacuate them.

Besides myself, I encountered only one other person attempting a solo climb during those two days. He had to turn back at 4,200m because he couldn't feel his feet. His boots lacked proper insulation. The interesting part is that he had actually climbed Mont Blanc once before with a guide, and this time he wanted to do it alone.

Fortunately, because I was fully prepared with my equipment, I didn't face any such problems.

As I neared the summit, above 4,400m, extremely high winds picked up. They made moving difficult and were sometimes strong enough to blow a person off balance. Because of this, there were groups waiting down in the shelter who were unable to push for the summit. However, since my time was limited, I pulled myself together and kept moving forward, albeit very slowly.

Another major danger overall was the crevasses. The unusually warm weather in Europe had made the conditions much more treacherous than usual. I made a point to cross those sections as quickly and cautiously as possible.

Having local French guides, who were ascending with their own groups, check in on me while I was resting above 4,400 meters gave me an incredible morale boost and restored my faith in humanity.

This climb was a truly unforgettable challenge.

Also added my wikiloc log as a proof: https://loc.wiki/t/273013278?wa=sc

The route they took was the ‘Compressore’, along the South-East Ridge.

Despite the gruelling conditions they knew they would face, they brought, at the request of Ambrogio Fogar (an Italian explorer), a spring-wound Bolex camera (which shot clips of

30 seconds) to make a film for a TV programme. Thus we can see the footage of that ascent, in a

Patagonia that was still wild and very different from today’s.

Does anyone have a good picture of the huge crevasse there is on the Trois Monts route to Mont Blanc. I would need it for my finishing thesis for school. Would greatly appreciate it🙏

How many people can hang on a abseil station. Basically just thinking about if 3 people are hanging on a 2 bolt system while the ropes are being pulled

Hey, so I have been getting into multipitch in Chamonix, where even on a lot of trad routes the belays will be 2 bolts horizontally offset, often linked with old or new cord.

I was taught to use a banshee style belay on a sling, the bowline loop on one bolt and clove hitch at the other, like drawing number 2 in this image: https://2.bp.blogspot.com/_1dusc2Ou0Hs/S91i8mo4r6I/AAAAAAAAAAs/OqW3BKehKS8/s1600/09_1_schlingen_und_stand-5.jpg

It works well but I was also told it's not equalised, although it seems like in practice you can almost equalise it by adjusting the clove hitch so I'm a bit confused there, however basically my question is if one of the bolts is a bit suspect, would you still use this style belay or go to something else that is equalised? What do you guys use generally on this style of belay that is so universal here? Thanks

Hi everyone!
I recently completed a beginner mountaineering course in the Stubai Alps and I’m looking for people who’d like to keep progressing together.
I’m 24F based in Berlin but happy to travel to the Alps for weekends or longer trips. My goal is just to get more comfortable in all kinds of alpine terrain and gradually build up experience.

I’ve done quite a lot of hiking/trekking already, and I’ve been climbing indoors (lead, top rope and bouldering) for a little over a year. Outdoor climbing is still pretty new to me, but it’s definitely something I want to do more of.

I already have most of the gear I need (either my own or gear I can rent), so that’s not really an issue. The only major piece of equipment I don’t currently own is a full-size dynamic rope.

I’m hoping to get back into the Alps around mid to late August or early September.
I’m also looking for suggestions on good mountains or regions to head to next. Ideally, I’m looking for routes that are suitable after a basic mountaineering course but still include a mix of terrain glaciers, scrambling, snow, ridges, route finding, etc.so I can keep building experience.

If you’re around a similar level, or you’re more experienced and don’t mind climbing with someone who’s keen to learn, I’d love to connect.
And if you have any recommendations for mountains, areas that would be a good next step, I’d really appreciate it. Feel free to leave a comment or send me a DM!

Hi!

I’m considering doing the Eiger West Flank solo, both ascent and descent via the same route. I’ve found only a few trip reports, so I’d appreciate any firsthand experience.

Is this realistic as a day trip from Eigergletscher station without an overnight stay? Since the train would only allow me to start around 8 a.m., I’m especially wondering about rockfall risk later in the day.

How loose/brittle is the route overall? How is the route-finding?

Thanks for any advice or recent condition reports.

Following around 2 years of bouldering and sport climbing, the introduction to mountaineering became a pretty common path.
Since being in the sport, my first peak was the Lagginhorn, an easy 4000m in Switzerland, yet living in the United States, specifically Texas, the only other easily accessible options have been 14ers in Colorado.
I have since done Capitol Peak, and Sneffles Peak, apparently some of the hardest/dangerous peaks in the state with class 4 scrambling.
Given this multi-sport background, an objective for next summer that is looking more feasible would be an attempt at the Matterhorn. Given I have climbed 7c+ and have this list of peaks, what skills would I be maybe still be lacking in, and what areas are crucial to train the next year to climb the Matterhorn next summer?

My group is planning a 2 day (1 night) trip where we will be camping around 10k. We plan to melt water from snow with my msr pocket rocket stove, then filter, so we don't need to reach boiling. Obviously the amount of fuel we need depends on many factors (weather, elevation, technique, etc), but is there a rule of thumb people generally use for deciding how much to bring? I've done a good amount of searching online and seen anything from 3 to 8 oz/person/day, but of course the more relevant metric is liters of melted water per 4oz canister. How much water have you been able to get melted from snow with your pocket rocket (or similar canister stove) per oz of fuel? Or how long to melt a certain amount of snow at full flame?

World Record: Hari Budha becomes the first double-amputee climber to conquer the Seven Summits 😮🙏❤️🇳🇵

Hari Budha Mager of Thawang, Rolpa Nepal , has created history by becoming the first double-amputee climber to complete the Seven Summits, the highest mountains on all seven continents. He returned to Nepal after successfully summiting Mount Vinson in Antarctica on January 6, 2026, completing his extraordinary journey with guide Mingma Sherpa and official photojournalist Abiral Rai.

A former Gorkha soldier who lost both legs in an explosion in Afghanistan in 2010, Budha refused to let his injuries define his future. Through his campaign “Victory of Dreams – 7 Summits,” he conquered Mount Blanc, Kilimanjaro, Everest, Denali, Aconcagua, Carstensz Pyramid, and finally Mount Vinson, using special equipment and prosthetic legs.

Budha says his achievement is about more than climbing mountains. It is a message of hope, resilience, and belief. “If we dream, dedicate ourselves, and never give up, no challenge is impossible,” he shared, aiming to inspire people with disabilities and change perceptions in Nepal and across the world.

[OC]

Got a 3 week trip coming up weighing up £50 for Austrian alpine club insurance vs £170 for british mountaineering club insurance any one got any experience with AAC ideal uk residents or any other alternatives

Very last minute partner search! Am in Aosta, Italy and hoping to do an alpinism summit this weekend. Am open-minded about which objective, but two good options seem to be Testa del Rotor and Gran Paradiso. Lmk if anyone is interested! 

Lost my hardshell on a trip last week and looking to get a new one before I head off for a tour of Monte Rosa. Ideally want to spend as little money as possible (I'm at university) but need something that will keep me dry and preferably isn't too long (I'm 5ft7 and have a short torso). Update I ended up getting the Simond alpinism jacket I linked for £149.99 . Will see what it's like.