No images? Click here Summer Programs Near and Far…“It was the worst of times, but some things are going ok” may be the best way to paraphrase this post-Dickensian Covid 19 reality we are living in. While Alpine Ascents tries to make the most of these difficult times in the world of travel, we lean heavily on the places we can operate near home and keep a keen eye out for improvements on the international front. Domestically we are looking at a busy season in Alaska and the Cascades. Many of these courses and programs are full, but we still have openings on our bread and butter Mount Baker programs: the 6 Day Mountaineering Course and our 3 Day Mt. Baker Summit Climb. Additional dates may be added to these schedules as well, so keep your eyes peeled. Of course, you can also waitlist for any programs that are full at waitlist@alpineascents.com. Last season we were able to operate in full from July onwards without incident and trust that our protocols will prove successful for summer 2021 as well! You can review these Covid-19 protocols on any of our Logistics pages. Internationally we have not cancelled any programs and will use the 120 day (or sooner) mark to make final decisions on international trips. For those registered for our international programs, we will reach out directly to each team with any updates. Programs in Western Europe and Kilimanjaro have a higher likelihood of operating as we look at a myriad of factors for operating safely. These factors include: - current in-country spread of virus - rapid and in-country testing - our ability to apply our domestic Covid protocols to travel and climbing internationally - government regulations of entry, flight availability and ability to obtain visas - vaccination possibilities of climbing team, guides and staff We are always happy to discuss specific trips and our thinking process as we make ongoing decisions. For questions about departures and protocols, please contact our Director of Programs, Gordon Janow gjanow@alpineascents.com Winter 2021 – We expect to operate a full winter season in 2021. 55+ ProgramsWe still have spaces in some of our preferred age 55+ programs with departures on Mount Baker and Glacier Peak. Mt. Vinson, AntarcticaClimb Mt. Vinson: Looks like a busy season on the great white continent, as flights from South America to Union Glacier Antarctica are near full. Alpine Ascents is offering 4 departures for Winter 2021 - 2022 as we should be able to add a few more climbers to each departure. Our Dec 4 and Dec 15 departures will be led by Ben Jones and Dec 26 and Jan 7 departures led by Vern Tejas with Jangbu Sherpa joining as team sizes require. Mount Vinson is a unique and fantastic journey for skilled climbers. New Posts on Alpine Ascents BlogWe have added several new blog posts of late with Mary Brown taking over as Editor. From mountaineering tips to gear reviews to quips from guides, we usually post 2-3x a month. Check it out at: Concerned About the Environment…And looking for additional ways to help? Alpine Ascents has teamed up with Tomorrow’s Air. Tomorrow’s Air is the world’s first collective of travelers, travel service providers, and travel brands who are dedicated to cleaning up carbon dioxide from the atmosphere to clean and preserve our air for future generations. See more about scrubbing carbon from the atmosphere at: Spring & Summer 2021
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