Any experience in the mountains has the ability to create a positive experience in a person’s life. At Alpenglow Expeditions, General Manager Sean Kristl says it’s something they believe deeply. Spend a day with the right guide and you will understand what he means.
It’s not about the summit, it’s about the journey. It’s a phrase that’s become cliché, but it’s something that Alpenglow Expeditions takes seriously. For the company, the “journey” is a holistic experience in the mountains, regardless of conditions or objectives. Alpenglow Expeditions emphasizes education, with each experience designed to give clients new knowledge they can apply in their own outdoor pursuit. Discoveries, not destinations.
A great day in the mountains doesn’t come from conquering a peak. It comes from the things you learned, the people you were with, and time spent in an incredible landscape. That’s what brings you back. Whether it’s learning how to navigate the Tahoe backcountry in the winter or hiking the region’s hidden gems in the summer, that’s exactly what Alpenglow Expeditions seeks to provide.
Guides Who Help You See More
Alpenglow Expeditions was founded in 2004 on a single vision: to facilitate powerful mountain experiences at the absolute highest standard. This starts with the guides. Every guide in the company is certified by the American Mountain Guides Association (AMGA), the gold standard for American mountain guiding. This rigorous certification, though not a legal requirement, implies a depth of guiding knowledge and expertise that is paramount at Alpenglow Expeditions. These guides are experienced and are equipped to help clients see things that are often overlooked.
Regardless of the type of expedition or the client’s level of experience, Sean says, “the guides are constantly talking about what they’re seeing through their own perspective and their own lens, and they’re pointing those things out to our clients.” They have a deep understanding of the region’s plants, topography, and weather patterns. From local hikes to international mountaineering expeditions, these insights provide knowledge that is applicable for future outdoor adventures.
In addition to holding AMGA certification and professional experience, Sean says a good guide is someone who clients can trust with their safety while making their experience enjoyable. That’s exactly who Alpenglow’s experienced guides are.
“They are all really fun to be around,” he said. “And they love the environment that they are operating in.” For many of these guides, that environment is often Olympic Valley.
Why Palisades Tahoe and Olympic Valley?
The base camp for this global guiding company is right here in the Village at Palisades Tahoe, and it’s no accident. From the stunning backcountry terrain accessible from the resort in the winter to the expansive rock formations on Tram Face that create the distinctive Via Ferrata routes in the summer, this valley serves as an ideal setting for Alpenglow Expeditions. The surrounding area is home to some of the region’s best backcountry terrain, providing a sense of serenity just beyond the resort’s boundary.
“You get 2,000 feet of descending and there’s literally nobody else back there.”
Incredible views, arching granite peaks, and untouched snow are just a skin track away from the resort.
Backcountry skiing takes a level of education and experience that not everyone is prepared for. Alpenglow offers an AIARE avalanche rescue course so you can be ready for the backcountry, as well as scenic snowshoe tours in Olympic Valley.
For a company built on sharing experiences in the outdoors, access to the mountains is crucial. From the Village, tranquil hikes along Washeshu Creek and breathtaking ski runs are just steps from the doorstep of Alpenglow Expeditions.
Additionally, the rock features that make Palisades Tahoe’s winter terrain so diverse and challenging also shape the approachable, yet technical Via Ferrata routes visitors experience in the summer.
What is the Tahoe Via Ferrata?
The scenic assisted rock-climbing experience, which has been operating since 2018, was one of the first Via Ferratas in the United States when it first opened. It allows participants to ascend one of Olympic Valley’s iconic rock formations throughout the summer.
The textured granite walls of Tram Face make for a unique climbing experience, on rock without previously established routes. Meticulously installed by a team of route experts, the steel cables and ladders create accessible climbs for visitors of all experience levels. Guests are securely attached to fixed cables by a harness and led by expert guides, allowing nearly anyone who can ride a roller coaster to experience the views from the tall granite walls.
Sean, an experienced technical rock climber, says the unique experience and low barrier to entry make it his favorite summer offering. “It’s an experience that’s really accessible to anybody who wants to have an adventure in the mountains.” It’s a unique adventure on steep rock walls without many of the dangers associated with traditional climbing. But where did this idea come from, and how did it end up here?
Adrian Ballinger (founder of Alpenglow Expeditions, professional climber, and mountaineering guide with 10 Everest summits to his name) travels the world for work. While in Europe, Adrian saw that some of the many Via Ferratas originally used by troops to traverse the Alps were being used for fun. This sparked an idea that would eventually become one of Alpenglow’s most popular offerings. He realized these European Via Ferratas could be brought to Tahoe, adding to the incredible outdoor activities available here during the summer. The Tahoe Via opened in 2018 and has been a staple for any visitor coming to Olympic Valley in the summer ever since.
Tahoe Via Ferrata participants may choose from two-hour, three-hour, or four-hour tours on routes with varying views and levels of physical difficulty. Each tour is led by an Alpenglow AMGA-certified guide, helping participants navigate the iconic Tram Face.
Community in the Mountains
At Palisades Tahoe, our mission is to share the spirit of these legendary mountains with the world.
Over the years, that spirit has created a community of people who find meaning here — a community with a shared value for the outdoors and the mountains where we play. Some have lived here their whole lives. Others discovered these mountains on a single trip and never looked at the outdoors the same way again.
An experience with Alpenglow Expeditions is one way into that community. Because being outdoors isn’t always about going the biggest, climbing the tallest mountain, or skiing the scariest line. In the words of Sean Kristl, “It can really be about the people who you’re with, what you learned that day, and taking a breath of fresh air.”
You may come for the Via Ferrata in the summer or guided backcountry ski touring the winter, but you’ll leave with something more lasting: a connection to this place and the confidence to keep exploring it.
