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    International Alpine Guides

    3.7 (18 reviews)

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    Jenry R.

    The Good:Ice climbing guides were safe and I really enjoyed learning in both the group and private ice climbs I did with them. Friendly guides and surprisingly good food on the Whitney winter climb. The Bad: The mountaineering guides were admittedly unsafe, inexperienced and dishonest. The Ugly: The Whitney Winter guides told us the night before summit day that due to the 3:1 ratio, if one person had to turn around we would all get together and decide as a group who would go back. This never happened as there was never a conversation or an opportunity to decide who was going back. The first (of 2) rope teams took off never to be seen again until late in the evening after they had summited. The lead guide apologized, admitting his mistake and inexperience and told me he would get me a refund. When this didn't happen, the office manager assured me on a Friday that she would call me back Saturday or Monday in order to resolve the situation. After one week passed, I sent an additional email and left a voicemail. The owner lied and said they called me back which never happened. I never received a reply to my email, a call or voicemail (verified through AT&T records.) Sadly, the dishonest owner takes an unprofessional and abrasive approach to resolving admitted mistakes made by his employees. The owner sent an email gaslighting me saying "summits are not guaranteed." Truth: I was more prepared and experienced than anyone on this trip, I never assumed or paid for a summit. I paid for a safe guided experience which I did not receive. When I emailed the owner saying that I would share my experiences with the online community, he implied that was trying to get extort him. I have AIARE 1, climbed Shasta 5 times(1 solo summit) and I have also summited Rainier via the Katz so trust me, I know that summited aren't guaranteed. I paid IAG for a safe guided climb, not a summit. Obviously I received neither. In the end Dave (the owner) refunded half my money and then asked me never to climb with IAG again. Talk about blaming the victim. I appreciate that they gave me the refund the inexperienced guide promised me after he admitted his mistakes. However, I do not trust this company to guide anyone for a safe mountaineering experience. After speaking with very seasoned professional guides from other companies about my experience, they strongly recommend that I do not climb with IAG again. Not only because the inexperienced guides and their lack of a safe approach to climbing but also because of their dishonesty and unprofessional attitude towards problem solving after they admitted they were in the wrong. Lastly, I feel it's worth mentioning that I was the only woman on this trip. I had more mountaineering experience, training and preparation that any of the guys on the trip. Given those facts, it's my belief that I was not given the opportunity to summit because I was the only woman on the trip. My preparation and fitness were exceptional and I was easily maintaining the pace with the 3 strong guys for the first 2 days of the climb. So ask yourself this: Why was I not given the opportunity to safely summit? It undeniably unsafe that they put a guide (140lb+-) in the front of a short rope and me (135lb) on the end with a guy (220lb+-) in between us who was an hour behind everyone on day 2 and continuously slipping, falling and stopping during the whole summit attempt. Fitness is safety and the guide admitted that he should have never let the obviously unprepared climber attempt a summit. Does it seem like they discriminated against me because I was the only woman? Not only was this unsafe, it was absolutely discriminatory. Bottom line: I want everyone to be aware of the safety issues with the inexperienced guides at IAG because those are dangerous. The whole reason we pay to climb with guides is to be safe. If you value your safety, please reconsider climbing with IAG for any mountaineering activities.You definitely have safer guiding choices than IAG. As someone who provides anesthesia for a living, I prioritize safety above all else. I feel it's what everyone deserves. Please feel free to reach out to me for verification of any of the facts in this review. Also, I am happy to make recommendations for safe guiding companies for future adventures.

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    10 months ago

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    Ask the Community - International Alpine Guides

    Review Highlights - International Alpine Guides

    Chris Baumann was an amazing instructor who was super knowledgeable and friendly.

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    Ruby Lake

    Ruby Lake

    5.0
    (4 reviews)
    17.7 km

    Breathtaking I…read morewent on a 3 day, 2 night backpacking trip to Ruby Lake located in the John Muir Wilderness. No permit required for day-hiking but you do need a permit to camp. The Forest Service reserves 60 percent of permits for advanced reservations and the other 40 percent are available to walk-ins 24 hours before the day of adventure. Trip Details: 3 days, 2 nights Distance from Venice, CA to Mosquito Flats Trailhead: 302 miles Money spent on gas: $128.62 Time of Year: August Weather: 80's during the day, and 30's at night Permit: no permit for day hiking but a permit is required to camp Elevation gain : 908 feet Distance to Ruby Lake from Trailhead: 2.1 miles Dogs: Dogs are allowed Water Temperature: 39 degrees Day 1: We parked in the parking lot at the beginning of the Mosquito Flats Trailhead at the end of Rock Creek Road. We started our hike around 1:00pm and arrived at Ruby lake at 3:30p. When we got to camp, we setup our tents, jumped in the water and then prepared dinner. The weather during the day was in the 80's with clear skies and a nice breeze. The temperature at night was in the high 30's low 40's with very little wind. The night was bright because of the full moon, very minimal wind noise. Day 2: Hiked to Mono Pass and hungout at summit lake before heading back to camp. Weather was also in the 80's during the day and high 30's/ low 40's at night, very little wind. Day 3: The morning before hiking out was very windy and cold in the morning, we hiked out at 9:30 am.

    As the other guys wrote: amazing. A great hike with minimal people contact. I hiked up on Sept 3…read moreand there was still lots of snow leftover from last year. I kept going past Ruby Lake to a second, smaller lake. From there one has easy access to the back country. The parking was a little ugly at the trail head: the masses tend to hike to a larger lake on the valley floor. After this hike and on your way back to Mammoth stop off at one of the hot springs near the airport for a soak. This is what I did and my muscles were very grateful.

    Photos
    View of Ruby Lake on our way up Mono Pass
    View of Ruby Lake on our way up Mono Pass
    Looking down at Ruby lake from the second, higher lake.
    Looking down at Ruby lake from the second, higher lake.
    View of little lakes valley on our way to Ruby lake

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    View of little lakes valley on our way to Ruby lake
    Mt. Dana

    Mt. Dana

    5.0
    (3 reviews)
    20.8 km

    The best mountain I have ever climbed was Mt.Whitney. However, I remember Mt.Dana more often. I…read moreclimbed Mt.Dana to acclimatize two days before I climbed Mt.Whitney. Because the purpose of our trip was Mt.Whitney, I was not very excited about climbing Mt.Dana. I know that responsible hikers should always prepare for the trails they plan to hike, but I had been too lazy to print out the trail map of Mt.Dana. Another reason I thought I didn't need to do such preparation was that our leader had done the same trip six years in a row with exactly the same itinerary. So I was planning to follow him and actually I did follow him. It was quite an interesting trail. During the first half, we were able to see a lot of plants and flowers that were specific for high altitudes. On the last half of the trail were only rocks because plants couldn't survive in the higher altitude. There were no obvious trails through the rocks although there were some cairns and flags to show hikers a good path to the summit. I really like this primitive kind of trail. It was stereotypic Eastern Sierra summer scenery; bone dry, brown, and quiet, with strong sunlight. The higher we climbed, the thinner the air became. That made it harder for us to breathe and we stopped talking. I knew that it was only six miles to the crest, but I couldn't see the top. I felt like it would take forever to reach the top. That made me psychologically exhausted. At the same time, I got more time to think by myself. It was hard but I really like this solitude for some reason. When I finally reached the summit, I forgot all the pain. Surprisingly, I was able to see the whole Mono Lake from the top. I had been to Mono Lake but never saw all the lake at one time. It was the most beautiful lake I had ever seen. Because I had not looked up any photos from the summit of Mt.Dana, I was able to be surprised by the scenery. Nature rewards me with great scenery and several kinds of emotion that I never have in daily life. This is the reason I can't stop climbing mountains. Some people believe that mountains have some spiritual power and some places such as Mt.Shasta are known as power spots. I still don't really understand or feel that kind of power, but I got a sense of mountain's strength a little.

    You won't find the Mt. Dana Summit Trail on your National Park Service map and you're unlikely to…read morefind it in your hiking guidebook either. What you will find on this trail however, is a challenging trip up the second highest peak in Yosemite National Park which rewards with some of the best panoramic views you'll experience anywhere.

    Ansel Adams Wilderness

    Ansel Adams Wilderness

    5.0
    (6 reviews)
    23.3 km

    I entered the Ansel Adams Wilderness to reach 1000 Island Lake…read more Start the 16-mile roundtrip hike with almost 4000' elevation gain at the Silver Lake Campground on the June Lake Loop. Take the trail towards Agnew and Gem Lakes that transverses a cable-pulled rail line. Just before reaching the dam at Agnew Lake, follow signs to Clark Lakes by diverting left to the toughest part of the hike that goes up a rock scree. Enjoy the Clark Lakes and then follow the signs to 1000 Island Lake where the terrain rolls up and down. When approaching 1000 Island from the east, a climatic build up occurs as the trail skirts along a cascading river to one of best lakes imaginable. It's impossible to oversell the beauty of this large mountain lake dotted with vegetated islands and backed by towering granite crags. Although a long hike, plenty of stuff to see along the way maintains interest. Not monotonous (like hikes with only dense forest where every tree stump looks the same), the beginning has great views of Silver Lake followed by the industrial dams and rail tracks, and then the lushly green Clark Lakes - a worthwhile visit of their own. The busiest area was near 1000 Island Lake despite being the furthest from civilization. Consequently, my day-hiker self was in the minority amid the overnight backpackers and the trailhead parking lot was only half full. In late June 2022 during a drought, the lakes were full of water and patches of snow existed but never across the trail.

    Activity type: Backpacking Elevation gain at start: 7280…read moreLength: 36 miles total Trail type: out and back Skill level: moderate to strenuous Duration: 3 nights/4 days Top Elevation: 11,500 Total elevation gain: 7882 This hike will start you at the Rush Creek Trail at 7,280. Having climbed this trail so many times It still doesn't get old. It's the Labor Day w/e so the campground was packed with RV's . Although there were a couple of spots left for us backpackers. It was the perfect weather to hike in at 78 degrees. First Man made lake you will encounter will be Gem Lake at 9058 ft. The condition for this lake was appalling. The water level was low and the shore around it was dry. Expect to gain 1778 ft in 5 miles to get to Gem Lake. Alger Lakes is 7.5 miles from the intersection of Gem/Waugh/1000 Island. You start at 9160 ft and expect to gain 1840 ft the the very last of the three lakes. To get to the third Alger Lake you traverse a very scenic and relatively easy narrow trail surrounded by Donohue Peak at 11000 and Koip Peak at 12000. We scrambled up a class 2 nameless pass to get to a lake just below Koip Peak. It was merely a bowl of alpine lake not as big as the first Alger Lake but it was beautiful with dark rocks and nobody but us. No sign of snow since it's facing north. Although there's plenty of sign that the lake was once big and full. Rocks were exposed. Shores were much bigger. On the climb up we saw a not so visible waterfall form the lower lakes and followed it all the way up. At 11,500 the three Alger Lakes were fully exposed. What a scene! Alger Lakes are considered one of the most beautiful area to backpack. It boasts of one of the most beautiful canyon. Colors of green, blue, purple, red and yellow will play a trick on youR mind. I could swear I was in the Grand Canyon. Between the two canyons you will be able to get a glimpse of June lake resort. This is a very difficult hike with a lot of steep switchback climbs for miles and miles. Although the reward in the end and on the way in is worth it's weight in whatever precious metal you can think of. This is a very windy area. It may run 78-80 degrees during the day but the wind is chilled ice at 15-20 miles an hour. You. Will. Get. Cold! At night the wind is even worse. So pack some warm but light clothing and secure your tent. But this is one of my most rewarding trip. Awesome! #backpacking rocks # getoffyourbutt #getoffmybutt #11500 #koip peak12000.

    Photos
    Ansel Adams Wilderness
    Parts of the canyon
    Parts of the canyon
    The trail that runs alongside the canyon. Downhill on the way in and a bi*** on the way out. And this is just a portion!

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    The trail that runs alongside the canyon. Downhill on the way in and a bi*** on the way out. And this is just a portion!
    Earthquake Fault

    Earthquake Fault

    4.5
    (30 reviews)
    17.3 km

    Really easy to get to, no mosquitos, and not crowded at all. An older gentleman there who I think…read morewas an off duty park Ranger or something told us all about the fault, cases of people falling in, and what to look out for, etc. He said it's more impressive looking from the other side of the main road (going from Mammoth Lakes to Mammoth Mountain), though we couldn't find any signs or trailheads for this part afterwards. Nonetheless this is a pretty neat, quick stop with no hike required to get to it.

    I recently stopped by this earthquake fault to check it out while in the Mammoth area. It was easy…read moreto find, and parking was easy. Based on the photos, I was expecting this to be more like a cliff with a tall crack in it. In reality, it's more like a very long ditch. If you're into geology, or if you're super impressed by thinking about the earth splitting open, then maybe you should check this out. Personally, I wasn't very moved by this experience. If you didn't know that this was an earthquake fault, then there would be nothing impressive about it. It's just a very long gorge that is kind of deep in some places. I'm not sure if rappelling into the fault is allowed, but I thought it would be interesting to get a closer up view of some of the rocks and pools on the bottom. Honestly not really worth driving out of your way to see this unless you happen to be a geology fanatic, or are just dead set on seeing every possible sight near Mammoth.

    Photos
    Earthquake Fault
    Earthquake Fault
    Earthquake Fault

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    International Alpine Guides - hiking - Updated June 2026

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