Go On an adventure of a lifetime

Anyone can take you into the mountains, but the best guides will make a good experience truly great. With years of experience we are able to curate custom outings into the mountains that you will be talking about for years.

Our rock climbing programs are designed for everyone, no matter your age or previous experience. We offer rock climbing day trips in Boulder as well as throughout Colorado in the Spring, Summer and Fall. Every single outing is custom tailored to meet your abilities and goals.

From first time beginners aiming to learn the basics to avid climbers looking to expand their skill sets, we can get you where you want to go. With years of experience on top of being an American Mountain Guides Association certified Rock Guide, you know you are in good hands with Max. Outings usually last from 6-8 hours starting at 8 AM and finishing up around 3 PM, but times could vary depending on season, weather, and objectives.

Popular Topics

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    Intro to Rock Climbing
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    Top Roping
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    Learn to Lead Sport Climbing
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    Intro to Trad Climbing
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    Multi-Pitch Climbing
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    Custom Climbing Objectives
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    Rock Rescue

Popular Objectives

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    First Flatiron
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    Third Flatiron
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    Eldorado classic climbs such as:
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    Bastille
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    Wind Tower

Rock Climbing Information

# of Participants
Cost
1
$500
2
$300/pp
3
$250/pp
4
$200/pp
5
$175/pp
6
$150/pp
All rock or ice days in Eldorado Canyon, Open Space Mountain Park and Jeffco Open Space are run in accordance with land managers regulations through the Certified Guides Cooperative.

Come climb an iconic Flatiron right outside of Boulder, Colorado. Ascend this 1000 foot tall cliff, just a 40 min walk from the parking lot. At a relatively modest difficulty level, this is a must do for any climber visiting or long time resident. This is a great introduction to multi pitch rock climbing that offers incredible views and an excellent climbing movement.

The technical climbing of Eldorado Canyon State Park offers something for everyone. This is the perfect venue to learn how to trad climb or experience your first rock climb. Practice rappelling, anchor construction or just go for a classic climb. Eldo, as it is called by the locals, is a unique climbing experience and a phenomenal place to hone your skills.

Rock Climbing Venues

Flatirons, Eldorado Canyon State Park, Boulder Canyon, Clear Creek Canyon and Red Rock Nature Conservancy.

Schedule a Rock Climb

Are you ready to take your skills into the mountains? Considered by many to be the ultimate expression of climbing, alpine climbing encompasses a wide range of mountaineering areas.

We can help you achieve your alpine climbing goals. As an American Mountain Guides Association certified Alpine Guide, Max can teach you the skills to be self-sufficient in the mountains or do a specific objective with you. Every outing is custom tailored to your needs, be it educational or objective based.

Popular Topics

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    Mountaineering basics (cramponing, self arrest etc…)
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    Winter anchors
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    Glacier travel and crevasse rescue
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    Alpine rock climbing
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    Snow couloir climbing
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    Expedition prep (Denali, Aconcagua, Everest etc…)
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    Custom Climbing Objectives
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    Rock Rescue

Popular Objectives

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    Sharkstooth
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    Petit Grepon
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    Hallett Peak
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    Longs Peak

Alpine Climbing Information

# of Participants
Alpine 1
Alpine 2
1
$750
$900
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2
$600
$750
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3
$350
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4
$300
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5
$250
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6
$200
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All alpine days in Rocky Mountain National Park are run in accordance with land manager regulations. Using permits and insurance through The Mountain Guides Colorado Branch.

Rocky Mountain National Park is the perfect venue for all things alpine climbing. From snow climbing and mountaineering in the Spring and Summer to technical rock climbing in the mountains. There is no shortage of spectacular terrain for climbers of all levels. From using a mountain axe for the first time to climbing a technical rock route on The Diamond of Longs Peak, we can get you there.

Alpine Climbing Venues

Rocky Mountain National Park, Grand Teton National Park, and Mount Baker Wilderness Area.

Go Apline Climbing

Ice climbing is an incredible way to challenge yourself, explore the beautiful winter landscape and is an overall amazing way to continue your climbing through the winter season.

Ice climbing is a terrific way to push yourself. It takes strength, agility, and determination to scale a wall of ice. The feeling of accomplishment when you reach the top is incredible. If you're looking for a challenge and aren't fazed by cold temperatures, ice climbing is definitely for you.

Popular Topics

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    Intro to Ice Climbing
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    Steep Ice
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    Intro to Mixed Climbing
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    Multi-Pitch Ice
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    Alpine Ice
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    Learn to Lead
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    Custom Ice Objectives
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    Rock Rescue

Ice Climbing Information

# of Participants
Cost
1
$450 mid week or $500 on a weekend
2
$300/pp
3
$250/pp
4
$200/pp
5
$175/pp
6
$150/pp
All rock or ice days in Eldorado Canyon, Open Space Mountain Park and Jeffco Open Space are run in accordance with land managers regulations through the Certified Guides Cooperative.

Ice and mixed climbing will allow you to climb year-round and is necessary for accessing many peaks in the greater ranges of the world. Whether you’re interested in doing your first ice climb or you’re a seasoned veteran looking to expand your repertoire, we can help. Each coaching/guiding day is unique and fully customized to best suit your goals and desired outcomes.

Ice Climbing Venues

Rocky Mountain National Park and Clear Creek Canyon.

Go Ice Climbing

Frequently Asked Questions

Rock climbing is an exciting sport that can be enjoyed by people of all ages. However, before heading out to the mountains, it’s important to be prepared. Here are some common questions climbers have along with answers that will help you get ready for your adventure with us.

What Rock Climbing Outing is right for me?
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When you hire Colorado rock climbing guide Max Lurie, you can be sure that the day of instruction/guiding provided will be completely customized to help you achieve your goals. As such, we will talk on the phone and ask you some questions to get an idea of what your goals are. From there we can make some suggestions about how to get there together.
How do I pick a good Rock Climbing Guide?
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This is actually a scary topic because there is no oversight or regulation in the mountain guiding industry. This means that anyone with a rope can call themselves a Colorado rock climbing guide. Furthermore, guide services will often use language like “Professional Mountain Guides” while hiring young and/or inexperienced guides while paying them a fraction of what you pay for their services.

Always ask if your guide is certified by the American Mountain Guides Association. This will ensure that your guide/instructor has been peer reviewed and has passed their examinations. By hiring an independent certified guide, such as Alpine to the Max, you are ensuring the quality of instruction or experience that you will receive.
What is the Cost To Hire a Rock Climbing GUide?
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A guided rock climbing day in the mountains can range from $250-$900/day depending on the ratio and the complexity of the objective.The upper end of that scale would be a 12-16 hour day in the mountains climbing a strenuous and technical route.

Generally speaking, courses are cheapest because they occur at the highest participant-to-guide ratio.

Private instruction can range from $450-500/day and semi-private instruction is $300/pp/day. Semi-private guiding (for two participants) is often the best of both worlds. It allows you to have a customized experience while keeping the cost as low as possible.
Is Rock Climbing Hard for Beginners?
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Yes, and also maybe no. 

It really depends on what your previous level of athletic ability is and what you are attempting to climb. There is climbing for everyone and everybody. Hiring a Colorado rock climbing guide is an excellent way to find your baseline abilities as a climber. They will give you some pointers and you’ll be amazed at how fast you can pick up the basics.
What Venues In Colorado Are Best For Rock Climbing? 
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Different venues or areas offer different things, so it really depends on what your goals and objectives are. 

For top roping or sport climbing, Clear Creek Canyon and Boulder Canyon are excellent options. They both have dozens of crags that offer a lifetime of adventure and discovery. 

As for traditional or trad climbing, specifically multi-pitch trad climbing, there is no place like Eldorado Canyon State Park. Eldo is such a special place with unique rock formations and very engaging climbing. It offers everything from beginner first-time terrain to the most advanced technical climbing at the forefront of the sport.

Climbing Adventures We Can Take You On

Go Climbing
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Alpine to the Max is an independent certified guide with more than a decade of experience in a wide variety of terrain. No matter your current skill level, when you climb with us you get a top-notch experience that is fully customized to meet your exact desires.

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“I climbed with Max last summer on a couple of couloirs in Rocky Mountain National Park. I’m a complete newbie to technical snow and Max was everything that I was hoping for in a guide. Knowledgeable, patient and passionate about educating his clients. It was a fantastic experience and I cannot wait to go back out with him.”

William Rosenberg
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“Max is easily one of the best guides I have ever taken a course with. Max's knowledge paired with his experience and skill set is unparalleled. I learned so much and I am so grateful to have taken a course with him! Max provided the education and knowledge I needed to continue recreating safely in the mountains.”

Nichola Krieg
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“Max was an amazing guide and instructor for our 2-day AIARE 1 course. Funny, affable, deeply knowledgeable, with an excellent approach to instruction and learning. We saw several other AIARE courses out there in the same locations, and in comparison, we were VERY glad we were spending our weekend learning from Max!

Dylan Cate
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Max is awesome! My climbing partner and I booked a day with Max to learn how to ice climb. Between making the meetup spot an easy to find location, to providing in-depth instruction throughout the day, I can't recommend Max enough. Max's instruction was clear, safe, and easy to follow. He's personable and easy to learn from.

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What an awesome experience. My friend and I spent four days with Max going through a variety of topics and we couldn't have been happier with the instruction. Max is SO well versed in a multitude of areas. And he's an awesome person to be around and it makes the guiding experience that much better. I would 100% do another session with Max!

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We strongly recommend Max as a guide and instructor. Having climbed with Max several times over the past decade, we always come away with a great experience and a smile. His enthusiasm and knowledge, plus a wry sense of humor, make for instructive and fun days of climbing. We hope to get out to CO to climb someday with Max again.

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It was awesome. We covered a ton of material in such a short window and I was able to apply everything I learned. I had pretty minimal experience at the start but he delivered everything in a super easy to understand manner that made it a ton of fun and extremely informative. I’ll definitely be coming back for future sessions.

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Max was incredibly helpful for our intro to trad course. He not only teaches the information, but makes sure to go over alternative techniques and general climbing philosophy. We were able to customize the class that day to go over things that interested us rather than a set curriculum, which I really enjoyed. I couldn’t recommend Max enough.

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I had very limited climbing experience coming into this guided rock climbing experience. Max takes me out and we literally jump right into my introduction to climbing. Max literally inspired me to get out of my comfort zone immediately and go beyond what I thought I was capable of. Thank you Max for an awesome experience in the mountains.

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Max is an outstanding guide! I couldn’t have asked for a better day of climbing and learning. I joined Max in hopes of setting a solid foundation of skills and knowledge in my own climbing endeavors to come, and I was beyond satisfied with the day he had prepared for us. An incredible instructor and ideal climbing partner!

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Max is adept, knowledgeable, and great to work with all around! He breaks down skills and explains them thoroughly, taking the time to make sure you understand a concept before moving on to something more complex. If you want to up your technical climbing skills and have a darn good time doing it then Max is your guy!

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Max was extremely knowledge and encouraging while we were learning and practicing building anchors and hauling for crevasse rescue. He also had a great sense of humor and kept the mood light while we were suffering through brutally cold temperatures during the practice. 10/10 would recommend!

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My partner and I hired Max for a day of self rescue skills and we had an absolute blast. Max is super knowledgeable and was more than patient answering all of our questions. We never felt rushed and had time to go through different scenarios and skills. I really enjoyed learning from a professional and would recommend to anyone!

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Max was a terrific mountain guide. We did a split-board tour of the Hidden Valley area of Rock Mtn National Park and I couldn’t have had asked for a better guide. He answered all of my questions and expressed great knowledge in snow science as well as mountain geology and avalanche safety. Highly recommend!

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I spent a day learning trad/multipitch climbing with Max in a "classroom setting". The dollars I spent on that session have been more valuable than any climbing trip or equipment. The techniques he taught me have stuck with me throughout my climbing career and set me up for success in the mountains.

Ready For an Incredible Mountain Adventure?

Climbing is the ultimate way to take advantage of the incredible outdoor adventures offered to you by living near the Rocky Mountains. If you’re looking for a fun outdoor activity that will challenge your physical & mental abilities, you’re in the right place.

Click the button below to get in touch with us to discuss your climbing objectives & goals. After our brief discussion, I’ll help you pick the perfect climb and get everything scheduled.

Go Climbing with Max