All alpine climbs are physically demanding. Mountain days are long, low-intensity exercise.
A course that is too hard will be less enjoyable for you. Work on your fitness by walking up hills or in the gym—strength exercises (squats, step-ups, stair-climbing with a rucksack) are useful for improving your endurance.
Intermediate and advanced alpine and ice climbs require a good level of fitness, as well as a specific skill set, such as usage of equipment, efficient travel strategies in glaciated terrain, basic snow/ice movement skills, and basic crevasse rescue techniques. The alpine terrain can be challenging and the weather unpredictable. Also, the altitude can really catch people off guard, so for a 72-hour period before your trip begins, ensure that you are consuming sufficient amounts of sodium and fluids. You should arrive with a healthy desire for enduring mountain conditions. Let your guide plan the day so you can focus on developing your skills while climbing the classic routes or best-hidden gems the area has to offer.
Our family of six novice climbers had such an amazing experience with Denver Mountain Guiding!! None of us had ever climbed outdoors before this; Ryan and Nate were the perfect guides! Their knowledge of climbing, attention to safety and details, high-quality gear, along with great instructions and patience was top-notch. We scheduled our 4-hour climb on short notice and had no problems getting the perfect time slot and location. The views were breathtaking! It was so cool to be right there with other local climbers. We really felt like this was such an authentic experience. Would highly recommend it to everyone and can’t wait to do it again! We could not have been happier! Thank you for the memories!!