The Crested Butte News Serving the Gunnison Valley since 1999
“It’s got a cool Euro feel to it”
Crested Butte Mountain Guides (CBMG) and Crested Butte Mountain Resort (CBMR) have joined forces to offer an experience unique to any other ski resort in the country.
After a year of discussions and meetings, CBMR agreed to allow CBMG to guide people on an alpine climb up the Guides Ridge from the top of the Silver Queen Lift to the peak of Crested Butte Mountain in the winter.
The Guides Ridge is the northwest ridge that starts at the top of the Flatiron ski run. Looking at Crested Butte Mountain from town, it’s the lookers left skyline ridge up to the summit.
Climbing the Guides Ridge in the summer has been in place for years; in fact CBMG owner/guide Jayson Simons-Jones says it started well before him.
“I think Jean Pavillard used it for guide training back in the day,” says Simons-Jones.
Simons-Jones first started guiding the ridge when he worked for Alan Bernholtz and Crested Butte Mountain Guides in 2003. But, it wasn’t until last December that the idea of guiding people up there in the winter hit him. In an effort to “up the ante” for his guides in their winter training regimen, he had them spend one training day climbing the Guides Ridge last December.
“Everybody was super psyched about how cool an experience it was,” says Simons-Jones.
Simons-Jones approached CBMR with the idea, and after a year’s-worth of back-and-forth, it’s a go.
“CBMR has been very receptive to it and trying to make it work for everybody,” says Simons-Jones. “It wouldn’t be possible without the work and cooperation of the Crested Butte Professional Ski Patrol.”
“It’s a unique offering. No other resort in the country has this,” says Erica Reiter, public relations and communications manager for CBMR. “It’s a cool product to have and it’s very safe.”
The climb involves 700 to 800 feet of scrambling on fourth-class and low fifth-class terrain.
“It’s three points of contact and a rope necessary for safety,” explains Simons-Jones. “It’s got a cool Euro feel to it. It’s a high alpine adventure with the amenities of a ski resort.”
According to Simons-Jones, to experience a similar high alpine adventure, one typically has a long approach to get to the start. But, thanks to the cooperation of CBMR, clients will ride the Silver Queen Lift with a CBMG guide and start from there to get to the summit.
The climb does have its share of exposure but is plenty safe. It’s extremely popular in the summer and now Simons-Jones wants to share the winter experience with people.
“The winter will definitely be a step up,” says Simons-Jones. “It’s not for the timid beginner. You don’t have to be a good climber. Just pretty darn fit with an adventurous spirit.”
Reiter feels the Guides Ridge offers another option for visitors who are looking for an exciting adventure with the Extreme Limits terrain still closed due to the current snowfall.
“It is a unique snowfall season so it’s cool to offer this to our guests,” says Reiter. “It’s an extreme thing to do when our extremes aren’t open.”
Once the snow does get here, the Guides Ridge experience will only get better.
“Once there’s more snow on the peak and it’s open to skiing, we could go up there with skis on our packs, climb the Guides Ridge and ski off the peak,” says Simons-Jones. “A lot of what the ski patrol does will make something like this possible.”
Depending on the strength of the client, the day will typically start by loading the Silver Queen as soon as it opens and the day could be done by mid-afternoon.
Trips up the Guides Ridge can be booked through CBMG or with the mountain concierge at CBMR. There is a single-ride lift ticket that is included in the price that is only available with the Guides Ridge tour.
“It’s new and exciting and people can be some of the first to be a part of it right now,” says Simons-Jones.
