San Juan Mountain Guides

Get in touch with your adventurous outdoors-y side with an SJM Guide! An excellent time no matter what activity you book them for, GEAR PROVIDED. Get the knowledge and safety you need while exploring the outdoors. Have a great time, these guys are the best! Dawn and Jeff took us out to a local ice wall to get in some ice climbing, we were out all day and it was perfect.

My friends and I traversed the Telluride via Ferrata for everyone’s first time and it was an incredible experience let by our guide Eli! We took our time, enjoyed the scenery, had encouragement along the way and even our own private photographer (Eli). Thanks for the riddles that kept us on our toes and the exchange of stories that kept our souls full. Till next time 🤘🏼

Nate is a legend. He built that whole course. I felt safe and supported the whole time. He was patient and took great photos of us! Definitely worth the spend. Highly recommend.

I had an excellent experience with San Juan Mountain Guides during recent ice and mixed climbing in Ouray, CO and an alpine day on Engineer Peak. The instruction, risk management, and decision making were exactly what I was looking for as someone focused on gaining skills for climbing 6000+ meter Mountains. My guide, Jake, provided clear and practical coaching on ice and mixed climbing fundamentals such as tool placement, body positioning, efficient footwork, and managing fatigue on steep terrain. We worked in real conditions which made the instruction immediately applicable. Safety systems, belays, and transitions were handled professionally and clearly explained. On Engineer Peak, conditions required trail breaking, constant weather assessment, and conservative decision making. The focus was on movement efficiency, hazard awareness, and judgment rather than simply pushing for a summit. That approach was consistent across both technical climbing and alpine terrain. This was not a checkbox experience. It was thoughtful, high quality mountain instruction centered on fundamentals, safety, and respect for conditions. If you are looking to improve your ice, mixed, or alpine skills with guides who take the long view, San Juan Mountain Guides is an outstanding choice. I would gladly climb with them again and recommend them without hesitation.

An experience of a lifetime! The Telluride Via Ferrata guided by Luke was an amazing experience! My friend and I were quite nervous about it. We met Luke in the morning of the event and it didn’t take long for us to gain the confidence we needed to take the trek. We were so impressed with Luke’s skill, confidence and reassuring demeanor. This job suits him so well! For two, in our upper 50’s and 60 with no previous rock climbing experience, it was very manageable with a high level of focus. Huge smiles and thanks to San Juan Mountain Guides! I’ll never forget it!