New England Mountain Guide | Climbing, Skiing & Avalanche Education
Certified Mountain Guiding in New England
Core Mountain Guides offers professional rock climbing, alpine climbing, backcountry skiing, and avalanche education throughout New England, with programs led by IFMGA Mountain Guide Paul Rachele.
From technical rock climbing on the granite cliffs of New Hampshire to backcountry skiing and avalanche courses in the Presidential Range, our trips are designed for climbers and skiers who want to build skills, explore new terrain, and make sound decisions in the mountains.
Whether you are looking for your first outdoor climbing experience, want to become a more independent traditional climber, are planning a technical alpine objective, or want to develop your backcountry skiing and avalanche skills, we can build a day or multi-day program around your experience and goals.
Explore climbing, skiing, and avalanche programs throughout New England.
Mountain Guiding in New Hampshire and Across New England
New England has an unusually diverse range of mountain terrain packed into a relatively small region. Climbers and skiers can find everything from roadside granite cliffs to long multi-pitch routes, technical alpine climbing, ice climbing, avalanche terrain, and backcountry ski descents. Core Mountain Guides primarily offers programs in New Hampshire and the White Mountains, with additional climbing opportunities throughout the Northeast.
Popular guiding areas include: Mount Washington and the Presidential Range, Cathedral Ledge, Whitehorse Ledge, Franconia Notch, Cannon Cliff, Other climbing and backcountry destinations throughout New Hampshire and the Northeast.
Trips range from introductory days to advanced technical instruction and private guiding.
Rock Climbing Guides in New England
New Hampshire is home to some of the best traditional and multi-pitch rock climbing in the Northeast.
Core Mountain Guides offers private rock climbing instruction and guided climbing for beginners through experienced climbers. Rather than following a fixed itinerary, we choose terrain and objectives based on your experience, goals, conditions, and the skills you want to develop.
Located above North Conway, Cathedral Ledge is one of New England's classic climbing destinations. Its granite cliffs offer everything from moderate multi-pitch routes to challenging cracks and technical face climbing.
A guided day at Cathedral can focus on:
Your first outdoor rock climb
Multi-pitch climbing
Learning Trad Climbing
Whitehorse Ledge is known for long granite slab routes and provides an excellent setting for multi-pitch climbing and movement instruction.
Depending on your experience, a day at Whitehorse may focus on climbing a classic route, improving slab technique, learning multi-pitch systems, or becoming more efficient on longer climbs.
For experienced climbers looking for a larger alpine-style objective, Mount Washington offers some of the best alpine rock climbing in New England.
The scale of the cliff, complex route finding, changing mountain weather, and traditional protection make Mount Washington an excellent venue for climbers who want to develop the skills needed for bigger mountain routes.
Backcountry Ski Guides in New England
The White Mountains offer some of the most exciting backcountry ski terrain in the Northeast. They also present challenges that are easy to underestimate. Wind, rapidly changing weather, steep terrain, variable snow conditions, avalanche hazard, and complex route finding can make even relatively short tours serious mountain objectives. Core Mountain Guides offers private backcountry ski guiding and instruction in New Hampshire, including terrain around Mount Washington and the Presidential Range.
A guided ski day can be built around objectives such as: your first backcountry ski tour, efficient uphill travel, skinning technique, transitions, route planning, terrain selection, Avalanche decision making, ski mountaineering skills, improving movement in steep or variable snow, or exploring classic White Mountain ski terrain
Our goal is not simply to ski a particular line. A guided day can also help you understand the decisions that go into choosing appropriate terrain and moving efficiently through the mountains.
Avalanche Courses in New Hampshire
For skiers, snowboarders, climbers, and winter travelers entering avalanche terrain, education is an essential part of becoming more independent in the mountains. Core Mountain Guides offers AIARE avalanche courses in New Hampshire, including programs based in and around the White Mountains.
AIARE 1 introduces a practical framework for planning and carrying out trips in avalanche terrain.
Students learn how to:
Recognize avalanche terrain
Obtain and interpret avalanche forecasts
Identify important snow and weather observations
Plan backcountry tours
Make terrain choices based on current conditions
AIARE 2 is designed for recreational backcountry travelers who already have experience applying the concepts introduced in AIARE 1 and want to develop a more advanced understanding of avalanche hazard and terrain management.
Avalanche Rescue courses focus on the skills required to respond effectively to an avalanche burial.
Training includes:
Transceiver searches
Probing
Strategic shoveling
Rescue organization
Practice with realistic rescue scenarios
Ice and Alpine Climbing in New England
Winter transforms the White Mountains into an outstanding training ground for technical mountain climbing.
Depending on conditions and experience level, private instruction can include:
Ice climbing technique
Crampon movement
Ice axe use
Snow climbing
Ice screw placement
Ice anchors
Multi-pitch ice climbing
Rappelling
Technical transitions
Alpine climbing systems
Winter risk management
Programs can be appropriate for climbers trying ice climbing for the first time as well as experienced climbers preparing for larger alpine objectives.
Mount Washington Alpine Guiding
At 6,288 feet, Mount Washington is modest in elevation compared with larger mountain ranges, but its combination of severe weather, avalanche terrain, steep snow, ice, and rapidly changing conditions makes it a serious mountain environment.
It is also one of the best places in the Northeast to develop mountain skills.
Depending on the season and conditions, guided programs around Mount Washington can include:
Backcountry skiing
Ski mountaineering
Avalanche education
Winter mountaineering
Ice climbing
Alpine climbing
Snow and ice movement
Mountain travel skills
Programs are selected according to current conditions, your experience, and your objectives.
When to Hire a Mountain Guide in New England
Mountain activities are available throughout much of the year.
Spring
Spring can bring excellent rock climbing at lower elevations while snow remains in the high mountains. It is also an important season for ski mountaineering around Mount Washington when conditions allow.
Summer
Summer is one of the best times for rock climbing throughout New Hampshire, including Cathedral Ledge, Whitehorse Ledge, and other granite climbing areas.
Fall
Cool temperatures often create excellent rock climbing conditions, particularly during New England's fall foliage season.
Winter
Winter brings ice climbing, mountaineering, avalanche courses, backcountry skiing, and other technical mountain programs throughout the White Mountains.
Weather and mountain conditions determine which objectives are appropriate on any particular day.
Who Are Our Guided Trips For?
You do not need to be an advanced climber or skier to hire a mountain guide.
We work with people at many different stages of their progression.
You might be:
Trying outdoor climbing for the first time
Moving from gym climbing to outdoor climbing
Learning to lead traditional routes
Preparing for your first multi-pitch climb
Working toward independent climbing
Taking your first avalanche course
Beginning to backcountry ski
Developing ski mountaineering skills
Preparing for a larger mountain objective
Visiting New England and looking for a knowledgeable local guide
An experienced climber or skier looking for a challenging day in unfamiliar terrain
The best starting point is simply telling us what you have done and what you would like to do next.
Your Questions, Answered
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Core Mountain Guides provides professional climbing, skiing, mountaineering, and avalanche education programs throughout New Hampshire and the broader New England region. Programs are led by IFMGA Mountain Guide Paul Rachele.
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Yes. Many programs are suitable for people with little or no previous outdoor climbing, backcountry skiing, or mountaineering experience. The itinerary can be adapted to your ability and goals.
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Yes. Private guiding can also focus on advanced instruction, larger objectives, technical systems, or challenging terrain for experienced participants.
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Programs may take place at locations including Cathedral Ledge, Whitehorse Ledge, Cannon Cliff, Mount Washington, the Presidential Range, and other areas in the White Mountains depending on the activity and current conditions.
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Yes. North Conway provides access to several of New Hampshire's best-known climbing areas, including Cathedral Ledge and Whitehorse Ledge.
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Yes. Core Mountain Guides offers backcountry ski guiding and instruction in the White Mountains, including terrain around Mount Washington when conditions are appropriate.
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Yes. Core Mountain Guides offers AIARE avalanche education in New Hampshire, including AIARE 1, Avalanche Rescue, and advanced avalanche education.
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An IFMGA Mountain Guide has completed internationally recognized professional guide training and examination across rock climbing, alpine climbing, and ski mountaineering disciplines.
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Yes. Private trips can be structured around a particular climbing route, skiing objective, technical skill, or broader goal.
Explore the Mountains of New England
New England may not have the highest mountains in North America, but it offers remarkably varied and challenging terrain.
Granite cliffs, technical climbing, steep ski terrain, ice, severe winter weather, and the alpine environment of the Presidential Range make the region an exceptional place to climb, ski, and develop mountain skills.
Whether your goal is to climb your first outdoor route, become a stronger traditional climber, ski in the White Mountains, take an avalanche course, or prepare for bigger mountain objectives, Core Mountain Guides can help you build a program around that goal.
Start planning your New England climbing, skiing, or mountain education program.
