Cloudsplitter Mountain Guides

Dropping into Amonoosuc Ravine on the west side of Mt. Washington.

April is usually all about backcountry skiing. After a full Adirondack winter, we've been skiing in New Hampshire on and around Mt. Washington for the first two weeks of April. Originally the idea behind the shift was to extend our spring ski season (as well as provide new options for our guests in the future.) But this year spring has really only recently appeared up high, and many trails still have good coverage from the trailhead. Once the approach trails melt out and foot travel is required too- it becomes a different game. We're not quite there yet - and it's already April 15. I remember last fall reading in the Farmer's Almanac that it was going to be a unusually cold and snowy winter in the Northeast. It has proven to be pretty accurate.

Pam enjoying excellent conditions on Damnation Gully in Mt. Washington's Huntington Ravine.

Before we got too into Spring though- there's always a window of sunny, moderate temperatures- when the ice is still in good shape on northern aspects in the Adirondacks (like Pitchoff North Face) and at the high elevations, like up in Mt. Washington's Huntington Ravine, and you can enjoy a very pleasant day of ice climbing. Truly it is a world away from the cold dark battles of early-winter!

Cloudsplitter's slide into the spring ski season began with a four day backcountry camp in the Adirondack's Dix Mountain Wilderness where we earned our turns and endured some cold nights in exchange for beautifully sunny clear skies and several inches of untouched 'dust on crust' all to ourselves. We had a great time exploring the climbing and skiing potential of the slides high on the NW face of Dix mountain. Check out the full video of our trip on Youtube.

Since April began, we've had a a few weeks in New Hampshire, skiing with ourselves and guests on and around Mt. Washington. When we showd up, it was still winter there too- especially up high. At first we skied safe stiff windslab in the Gulf of Slides and high on the snowfields, until the first warm days arrived and allowed us to venture confidently onto the steep, south-facing terrain. For two days at least- it was just like Valdez- sun-baked but still soft and dry on steep terrain. Since then, it's gotten warmer and wetter out there, and we've slid into the spring cycle- if it's warm and sunny then the snow can offer primo corn skiing, but if it's frozen, you'll want crampons and and axe for sure!

Thanks to James, Tony, Horia, Steve, Zeb, Tom, David, Pam, John, Jeff, Jay, Eric , Jigger, Marta, Pete, Jim and Zach for all of the good skiing this spring!

Skiing on the less-crowded West side of Mt. Washington.

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HAD ENOUGH OF WINTER? If you're ready to be done with snow, then you're in luck, because spring rock climbing is just around the corner. Without the shade of leaves on the trees, the south facing cliffs bake in the sun and the cool dry air makes the rock feel super sticky....and there's no bugs yet! We usually have a small flurry of early season rock climbing in May with climbers eager to get out. Compared to the busy winter climbing scene, we often have the place to ourselves this time of year. If you're thinking about May, now is the time make a reservation, and we offer an 'early-bird' discount of 10% off all programs booked before May 15!

IF YOU'RE THINKING ABOUT ROCK CLIMBING LATER THIS SUMMER OR FALL...Peak weekends and holiday seasons often book well in advance. (i.e. we're taking reservations for August already!) so if there's something you'd like to do with Cloudsplitter this summer- roadside or backcountry rock climbing in the Adirondacks, or a taste of alpine adventure on Mt. Washington and in the White Mountains- or a specific timeframe you'd like to nail down- contact us asap to ensure the best availability.

NOT HAD ENOUGH OF WINTER?  Summer in the alpine is a sublime and invigorating experience. Long days allow us to tackle bigger objectives or camp comfortably in the backcountry. Bigger mountains offer new adventures and the chance to put well-trained skills and experience to use. Private guiding opportunities are available this summer for classic alpine climbs in the Tetons and bigger glaciated objectives like Mt. Baker and Mt. Shuksan in the the North Cascades National Park. Contact Jesse asap if you're interested in alpine climbing this summer or with help training for another objective.