Ok this is a little long. A friend of ours who is a significantly qualified and safe climber knew my wife and I were about to go to Colorado. We had never climbed there and being avid climbers we could not pass up the opportunity. We needed a guide, my friend had lived in CO for months and climbed on his own. On his own behalf he did some research and came up with Apex, in his opinion Apex had the qualifications and certifications he would trust if he were to pick someone long distance. So I called, from the moment I spoke with Scott I felt comfortable and convince it was the right decision. In our phone conversation what really impressed me is how he addressed who we climbed with and how they climbed (as well as us obviously). Fast forward the morning of our climb my wife had become significantly ill, all I have to say is, not even meeting Scott yet he exhibited extreme patience and understanding. We delayed the rendezvous a couple of hours and my wife began to feel better. Meeting Scott solidified the impression I had gotten over the phone. Firstly my wife and I felt safe and comfortable for what would be the highest climb we have done to date. The climb Scott suggested for us was Bastille Crack @ Eldorado Canyon. Scott's personality addressed not only safety but was interactive and humorous, his knowledge evident. Needless to say it was a magnificent climb. My wife and myself will not forget it and will recommend Apex Mountain School to anyone whom asks. Chris Troisi and Danel Troisi Raleigh, NC read more

The Apex Mountain School gets five stars!! I came all the way from the UK (to experience real mountains) on the recommendation of a friend and I was not disappointed. I have been touring for a long time in Europe but realised that my skills and knowledge had faded over the years and I no longer felt confident of participating fully to my group in the backcountry. I did the Avalanche Rescue Course followed by the AIARE L1. The day long rescue course was an eye opener but by the end, a huge boost of confidence in ability, knowledge and procedures in many burial scenarios. The AIARE course, lead by Scott was tremendous and excellent value for money. The structure was well devised with appropriate amounts of classroom/mountain time. Although the class was to capacity (21) we had enough high quality instructors made available to engage everyone in the group and provide an informative and fun learning experience. I achieved my goal, to gain confidence in my ability to contribute effectively to any group in the backcountry. As a result I feel I need to pass on my knowledge to my 'touring partners' and will recommend at least one if not both courses. Thanks again Apex Mountain School and see you for AIARE 2. read more

My 13 yearl old son and I went ice climbing with guide Clay. We met early in the morning and were outfitted with new, high quality gear. We have both rock climbed but have never ice climbed. When we got to the site Clay began to give us great instructions on the gear. From the beginning we could tell it was going to be a fun day. Clay was very laid back and at the same time informative and professional. From rock climbing I could tell that Clay had used solid anchors and a redundant system which made me feel very comfortable. We had an extremely long day of climbing (certainly not complaining) during which we would intermittantly get cold. Clay gave us simple tips for keeping our feet and hands warm that I have never heard (later in the day he gave us cups of hot Gatorade). I later gave the tips to friends who do a lot of skiing and they were surprised how well the tips worked. I have to commend Clay. He was able to relate well to a 13 year old boy and kept his attention on him the entire day. Clay never seemed to lose any enthusiasm. Thanks to Clay and Apex we had the experience of a life time. I highly recommend this company read more

If you're looking for an exceptional experience and training that make a lasting impact around the way you think in the mountains, look no further than Apex. I took a AIARE level 1 class with them and it was incredible. The way they teach really pushes you to learn and internalize everything. Their extreme passion for the backcountry, navigating it safely, the tools and resources they share...it changes everything and encourages you to spread the message: get out there, enjoy the backcountry and stay safe doing it. They have a wealth of experience and knowledge to share! On a side note, I had a friend take the same AIARE 1 course with another company and needless to say, I'm already teaching him topics never covered in his class! Apex truly goes above and beyond to shape your mindset for backcountry travel and your journey of lifelong learning. I highly recommend them and will be continuing my education with Apex for sure. Thanks Scott, Mike and Tony! Dave C Castle Rock, CO read more

My son (15) and I participated in a 3 day avalanche training course (AIARE 1) with APEX recently. I highly recommend this program without reservation to anyone looking for exposure to back country skiing safely! Prior to the course, I was trying to get my head around all of the information to balance and absorb in order to approach the back country safely. APEX's team is passionate about what they do - and professional in how they do it! The framework and tools they introduced have provided us with a platform I feel confident that we can build upon - SAFELY! The tools, resources and decision-making framework covered are done so in a logical fashion, and the hands-on approach helps make it repeatable. I feel we now have a baseline understanding of what to look for, and importantly, what to avoid so we can take the next steps in a conservative and safe manner! This team is professional, focused - and fun! There is value in this course, and with this team! read more

I just took my AIARE 2 with Apex - I am impressed with the product and what I learned on every level. I am a mountain professional myself and have a degree in Outdoor Leadership, have guided backpacking, and volunteer on a search and rescue team. The wealth of knowledge I gained was well worth my money. The course was everything I hoped for in an AIARE 2 course. John, our guide, was knowledgeable, appropriately critical, and was stoked to share his knowledge with others. Scott, the owner of Apex, was in my group and was one of the most knowledgeable, well rounded, and risk management-oriented mountain guides I have ever met. Scott constantly added 'nuggets' of information wherever he could to add to our knowledge base. John and Scott held us to a high standard which was much appreciated. The AIARE 2 course with APEX was one of the best, well prepared, and well-executed courses I have ever taken. I would love to learn more from Apex in the future. read more

I just completed AIARE Level 1 with Apex Mountain School. Scott and his staff, Jack as well as local guide Stuart and out of town guest guides Tim (Utah) and John (Washington) brought a wealth of information to the table. As the saying goes: you don't know what you don't know. Well, there is a LOT I didn't know about traveling in the backcountry and avalanche terrain. After this I will go out more confidently and be able to assess risks much more appropriately. I loved that Scott and his guides have so much experience from so many different areas and were able to make snow pack comparisons. The in-class training was as valuable as the field training. Scott made sure to engage the class and as a result, we were able to create groups as well as bonds much more effectively than we may have otherwise. It was a great weekend and is just the beginning of my avalanche training, education and time with Apex! Couldn't recommend more highly! read more

I took my AIARE 1 course with Apex Mountain School this past weekend and could not be happier. The level of professionalism that they had and the extensiveness of their knowledge was incredible. They were truly committed to making sure we got the most out of our course and were truly engaging us in content the entire extent of the time. They exposed me to an immense amount of brand new material in ways that were easy to follow and peaked my interest to further pursue it. Some of the guides in Apex were out of town so they brought guides in from Utah and Washington, which was a super cool opportunity to get two unique perspectives of snowpack and terrain helping us give a more complete sense of snowpack across the country. I could not be more satisfied with this course and thought it was worth every penny, will always highly recommend Apex Mountain School to anyone interested in furthering their avalanche education. read more

Did the AIARE Level 1 Avalanche course last December. Really good three day course with a great mix of classroom theory and in-the-snow practical. The theory went into detail on what causes avalanches and the warning signs, how to safely plan trips using avalanche forecasts, as well as how to safely locate and rescue people trapped by avalanches. The on-the-snow days involved planning trips in the local mountains using avalanche forecasts and following the maps to stay safe. Along the way the instructors would point out warning signs, as well as teach us how to dig a pit and locate avalanche beacons. The instructors were both Heli Ski Guides and did a really good job. Highly recommend this course if you are doing any backcountry or sidecountry at all, or are just interested in snow forecasting. Cheers. Dan read more

We are always so pleased to work with the amazing Apex Mountain School team! As a local non-profit organization working with wounded veterans and their families, many of our participants require special assistance and accessibility in order to participate in rock climbing. Apex ALWAYS takes special care to ensure our participants feel confident and comfortable, allowing them to reach their goals! The staff is communicative, friendly, and well-organized. Our participants always rave about this life-changing experience. We highly recommend Apex Mountain School for thrilling family friendly fun! (Ages 6+) read more

AIARE Lvl 1 Course Had a great Course with Scott, Over our 3 day Avalanche Safety course Scott did a great job teaching my friends and I about Avalanche Identification, Safety and Recovery. A part of the course is planning our own trip using the resources Scott and his guides would use for their own guided trips. I would Highly recommend this course for any others looking to learn how to travel more safely in the back country and based on my experience hope I get a chance to book a guided trip through APEX Mountain School in the future! read more

I am not a Yelper but after taking my AIARE 1 with Apex this weekend, I am compelled to share my great experience. Scott and our group leaders (Kerry, John, and Josh) are a wealth of backcountry knowledge and their passion for learning is contagious. Due to rising COVID numbers, they moved the classroom day to Zoom (John kept it interesting) and then we had two days in the field with fresh snow and Considerable ratings from CAIC which made for plenty of opportunities to put the classroom information to work. Highly recommend! read more

The AIARE 1 was an incredible course with the best instructors! Zach was a great leader and his depth of knowledge was so impressive. He really took the time to craft a great experience for everyone. The whole team brought years of experience and technical expertise and were able to cater the course to both backcountry newbies and veterans alike. The AIARE 1 course is a great foundation for backcountry skiing and really inspired me to continuing learning more. Can't recommend APEX, Zach, and his team enough! read more

Thanks to Scott, Jordan and Chris for helping me create a platform for traveling through the backcountry safely. The AIARE 1 class they provide absolutely met and exceeded my expectations. I will definitely be furthering my backcountry education with Apex Mountain Guides in the future. These guys are very experienced and have tons of knowledge. I recommend that anyone who is or wants to be in the backcountry should take this course with Apex. Thanks guys and look forward to the next class! read more

I just took my AIARE 1 through Apex and it was awesome. All of the instructors are extremely knowledgeable and willing to work with you to ensure you get the most out of the class. The course is structured very well. The classroom day on Friday was a little brutal, but definitely a necessary "info load", because it allowed all that we learned to really set in when we went out and applied it on Saturday and Sunday. Big shout out to Stu, who led our group most of the weekend. He killed it. read more

Lucky enough to have a small class, so Scott tailored the experience to our goals and experience level. He did an incredible job introducing information but letting us find our own way. There is so much to learn in such a short period of time and he managed to make it enjoyable and not too overwhelming. He even found a way to make the best of the freezing cold, and lack of snow. I would absolutely recommend Apex for AIARE training and am already planning on going back for a guided trip. read more

My three sons (ages 17, 19, 21) experienced rock climbing on the Flatirons for the first time with Scott, and they really enjoyed it. He was patient with them but also challenged them. His priorities on rock climbing were safety, enjoyment, then summit if possible. Excellent lesson for these young men to hear from an experienced mountaineer. The school was flexible with scheduling, even when we had to re-schedule due to car problems. Thanks, Scott! read more

I took my AIARE 1 avalanche training with Apex in February 2021. I cannot rate it highly enough. The entire staff was expert level, firm about COVID policies, and helpful to answer questions. My instructor Mike has been doing forecasting, avalanche blasting, and ski patrolling since BEFORE I WAS BORN. If anyone is looking for a good avalanche class, take this one at the Vail pass location and you will not be disappointed. read more

Thank you APEX!! These guys are experienced outdoor professionals with unmatched local knowledge of the Vail/Summit area. I love how they really emphasize the importance of teamwork and enjoying time spent in the mountains. I have completed both my AIARE 1 and 2 courses with APEX. Both times, my instructors went beyond the standard curriculum, offering invaluable advice and perspective that will stay with me forever! read more