Join North Cascades Mountain Guides, on what is surely a trip of a lifetime, the fabled European High Route. This is undoubtedly one of the worlds most spectacular ski tours, and with the support of the French and Swiss Alpine Club, huts can be comfortably achieved by most advanced skiers.

We love skiing. It’s that simple. If you can relate, the Backcountry Season Pass is for you. This is our way of rewarding your love of skiing and providing what we think is the best deal going to get you out there! Whether you are looking to develop your backcountry skills, or just want to get the powder goods when it's going off, this program gives you the flexibility you need to make the most of your winter. The BC Season Pass is valid in both our Washington Pass and Steven's Pass programs, and most weekends are now available for BC Season Pass holders!   

Stevens Pass is home to some of the deepest snow and best tree skiing in the Pacific Northwest and is located only one and a half hours from downtown Seattle.  North Cascades Mountain Guides offers traditional backcountry skiing trips, “Out-of-Bounds” skiing at Stevens Pass Mountain Resort and Snowmobile-Accessed backcountry trips out of Stevens Pass, Lake Wenatchee, Leavenworth and Blewett Pass.   

A short and fun snowmobile ride up the spectacular North Cascades Highway provides access to the best backcountry ski and splitboarding terrain in the state. With the annual closure of the North Cascades Highway in the late fall thanks to heavy snowfalls, the season for backcountry skiing adventure starts lasts well into April. The touring opportunities in this zone are plentiful, and superb by any measure.

NCMG Owners Jeff Ward, Larry Goldie, and Josh Colle are instructors and examiners for the American Mountain Guides Association guide training and certification programs.  

We often get requests from guides going through the AMGA training program for either additional training for advanced courses or structured preparation for an exam.  If you would like to prepare for an upcoming course or exam please get in touch with us as soon as possible.  Their schedules fill up quickly, especially right before the alpine and ski exams (late summer and late winter).

This 2-day course is designed to teach you all the basic skills necessary to climb an alpine summit, and then put them to the test on day 2 on a summit climb at Washington pass. This is an ideal program for those wanting to get into climbing, as it will set a solid foundation of skills that you can continue to build on as you continue your development as a climber. It is also a great program for those that just want to climb an iconic peak such as Liberty Bell or South Early Winter Spire and do it comfortably and with a high margin of safety since we limit the group size to 2:1 or 1:1 - and

The AIARE 2 is for those who have taken an AIARE 1 and Avalanche Rescue and have had at least a year of backcountry travel experience. The AIARE 2 provides backcountry leaders the opportunity to advance their avalanche knowledge and decision making skills.

The AIARE 2 is a three-day/24-hour course that provides backcountry travelers an opportunity to advance their decision-making skills in more complicated situations such as being a leader within a small travel group, traveling in more complicated terrain, and/or developing a travel plan where resources are scarce.

This avalanche course is designed for anyone looking to feel more confident traveling and being a contributing group member in avalanche terrain. This program has a pre-course online learning component, plus three days of instruction provided by experienced ski guides and avalanche forecasters. The curriculum is based on the AIARE (American Institute of Avalanche Research and Education) Level 1 curriculum and taught by AIARE trained instructors. 

Standing at 19,340 ft. Kilimanjaro, the highest mountain in Africa, offers an adventure of a lifetime. Join NCMG owners Matt Walker and Josh Cole on an expedition to one of the most unique mountains in the world.

Kilimanjaro is an amazing experience and unique in its attributes: high elevation summit, equatorial climate, east African cultural immersion, wild game safari, and an opportunity to summit one of the most iconic mountains in the world!