Apex Mountain School - Vail, Colorado

Adam C.

I came to Vail for a work conference and was looking for some fun. Apex has it all, I did some mountain bike riding, climbing, and an all day multi-pitch climb. I cannot say enough good things about Apex, and specifically, Scott. He was an excellent teacher and taught me a lot about every aspect of the climb. He made me feel safe and secure. One aspect of the trip is you spend a lot of time with your guide. Scott is one of the coolest guys I've met, super easy to talk to and get along with. I enjoyed every aspect of each outing and will recommend anyone, from a beginner just wanting to experience something new, to an advanced climber, Scott will teach you something new. I hope I can come out in the winter to experience some ice climbing. Thanks for such a great trip Apex, I'll be coming back soon.

Jim F.

We went with Sean for back-country touring and skiing on a beautiful blue sky Colorado day after a big dump of snow the day before. Since the avalanche risk was high in the surrounding areas, he taught us how to recognize these high-risk features all along our trek around the Sawatch Range, which was our main goal for the tour. This was our first guided skinning tour and back-country skiing in snow that was that deep, and Sean kept things fun and lighthearted, but also instructive and safe. He picked locations where there was always an option for different skill levels, so we felt confident learning some new skills that we can build upon. Sean was a great guide and he made our day in the back-country such a positive experience. And yes, those are first tracks in Sledville! We will be back!

Ellen B.

I can't say enough good things about Apex Mountain School and their instructors. Mike was the instructor for my Lvl 1 Avlanche and Rescue combo course. He was a wonderful teacher. Attentive to each individual students needs, very knowledgeable and just a joy to work with in the classroom and field.

Aiden, Andy and B.C. were also great instructors who clearly are passionate about teaching and their expertise.

Thank you Apex Mountain School!

Sara W.

Went on a half day rock climbing trip with Scott at Red Cliff. The climbing area has beautiful views! Scott was a great guide with tons of knowledge and the perfect demeanor. Our group had 2 beginner adults and 2 beginner kids (6 & 10) plus one semi-experienced climber. Scott was so great with the kids. He helped the new climbers feel comfortable on the rock and worked with them through their anxiety. He made sure we tried to maximize our time and was very conscious of all the needs of our entire group. Very professional and safe. If you’re reading this far, book the trip!

Brendan B.

Absolutely wonderful expeinces with Apex, highly recommend. Taken 3 courses already (1 mountaineering, 2 ice climbing courses) our guide Eric took us on both ice climbing adventures and they were one of a kind experiences - really cool, knowledgeable, exciting, and encouraging mountaineer Eric is! I found this was worth every penny of what I paid for it and I will absolutely be taking more courses from them. Doing beginner backcountry skiing outting with them this January and hoping to get a hut AIARE lvl 1 + rescue course in this winter with them too. If you're on the fence about any course or experience with them just do it, you will not regret your decision!

Patrick N.

We had an unbelievable day of ice climbing with Jesse in Vail Valley! We had extremely cold weather, but Jesse was amazing in coordinating with us prior to our adventure, making sure we had the right stuff and offering to bring the more technical gear that we needed. This was our first time ice climbing, but we have had a fair bit of rock climbing experience. The folks at Apex Mountain School were able to select a location with a good balance of intro to more advanced ice routes.

We were initially uncertain about how the altitude would affect our abilities, but Jesse took the initial hike up the gulch at a slow pace, teaching us basic mountaineering skills along the way. At the frozen waterfall, we began learning to climb in some brittle and tough ice conditions. Jesse brought along extra hand warmers and cookies for in between climbs. Jesse offered great tips and encouragement to help my fiance and I progress in a single day, and at no point did either of us feel unsafe. If you're at all interested in learning to ice climb (or rock climb in warmer months), I definitely recommend Apex Mountain School! Totally worth it and looking forward to coming back!

Kristina S.

Ice climbing with Chad was exhilarating! We felt extremely safe the entire time and he did a great job instructing and encouraging us.

Katie C.

My 12 year old son and I had an amazing time rock climbing with Scott. My son has been climbing before but I have never climbed before, and the fact that we both had an awesome experience speaks volumes about Scott's skills as a guide. What's more, my son is on the autism spectrum, and Scott was great about meeting my son where he is (which is all any parent can ask for). Scott picked us up and dropped us off, which was great because I didn't know uber and lyft really aren't a thing in the Vail valley. There is a charge for the transportation, but it is consistent with other transpo services in the area, and the bonus is that you go directly to the climbing spot from your hotel because Scott brings all the gear in the van when he picks you up!

One important thing I learned is to do your research separately from your hotel's concierge. I was disappointed, to say the least, that the Park Hyatt Beaver Creek couldn't or wouldn't help me find a good climbing guide. I'm happy to report that Apex's website was easy to use and find the information I was looking for, and they were so incredibly responsive. As soon as I reached out, Scott was in constant contact with me about what our options were and all the information he needed to make a great, safe day.

And on that last point, I'd like to emphasize how safe I felt with Scott. I'm a total scaredy-cat and never thought I would climb an actual rock in the actual outside. I did because of Scott's support and teaching. Scott had excellent tips for me to gain control of the anxiety I was feeling about the heights. And I don't trust my kid with just anybody, and I was never worried about getting home with my kid intact with Scott at the helm. Highly, highly recommend, especially if you're going out with kids or have little to no climbing experience. I'm now a climbing convert thanks to Apex and Scott.