Our Mission

Sierra Mountain Guides is dedicated to connecting people to the mountains.

Sierra Mountain Guides provides high-quality mountain experiences in the Sierra Nevada and premier mountain destinations worldwide, in a friendly, competent, professional, service-oriented, environmentally responsible, and culturally sensitive style. We specialize in ski mountaineering, backcountry skiing and snowboarding, rock climbing, ice climbing, alpine mountaineering, avalanche education, all forms of backpacking, and mountain running. In other words: We are your "Ambassadors of Fun!"

Our Core Values

We value you, our guests, and your full SMG experience. We understand what it takes to make time for the mountains in your life amidst other life priorities. We consider your time with us as a sacred time to enjoy reconnecting with yourself as a mountaineer, climber, skier, snowboarder, hiker, backpacker, or mountain runner. Over the years we have met such extraordinary and adventurous people. You all inspire us every day. That is why from first contact to the end of your program, you will be well taken care of by Sierra Mountain Guides. We appreciate the trust in us that your best interests are our #1 priority.

We value the profession of mountain guiding. Like you, Sierra Mountain Guides is inspired by excellence, and we strive to achieve it in all of our pursuits. We have raised the bar in our industry by requiring that SMG guides be formally trained through the American Mountain Guides Association training programs (or equivalent IFMGA-level program) in the terrain they work. This means that your SMG guide has had formal training & education, as well as 3rd party peer review and assessment. The best guides in the US are AMGA certified because of the dedication, commitment, and professionalism required to achieve that internationally recognized level of proficiency. Our guides also have extensive experience and competency in their respective disciplines of rock climbing, ice climbing, ski mountaineering, alpine climbing, backpacking, and mountain running. Experience informs judgment, a critical asset for a guide. SMG guides exemplify the very highest standards in the industry and all are motivated and capable to give you an experience of a lifetime.

We value the shared mountain experience. For Sierra Mountain Guides, the sharing of mountain experiences is the most profound way to enjoy being alive, and is at the core of everything we do. Together, we use our collective skills, abilities, and equipment to move through the mountains and on the cliffs with a maximum of safety, efficiency, and enjoyment. Achieving this creates a powerful and rewarding team effect. The bond of the rope, the shared mentality of backcountry travel, and the glow of morning light on the peaks inspire us to perform our tasks to the very best of our ability. Going to the mountains brings people together in a way like no other, and we feel privileged for the opportunity to be a part of your experience.

We value the preservation of the mountain experience. We live and work in the mountains and on the cliffs. They are our home, office, temple, and sanctuary. We value the preservation of that experience now and into the future. We advocate the principles of Leave No Trace to do our part to maintain the beauty and natural state of our environment and respect the experiences of others who may choose to venture to such places. We actively share knowledge and skills requisite to enjoying a long lifetime of high quality, low impact experiences in wild and exciting places. We invite you to join us on our mission to keep our planet's mountainous areas as beautiful as they are.