What we offer
Two ways to get into the Sierra backcountry
Every trip is different, so we work two ways: fully guided, or self-guided with our planning behind you. Compare them below, or jump straight to a section.
| Guided | Trip Planning | |
|---|---|---|
| On-trail leadership | Guide leads every day | You lead, using our plan |
| Permit handling | Fully handled for you | Strategy + backup plans provided |
| Typical cost driver | Guide day-rate + group size | From $150/trip (retainer) to $225 flat |
| Best for | New terrain, skill-building, no interest in logistics | Confident backcountry travelers short on planning time |
Track one
Guided Trips
A certified guide leads your group from trailhead to trailhead. You bring the fitness and the motivation — we bring the local knowledge, the permits, and the judgment calls.
- A certified guide (or guide team) on-trail for the full trip
- Route-finding, pacing, and real-time hazard/weather calls
- Wilderness permits reserved and carried on your behalf
- Group camp logistics — water sources, campsite selection, LNT practice
- Trip-specific safety plan and wilderness first aid coverage
- Pre-trip gear & fitness check-in call
Multi-day backpacking
Point-to-point routes and loops from 2 to 10+ days, paced to your group.
Peak ascents & scrambles
Class 1–3 summits — Whitney, White Mountain, and other classic Sierra peaks.
Off-trail traverses
Cross-country passes and basin-to-basin routes for experienced hikers.
Spring ski mountaineering
Corn-snow tours and couloir descents during the spring ski season.
Group size: we keep guide-to-client ratios small — typically one guide per 2–4 clients on trail routes, tighter on off-trail or ski-mountaineering terrain. Larger groups add a second guide rather than stretching the ratio.
Track two
Trip Planning & Consulting
For backpackers who don't need a guide on-trail but want the route dialed, the permit odds improved, and the "did we miss anything?" nerves handled before day one.
- Custom route design around your dates, fitness, and goals
- Permit lottery strategy plus backup trailhead/date options
- Full itinerary with pacing, water sources, and campsite options
- Food planning — ration sizing, resupply points, and menu ideas
- Bail-out points and a written contingency/weather plan
- 1:1 video or phone consulting call(s) with a guide
Trip Plan Package
One trip, full service
A complete written itinerary, permit strategy, and route packet delivered before you go, plus one planning call.
Up to 6 people, +$20/person beyond that
Hourly Consulting
You have a draft, want it checked
Bring your own draft plan — we review it, flag issues, and answer questions on a call.
Most reviews run 1–3 hrs
Season Retainer
3+ trips a season
For clubs, families, or frequent trip leaders — a flat fee covers your first 4 trip plans, about a third off booking them one at a time.
Covers your first 4 trip plans, +$150 each after
See a sample trip plan
A real (redacted) example of the route packet, permit calendar, and food plan you'd actually receive.
From our field notes
“The lottery isn't a plan. It's one input into a plan that has to work even when you don't draw the date you wanted.”
Reading the Whitney Zone Lottery
“We plan for roughly 2,500–3,000 calories per person per day on a moderate-effort trip, scaling up toward 3,500+ on strenuous days.”
What We Actually Pack for Food
Turnaround & revisions: drafts arrive within 5 business days of your intake call, with one revision round included on every format. Need more? Extra rounds are billed at the Hourly Consulting rate. Plans are delivered as a PDF plus a shareable digital route packet — see the FAQfor what happens if your permit dates shift.
Add-on: skills coaching
Tack a half-day onto any trip — map & compass navigation, Leave No Trace practice, water crossings, or snow travel basics — for guided and planning clients alike.
Process
How it works
Guided trips and trip-planning engagements run on different timelines — here's each, step by step.
Guided trips
- 1
Inquire
Tell us your dates, region interest, and group size.
- 2
Consult
A short call to nail down goals, experience level, and fitness — no obligation.
- 3
Proposal
A written proposal: route, dates, guide-to-client ratio, and cost.
- 4
Confirm
A deposit locks the date. Final logistics and packing details follow closer to the trip.
- 5
Trailhead
Your guide meets you at the trailhead and leads the trip start to finish.
Trip planning
- 1
Inquire
Tell us your dates, region, and any route ideas — or that you have none yet.
- 2
Intake call
A 30–45 minute call: experience, fitness, goals, and constraints.
- 3
Draft delivered
Your route, permit strategy, and itinerary — within 5 business days of the call.
- 4
Revise
One revision round is included; we adjust based on your feedback.
- 5
Final packet
A finished PDF + shareable route packet, yours to keep and run with.
Not sure which track fits?
Run a quick estimate for both, or just tell us what you're picturing.