Reservations and Trip Confirmations
A non-refundable deposit is required with each reservation, and the BALANCE is due 30 days prior the course
starting date. If you pay your course fee in total and cancel your reservation more than 30 days prior to the course start date, your course fee balance is refundable, less your non-refundable deposit. We are sorry, but NO REFUNDS are made within 30 days prior the activity starting date.
We highly recommend travel insurance to protect your travel investment.
Looking for a different date? Reach out to us by email at [email protected] or give us a call at 888-797-6867, and we’ll do our best to accommodate your schedule!
Verified
I took a 1/2-day climbing clinic at Yosemite that nearly scared me off outdoor climbing for good--I'm SO glad I gave it another try! I went to Bear Valley Box Canyon with a couple of friends, and all of us were pretty new to outdoor climbing. We were excited, but definitely nervous. Tim K. made this one of the best adventures of my life. He is extremely knowledgeable--not only about climbing techniques and concepts, but also about climbing history. He kept us safe, comfortable, and laughing until my belly hurt! He was incredibly patient and did a great job of building our confidence throughout the day. Tim definitely lit a fire in me for outdoor climbing. It's a completely different experience from indoor climbing--being outside, surrounded by nature, makes the whole experience feel like an adventure. It was worth every minute, and I can't wait to get back outside and climb again. Highly recommend Tim K. if you're looking for a knowledgeable, safety-conscious, and genuinely fun guide! Climb on!This review is for Tim K, who was our guide for Bear Valley Box Canyon. We went as a group of 3 climbers, and asked for easier routes since we were all beginners who wanted to get a feel for outdoor climbing (we're mostly gym climbers). There were some little snafu's here and there regarding the timing of the activity, but in the end it worked out and Tim was happy to accommodate us even though we booked it during an off-peak period (mid-September). I can't stress the importance of having a good guide especially for beginners, since they can make or break the experience for a newbie. A poor guide can completely destroy the experience and turn a newbie off to climbing entirely. However, Tim was extremely knowledgeable, and happily shared his many years of climbing experience with us. He put all of us at ease, and I did not fear for my safety at any point, which was one of our main goals. We appreciated his coaching, sense of humor, and expertise in Box Canyon. The route was doable yet challenging enough for us advanced beginner gym-climbers. Overall we had a blast, and largely because of Tim's easy-going and comical personality. The next time we're planning a trip in the area, we are definitely contacting Tim again. Thanks Tim, for a wonderful experience!Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google.
We leveraged SWS Mountain Service for our attempt to summit Mount Shasta. Caleb was outstanding during our booking process, making himself available instantly via email or video call to evacuate any doubt. This gave us confidence in our first team summit attempt. Brede, our guide, was nothing short of amazing. Always available and checking we were comfortable all the time. He quickly understood where we stood as a group and individually and challenged/encouraged us to summit Mount Shasta (which we did). I am glad we used SWS as it allowed us to really enjoy the climbing (not a hike - specially the last part) and not worry with logistics that would take away the pleasure of the experience. Thanks Caleb, Brede and the entire SWS Mountain operations.Verified
We summit Mount Shasta thanks for SWS We leveraged SWS Mountain Service for our attempt to summit Mount Shasta. Caleb was outstanding during our booking process, making himself available instantly via email or video call to evacuate any doubt. This gave us confidence in our first team summit attempt. Brede, our guide, was nothing short of amazing. Always available and checking we were comfortable all the time. He quickly understood where we stood as a group and individually and challenged/encouraged us to summit Mount Shasta (which we did). I am glad we used SWS as it allowed us to really enjoy the climbing (not a hike - specially the last part) and not worry with logistics that would take away the pleasure of the experience. Thanks Caleb, Brede and the entire SWS Mountain operations.SWS Mountain Guides is a first class organization. Our guides, Finn and Melina were truly outstanding. They were professional, caring, attentive and most important fun. I would book with them again without a second thought. I fully endorse this outfit.SWS is a flexible and customer focused company. When the Hotlum Glacier climb became a no go SWS guides, Caleb and Simran provided several custom options and worked with me and my son to satisfy out itch for an outdoor adventure. SWS never disappoints.The office particularly Caleb was very helpful during the booking process. Mountain Guide Finn was friendly, knowledgeable, and patient throughout. I highly recommend SWS.Excellent guides and highly recommend them for anyone wanting to learn about mountaineering. Highly recommended to use them on Mount Shasta as they prioritize safety. Booked again for 2027 with SWS Mountain Guides to climb Mount Shasta.Absolute experts in the field of mountaineering, and apparently backcountry skiing, and apparently everything involving technical outdoor exploration.Ascenso al whitney Muy desafiante y demandante Hermosos paisajes y entorno GenialGreat ice axe and crampon clinic! We had a great experience with SWS ! We signed up for their Ice Axe and Crampon clinic to learn some basic mountaineering skills. We are experienced hikers and have done some basic hiking in snow with micro spikes but we were preparing specifically to summit Mt Whitney on our own at the end of May via the Mt Whitney Trail, which still has a lot of snow and requires mountaineering fundamentals. Melina was our guide and she was excellent, patient and really helped us feel comfortable learning this new skill set. Learning the basics of walking with crampons, different steps and how to self arrest in different positions are essential skills! Without a doubt Melina’s teaching and this course helped us be successful on our Mt Whitney Summit attempt. And it was truly beautiful to hike a bit into Mt Shasta and spend the day on the mountain learning these skills. I would definitely come back to do a guided Shasta Summit with them in the future!This was my second trip with SWS, and once again they exceeded expectations. The guides are incredibly professional, experienced, knowledgeable, and friendly. We felt safe and well-supported throughout the entire climb, and their preparation and leadership helped our team achieve a 100% summit success rate on Mount Shasta. I trust SWS completely and would not hesitate to climb with them again. They consistently provide an exceptional experience and are simply the best in the business.We did the 2-day avalanche gulch trip on May 23-24, 2026. It was an amazing experience and our guides were super knowledgable, kind and fun! Highly recommend SWS Mountain GuidesSWS Mountain Guides #1!! First, I am 66 years old and a slow trekker. I reviewed several guide sites and, after reading SWS' treks, I chose to email and gather information. Their response to my email was timely and answered all my initial questions. I was unfamiliar with hiking in and around Mt. Shasta.(Previous treks included Mt. Whitney 7x, Lobuche Peak in Nepal and numerous hikes/summits in the Central Sierras. With the limited knowledge, I sent SWS several emails with questions about the accent. I also explained that I was a slow hiker and asked if this would be an issue. Caleb @ STS, responded to all my questions quickly and provided suggestions to prepare for the trek. Caleb was awesome! Not only did Caleb answer questions, he coordinated a boot fitting so I could minimize blisters.(I had a 211 mile trek coming up and was concerned that I would get blisters and would have to deal with them on my upcoming trip.) The day before the trek, Caleb arranged for me to try on different boots that minimized blisters.(Never got a blister.) On our scheduled start day, I met my guide Creighton. He went through my pack to "lighten the load" for our summit trek. I can't say enough how great Creighton was during our trip. He was supportive, positive and accommodating during the entire trip. When I explained my trekking speed, he was able to adjust his lead to meet my speed. Creighton made sure I was comfortable during the entire trek and he had a great knowledge of the mountain. I have used several Guide companies throughout my years and Creighton, by far, was one of the best guides I'd had. Hands down!!! SWS Mountain Guides may be a smaller Guide Company, but in working with them, that's what makes them great. Would I use them again? You bet!!!! Thanks Creighton and Caleb for giving me the opportunity to summit and create great memories!Climbing with SWS is better than climbing with a friend. With SWS you get a new friend that knows the mountain, routes, and has the expertise that keeps you safe.Had a wonderful experience! Met multiple guides who were all friendly and went the extra mile to educate us and meet us at our skill level. They made us feel part of the family, clearly evidenced by the presence of multiple repeat clients. I’d book with SWS again in a heartbeat!Enthusiastic recommendation for SWS for all skill levels! Had a wonderful experience! Met multiple guides who were all friendly and went the extra mile to educate us and meet us at our skill level. They made us feel part of the family, clearly evidenced by the presence of multiple repeat clients. I’d book with SWS again in a heartbeat!Had a wonderful experience! Met multiple guides who were all friendly and went the extra mile to educate us and meet us at our skill level. They made us feel part of the family, clearly evidenced by the presence of multiple repeat clients. I'd book with SWS again in a heartbeat!Friends with expertise Climbing with SWS is better than climbing with a friend. Your guide knows the mountain, does all the admin, route finding, decision making and has the necessary expertise to keep you safe. The best part is you make a new friend.Great guide, taught us a lot in a day, i think we will be back for a more advanced courseSWS is a truly professional and caring guiding company. They prepare everyone to have the most safe and fun experience possible. From the gear check before we started climbing to every minute on the mountain, we felt taken care of and pushed to excel. Particularly big recommendation to go with Noah as your guide, if you can!! 11/10 guide and human.Excellent courses ! I took the ice axe & snow anchoring clinics, and they are the best classes to introduce you to mountaineering. Learned a lot and the guide Nate, was the best. Looking forward for my next course with the team 🤞🏽Fantastic! I did two 1-day classes with my godsons (ice axe and crampons & snow anchors and roped travel). I took this course 10 years ago, but this was my godsons' first exposure to mountaineering. Our instructor, Finn, was fun and knowledgeable. Everyone had a great time - especially sliding backwards down the hill and self-arresting - and can't wait to come back and climb Shasta. Thank you, Finn and SWS!I love these guys! Second trip with them. This time up Mt. Whitney. Noah is an amazing guide with endless talent and knowledge. Can’t wait for my 3rd experience with SWS this October.Very well organized and the staff were super helpful. Noah was a great guide!
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Contact Us:
888-797-6867 / 209-753-6556 [email protected]
Bear Valley Office:
Box Canyon
265 Bear Valley Rd
P.O. Box 5104
Bear Valley, CA. 95223-5104
Lone Pine Office:
Alabama Hills
120 South Main St. Suite 1.5
Lone Pine, CA. 93545
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