Mountain Gurus is a mountain guide service based in Washington State in the heart of the Cascade Mountain Range. We specialize in Seven Summits climbs, international mountaineering expeditions, and treks and adventures worldwide. We also offer a wide array of mountaineering courses and climbs throughout the Pacific Northwest.
Founded in 2008, we are a guide-owned and operated company. Our mountain guides are among the most dedicated in the industry and draw on extensive experience gained while exploring and climbing in some of the most remote places on earth. Our guides are highly skilled professionals committed to providing our clients with the individual care and safety they deserve.
At Mountain Gurus, we strive to provide each and every one of our customers with individual attention and a rewarding, personalized experience. As adventure travel experts, we will take the time to make sure all of your questions are answered. We provide the very best services and equipment to ensure that you enjoy a safe and successful journey while making memories to last a lifetime. Year after year, many of our clients return as friends to share in our passion for the mountains.
Our expeditions take place in some of the most stunning destinations on the planet, and we are dedicated to sharing these amazing places with you. Our programs are designed for climbers and outdoor enthusiasts of all skill levels. Whether you join our Intro to Mountaineering Course on the glaciers of Mount Baker, climb Mount Everest, or watch a pride of lions with us on the Serengeti, we will meet you at your current experience level and offer you an opportunity to safely explore beyond it. We believe that some of life’s richest experiences come from challenging yourself while exploring your world.
Our partner company, Northwest Alpine Guides, operates all of our alpine climbs, mountaineering schools and backcountry ski adventures in the Pacific Northwest. Offering ascents of iconic North American peaks such as Mount Rainier, Mount Baker and Mount Shuksan, our domestic itineraries are the perfect preparation for tackling the world’s largest mountains on one of our international expeditions.
Learn more about Northwest Alpine Guides
Our Founder
Dennis Broadwell grew up on the south shore of Long Island far from any mountain top. As a teenager he discovered skiing in the Catskill Mountains and hiked his first peaks in the Adirondacks of New York. He quickly became an ADK 46er, ticking off the last of the 46 tallest peaks in the Adirondacks by his early twenties. He began guiding his friends up the peaks of New England, including Mount Washington in New Hampshire’s White Mountains, where he made numerous winter ascents. After graduating from college, he traveled extensively across America and overseas while continuing to pursue rock, ice and mountain climbing. Dennis conceived of the vision for Mountain Gurus in 1997, but it wasn’t until 2008 that he incorporated the company through the encouragement of his dear friend Kili Sherpa. Dennis’ passion for mountains and exploration has led him to climb and travel all over the world. He firmly believes:
“Challenging yourself while exploring your world is truly one of life’s greatest experiences”
During his decades of climbing and adventure travel, Dennis has seen time and time again that when we pursue our dreams through human-powered achievement in a community of fellow adventurers, we open ourselves to a world of rich experiences and an incredibly rewarding way to live. Or as George Mallory put it:
“If you cannot understand that there is something in man which responds to the challenge of this mountain and goes out to meet it, that the struggle is the struggle of life itself upward and forever upward, then you won’t see why we go. What we get from this adventure is just sheer joy. And joy is, after all, the end of life. We do not live to eat and make money. We eat and make money to be able to live. That is what life means and what life is for.”
Today, Mountain Gurus follows a philosophy rooted in guiding, instruction and training. Our guides and guests pursue shared goals together – pushing ourselves to defy gravity while climbing, trekking, skiing, developing relationships across cultures, and immersing ourselves in the natural world. We firmly believe in the transformative power of international journeys. After all, as Mark Twain wrote:
“Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness.”
Come explore with us!
Our Philosophy
Our name, “Mountain Gurus,” captures the ethic of instruction and exploration that inspires us to travel in the high and beautiful places of the world. We believe that everybody has the potential to explore the planet’s tallest peaks. We strive to unlock that potential, whether by introducing a hiker to the world of climbing, or by helping an experienced mountaineer hone her or his skills for the highest summits on earth. At Mountain Gurus, we take pride in helping our climbers discover their full mental and physical capacity.
moun·tain – Pronunciation [moun-tn] – noun
- A natural elevation of the earth’s surface rising abruptly to a summit and attaining an altitude greater than that of a hill, usually greater than 2000ft. (610m).
gu·ru – Pronunciation [goor-oo, goo-roo] – noun, Plural – gu·rus
- A teacher and guide. A leader in a field: the guru of mountains.
Our Mountain Guides
Our mountain guides are among the finest in the industry. They draw on extensive experience gained while climbing and exploring in some of the most remote places on earth. They are highly skilled professionals chosen for their leadership, judgment and character, and they are committed to giving individual care and attention to each of our clients.
At Mountain Gurus, we have a passion for discovery and adventure. We take pride in guiding you on the path to achieving your goals.
Learn more about our trip leaders
Our Vision
What our climbers should expect!
Mountain travel can be extremely challenging yet profoundly rewarding. Mountain Gurus seeks to share our enormous passion for the mountains and foreign cultures. As we travel to some of the earth’s most remarkable places we encourage team work and a positive attitude. Our goal is to help you live your dreams while opening the door to a life full of rewarding adventures. We offer programs of various skill levels and difficulty. Regardless of which program you choose we expect our clients to be physically and mentally prepared for the demands of the journey. It is also our hope you will earn new respect for the environments you encounter, open opportunities to form friendships, and help you reach your goals.
We offer programs of various skill levels and difficulty both in the Pacific Northwest and Internationally.
It’s a yak!
Is that a mountain goat, a buffalo, or a bison on the Mountain Gurus logo? If you are like us, you probably grew up in North America and have never encountered a yak.
The yak is a long-haired animal (Bovinae) found throughout the high mountains of the Himalayan region. Unlike a mountain goat, which is also an excellent climber that resides below 12,000 feet, the Yak’s physiology is well adapted to much higher altitudes and lives only above 9,000 feet. Their larger lungs, weight bearing capacity, and perseverance in cold, harsh, and high elevations make the yak the ultimate mountain guru. The local people of the Himalaya and Tibetan Plateau depend on the yak for its abundant resources, plowing fields, hauling, dung for heating & fertilizer, milk, cheese, yogurt, natural fiber for clothing, bone, and even yak riding.
On many of our longer mountaineering expeditions, you will find yaks hard at work transporting food and heavy climbing gear to our base camps and to altitudes above 18,000 feet. The clang of yak bells can be heard throughout the high mountain trails of Nepal, Bhutan, India, Mongolia, and Tibet, serving as a constant reminder of what a truly special and enchanted habitat they live.
What our clients are saying about us!
“Mountain Gurus was the only option for my wife and I after speaking to many other guide services regarding our trek to and overnight stay at Everest Base Camp (EBC). The opportunity to take an adventure of a lifetime combined with the need to have the best possible support to make that dream a reality was found with the MG team. Careful planning of hiking & acclimatization days, teaming with the best Sherpa for our needs (Naga) & porter (Pasang) possible and emphasis on ensuring our food, water, lodging and overall experience was of the highest quality got us successfully & happily to EBC and back again. Dennis and his experienced team gave us the opportunity to fully experience both Nepal and celebrate our wedding anniversary at EBC, complete with a baked chocolate cake…that was over the top and a clear indication of just how good MG is at taking care of their clients.” Greg Y April 2015″
“Mountain Gurus, thank you for your assistance in planning our trip, we had a fantastic time. The team supporting us were fabulous, the guides looked after us incredibly well and we enjoyed getting to know them. As we climbed, we came to appreciate how important their advice was to our prospects of reaching the summit (pole pole!), yet they still made the journey to the top enjoyable and informative. Coming into the camp each day to a song from the porters was an unforgettable experience, and we are grateful for how comfortable they made the trip for us. Camping 200 vertical meters higher than other groups on the night before we summited meant reaching the top was much easier, that special permit is gold! We always felt like we were in the hands of the best and this helped to make the experience truly unforgettable.” Rick K June 2014“
“I joined Northwest Alpine Guides for an Intro to Mountaineering course this summer and don’t think I could’ve discovered, experienced, and learned any more than I did during such a valuable four day trip. I was really impressed with the pre-planned itinerary that packed in a range of mountaineering, alpine, rock, and general outdoor safety and wilderness skills – Once the program started and we got on our feet we got to discuss and learn even more. The preparedness, efficiency, knowledge and humor of the guides made the trip all the more entertaining. We really enjoyed our down time and great meals at camp, just as much as reaching the summit of Mt. Shuksan. I ended up liking the program so much that I joined them for a subsequent climb of Mt. Baker, and Mt. Rainier a week later. The mountains in the PNW are truly majestic and unlike anything else. Overall I came to NWAG looking to further my mountaineering education, and I came away with a great new skill set and huge appreciation for such a well-rounded program… Trust these guys, they know what they’re doing! Rachel D June 2015“
Read more customer reviews
Taking the next step?
Everybody must start somewhere. Our Four-Legged Stool blog post and fitness section can help you evaluate where you are and where you want to be. If your still not sure where to begin? Contact us, we would be happy to help plan your next adventure!
We’re here to help you achieve your goals.
Are you looking for the motivation or inspiration to raise the bar in your climbing career? Mountain Gurus offers personalized experiences for the world’s tallest peaks – including the Seven Summits. Discover the harsh beauty on Denali, the breathtaking views from Cotopaxi, or from the tallest mountain on earth, Mount Everest. With Mountain Gurus leadership and experienced guides, no goal is out of reach.
Read more about goals and fitness