If you ever wondered what Santa Claus does in the off season, keep reading… Seeing the pure joy in someone’s face as they experience the White Mountains is a delight to behold. It’s like magic. Even if they don’t summit, being up there is enough for many people. In the photos later in this post you will see some of that pure joy on the face […]
A repeat guest came to us looking to hike a Zealand/Bonds Traverse. We put Redline Guide Arlette Laan on it knowing this is one of her faves. There’s not too much to tell that isn’t spelled out in the photos. The weather was awesome, the company was awesome, the trip went without a hitch. Below are photos of the journey (Note: for some reason the Zeacliff […]
We often lead folks on Mt Washington who want to experience horrific weather. This is understandable as the mountain has a reputation for it. In many instances our guests will stand atop Lion Head, shaking their fists, shouting… well, shouting something. Their cries are whisked away on the freight train winds before we ever hear them. This is especially true in the winter months. Granted, it’s […]
Glenn was absolutely incredible and I was so glad Debra joined! They are my heroes! I’m still processing the magnitude of how awesome the day was… 🤯 —Very Happy Student Our sole student signed up for an Intro to Rock Climbing. The morning began in the classroom with Redline Guide Glenn Van Neil demonstrating various knots and hitches — i.e., Figure 8, Münter, Clove Hitch, and […]
An oft-returning guest and friend of Redline Guiding finished his 48 4000-footers on Mt Adams at the tender age of 75. With him was one of his daughters. He stayed at the AMC’s Madison Spring Hut to better the odds since this wasn’t his first attempt. This feat he did with the help of Redline Guide Mike Maciel. And Mike was there for him every step […]
The statement “More Bang for the Buck” was ascribed to Black Cap Mountain in North Conway. It’s a gem for new hikers offering stunning views with only minimal to moderate effort, depending on your conditioning and perspective. The mostly westward views are breathtaking, and avid explorers may cautiously find even more to be had. More experienced hikers with added layers, more gear including a proper headlamp, […]
As we explain in our post about NH’s 4000-footers, a peak’s prominence partially determines whether or not a particular mountain is counted as a 4000-footer. In other words, it’s more than just a mountain’s elevation that’s considered. A hiker may tag several summits, of which some are mere — albeit worthy — bumps along the way. Case in point, the full Franconia Ridge Traverse. That’s what […]
We look at the mountains and consider them steadfast and unchanging, and they do appear to have permanence at a glance. But if you observe them over time and are paying attention to the details, you may realize that the landscape as a whole is in constant motion. Rocks roll, break, crumble into sand, and are washed away by rains eventually making it the sea. We […]
We often don’t write up our Educational Courses, though we really should. Inasmuch, every now and then we do produce a blog post detailing a class. In the case of this post, the bulk of the content was handed to us along with some photos by the instructor for this Hiking Intro Course — namely Redline Guide Hayley LaPointe (thank you, Hayley) so here we go, […]
Part of the reason Mt Washington is so deadly is that it’s “right there.” In other words, it’s so accessible all sorts of people ascend its trails. Many start small, then keep going, incentivized by the occasional views that grow larger and more frequent as they climb. Eventually some reach the alpine zone. And some of these end up on top of a 6288-foot mountain they […]
It seems like this summer is the Summer of Huntington Ravine. We say this because demand for guides for this classic hike-but-almost-a-climb is at an all-time high. And, we’re happy to oblige; helping folks succeed on this “trail” by keeping them on the actual trail. It’s critical in fact. People have run into problems taking what they deem the logical route without understanding the consequences of […]
A returning guest came to us hoping to take on Huntington Ravine — he’d hiked with us before and had a positive experience. This time would be slightly different, though. Not only would the grade of the hike be jacked up compared to the last trip taken years ago, this time he wanted to take his eleven-year-old daughter along. And based on his daughter’s hiking résumé […]
