Stefanos, 2023 AIARE I

“I got my avalanche education here (AIARE1). The team I met, Anouk, Tyler and Emma, is fantastic. I greatly appreciated their attitude and the experience they provided. Will be back for more soon. ????????????⛷????❄⛺”

Lauren, 2023 Snow Travel Skills and River Crossing Skills

“In preparation for my JMT hike this year I took both the Snow Travel Skills and Water Crossing courses with SMC. I started my hike from Cottonwood Pass on 8/19/23. In the first 3 days alone I used multiple skills/strategies I learned in each of the courses and I was very grateful I took them. While it may seem like you can learn these skills via YouTube videos, the in-person explanations and practice gave me much more confidence in traversing steep snow slopes and crossing creeks/rivers. I also felt more confident in my choice of gear and knew when I should use microspikes/crampons/ice axe or not. I ended up taking only microspikes, but never used them because I crossed snowy passes after 10 am when the snow was soft enough and I knew how to use my boots from the class. The guides were really knowledgeable and helpful and the classes were interactive so I could ask any questions on my mind. If you want to learn new back county skills or increase your confidence in the back country, I highly recommend SMC’s courses.”

Jason, 2023 Palisade Traverse

“What a fantastic trip put together for us by the Sierra Mountain Center. From the start Emma was fantastic and professional in the coordination efforts for our Palisade Traverse trip. My son and I had a 1:1 guide ratio and the guides, Dave Stimson and Tyler Logan, were exceptional. Exceptional in their knowledge of the route, their efficiency with rope craft and their trailside manner – despite the exhausting climb we had such a fun time. We are already planning next year’s outing with SMC.”

Ken, 2022 John Muir Trail

“SMC and it’s staff were completely responsible for making my JMT trip such a wonderful experience. Very competent and helped me prepare for the journey from their wealth of experience and expertise! Highly recommend this company to anyone looking for an adventure in the Sierra!”

Jennifer, 2022 Mule Supported John Muir Trail Section Hike

“I had the most amazing experIence with Sierra Mountain Center on a mule supported section hike on the John Muir Trail from Red’s Meadow to Yosemite Valley in July 2022. Everything about this trip was fantastic! Emma was wonderful helping set up the trip and answer all of my questions beforehand. Our guide, Larry, was simply the best! He is extremely knowledgeable about backpacking and the surrounding area, and his enthusiasm is contagious. He was as excited as we were to be on the trip, and he was great at anticipating when we might need a break and motivating us to push through the hills. This was my first backpacking trip, so I really appreciated his guidance and encouragement, not to mention his great cooking skills in the back country! I loved that this trip was supported by mules, and our cowboy, Tom, was fantastic as well. The mules helped carry the bulk of our gear, so we only carried a daypack of belongings and snacks, allowing us to fully appreciate the long hikes. The camp spots were beautiful and this section of the JMT is incredible, and I am now looking forward to joining other SMC trips in the future.:

Jennifer, 2023 Custom Mt. Davis Climb

“I had an amazing time with Tyler (the most experienced guide I’ve worked with) on the trip up to the summit of Mt. Davis last Saturday. It was the most epic adventure I’ve had. Tyler has a wealth of knowledge of the Sierra mountains and snow travel. I appreciate his patience and experience. He helped me to overcome my fear as this was my first trip that required class 2 climbing and snow travel in Sierra with record snowpack. The views from the summit of Mt Davis was spectacular with taller and well known neighbors to the north (Mount Lyell and Rodgers Peak) and south (Mount Ritter and Banner Peak). Tyler is also a great cook. He brought fresh tomatoes from his garden. We had salmon, steak and chickens for 3 dinners. This was my 2nd trip with SMC. I highly recommend SMC for adventures + snow travel/river crossing courses.”

Michael, 2022 AIARE II

“Hey all! I recently took AIARE 2 with SP Parker and I have to admit it was fantastic! He showed so much passion for his craft and “patience” with us. It truly showed in the 3 days we spent together that he cares about what he does. He is so knowledgeable about snow science and in particular Eastern Sierra snow that I highly recommend participating in his course if you’re a frequenter of this magical mountain range. Can’t thank you enough and will most surely use the lessons learned in this course to be a more safe and conscious backcountry traveler.”

Matthew, Custom Backpacking Trips

“I have taken two excellent trips with SMC guide Larry Gumina. I highly recommend SMC. Larry is a good friend who has planned journeys for me through more remote areas, where we have gone off-trail and experienced solitude in the wilderness. His specialties include mountaineering, mapping, and route-finding (with the use of contours). He is affable, flexible, and willing to vary routes on private trips, based on characteristics of the terrain actually encountered. He is very well at ease in the mountains.”

Collette, 2023 Death Valley Hiking

Death Valley backpack with SMC guide Larry Gumina was exceptional!! He made awesome dinners and guided through exciting conditions (running creeks!). What a trip!!

Kaz, 2022 Winter Mountaineering Skills Course

“The four-day winter mountaineering course was everything I hoped it would be and more. I nabbed a spot just a week before the trip and Emma, the office manager, was super helpful in coordinating logistics and rental gear for me on short notice. Our first day was spent rock climbing in mountain boots; the second day was spent ice climbing; and the third and fourth days were spent backcountry camping and making a successful winter ascent of Crystal Crag. There were so many memorable moments throughout those four days that is hard to lick just a few to share but I’ll never forget snowshoeing across a frozen lake and climbing 4th class terrain in wind and snow. Our guides—Paloma, Dakota, and Tyler—were incredible throughout the trip and I’d gladly follow any one of them up a mountain again. They provided us with quality instruction in the field and good times back at camp. The guide team also did a great job adjusting the course to suit people of various ages, skill levels, and interests. In short, I had a lot of fun, learned a lot along the way, and believe the course was worth every penny. Thanks, SMC!”

Kyle, 2023 Snow Travel Skills

“I took the Snow Travel course to prepare for future backpacking and hiking trips, and it surpassed all of my expectations. The instruction was excellent. Our guide, Larry Gumina, was engaging, patient, and full of valuable information. He had great responses to all of our questions and a lot of experience to share. We started the morning with crampon techniques, moved on to climbing with an ice axe, self-arrest, and finished the afternoon creating snow anchors and belaying. We had plenty of time to practice, and Larry gave us lots of helpful feedback. I walked out of there with the confidence that I could use the techniques we practiced. Emma was also super responsive, and kind enough to add an additional date to the calendar, two weeks prior, to accommodate just my brother and I. We had a great time and learned a ton. My only regret is I didn’t take them up on doing the river crossing course the same weekend. Highly recommend!”

Peter, 2023 Snow Travel Skills

“A buddy of mine and I took a Snow Travel Skills course in May 2023. Tyler was the main instructor, along with Larry and Colin. These guys have a wealth of experience and obviously enjoy sharing their knowledge. We learned a ton of stuff in short order from the various steps used for ascending and descending, changing directions, use of crampons and ice axe, anchoring devices and belaying. We got to practice everything including about an hour spent on self-arrest using the ice axe both feet first and head first, on our back and on our stomach. 7 hours went by quickly. Well worth the cost and effort to drive up to Bishop from our home base in Southern California.”

Chris, 2023 Snow Travel Skills and River Crossing Skills

“I took the Snow Travel Skills and River Crossing Skills courses in advance of an upcoming PCT attempt. Both provided me with valuable information and practice in snow travel, ice axe use and river crossing techniques. The client-to-instructor level was appropriately low for the skills taught (6:1 and 2:1), the instruction was clear and practical, there was apple time allowed for student practice, questions and instructor feedback, and the instructor (Larry Gumina) was knowledgeable and engaging. Both courses were definitely worth the time and money spent and will be very helpful in my negotiating the Sierra Nevada in a high snow year. Also, the support staff (office manager Emma Gasman) was very helpful and responsive with administrative matters. I fully recommend SMC and will return for other services.”