Utah Mountain Adventures

What Utah Mountain Adventures does

Utah Mountain Adventures (UMA) is a privately held, founder-owned mountain guiding service established in 1993 and headquartered in Cottonwood Heights, Utah (Salt Lake City area). The company provides year-round instruction and guided trips across six core disciplines: rock climbing, canyoneering, mountaineering, avalanche education, backcountry skiing and splitboarding, and ice climbing. UMA operates primarily in the Wasatch Range under a year-round USFS special-use permit on the Uinta-Wasatch-Cache Forest plus additional seasonal USFS permits, and is an American Avalanche Association-endorsed provider of recreational avalanche courses.

The product portfolio is organized into group Courses and Climbs (structured instructional programs priced per person, with examples ranging from $299 for a single-day Mt. Superior climb to $1,600 for the season-long Wasatch Mavens Women's Backcountry Mentorship Series), Private Guiding (custom one-on-one or small-group guiding billed per outing across all six disciplines), and youth camps segmented by age (Kids 6-8, Tween 9-12, Teen 13-17). UMA also operates persona-targeted season-long mentorship series, including the Wasatch Mavens Women's Backcountry Mentorship Series and the LGBTQ+ Backcountry Mentorship Series. There is no software platform or AI component; delivery is entirely in-field by the company's roster of over 25 mountain professionals with credentials including AMGA/IFMGA certifications, American Avalanche Association endorsements, and documented expedition experience on Denali, in the Himalaya, the Alps, and the Caucasus.

UMA's go-to-market is direct-to-consumer: customers book via an online registration portal (methodportal.com), phone, or email, and meet guides at designated Wasatch trailheads. Marketing is driven by an active blog, YouTube, Instagram, Facebook, and email newsletter, plus published course and event calendars. Pricing is per-person/per-trip with a $35 date-change fee and a $35 cancellation fee for refunds more than 30 days out. The company is owned and operated by CEO Julie Faure (with the company since winter 1993-94, director/president since 1996) and Operations Director Tyson Bradley (guiding since 1994), with no institutional investment, parent company, or public funding disclosed.

Name

Utah Mountain Adventures

Legal name

Utah Mountain Adventures

Website

https://utahmountainadventures.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1993

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Utah Mountain Adventures is a privately held, founder-owned mountain guiding service founded in 1993 in Salt Lake City offering year-round instruction and guided trips in rock climbing, mountaineering, avalanche education, backcountry skiing, ice climbing, and canyoneering across the Wasatch Range to individual consumers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Outdoor Adventure Guiding Services

NAICS

Tour Operators (561520)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900), Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Winter & Mountain Guides (Ski, Snowshoe, Avalanche, Ice Climbing) (THAAALAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

Rock Climbing, Mountaineering & Via Ferrata Guides (THAAADAC), Guided Backcountry & Off-Piste Services (Ski Touring, Splitboarding, Heli/Cat Skiing) (THAAAJAD), Mountain Safety & Patrol Services (Avalanche Training, Rescue, Medical) (THAAAJAI), Mountain, Glacier & Alpine Nature Tours (THAJAIAF)

Keywords

• Mountain guiding services
• Backcountry skiing instruction
• Avalanche education courses
• Rock climbing guiding
• Alpine mountaineering instruction

Headquarters

HQ city

Salt Lake City

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Group Courses and Clinics: Scheduled courses and climbing/avalanche instruction offered to individuals who register, including rock climbing, mountaineering, backcountry skiing, splitboarding, ice climbing, canyoneering, and avalanche education courses. Revenue is per-person, per-course.
2. Private Guiding: Custom guiding services where a guide is dedicated solely to an individual or group, with personalized coaching and tailored adventure objectives. Billed per outing or trip.
3. Season-long Mentorship Programs: Season-spanning mentorship series (Wasatch Mavens, LGBTQ+ Backcountry Series) offering multiple sessions throughout a season, typically including assessment day plus multiple tour dates. Premium pricing for comprehensive season access.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Utah Mountain Adventures sells guided mountain experiences and instructional courses to individuals and small groups in the Wasatch Range. Offerings include scheduled group courses and clinics in rock climbing, mountaineering, canyoneering, ice climbing, avalanche education, and backcountry skiing/splitboarding, as well as custom private guiding and season-long mentorship programs (Wasatch Mavens Women's Series, LGBTQ+ Backcountry Mentorship). All services are delivered in-person by certified guides and billed per person or per outing.

Product overview

Utah Mountain Adventures (UMA) is a full-spectrum, year-round mountain guiding service offering group instructional courses and private guiding across six core disciplines: rock climbing, canyoneering, mountaineering, avalanche education, backcountry skiing & splitboarding, and ice climbing. The product portfolio is organized as group Courses & Climbs (structured instructional programs with set dates), Private Guiding (custom one-on-one guiding), and Youth Programs (age-specific climbing camps for kids 6-8, tweens 9-12, and teens 13-17). UMA also offers season-long Mentorship Series programs including the Wasatch Mavens Women's Backcountry Mentorship Series and LGBTQ+ Backcountry Mentorship Series. As a guiding service rather than a software product, UMA does not offer API access or AI-powered features.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Wasatch Mavens: A backcountry ski and snowboard mentorship program for women and gender-expansive individuals, led by professional female guides.

Segments9 records

Ideal customer profiles7 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• American Avalanche AssociationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUMA is an American Avalanche Association-endorsed course provider of recreational avalanche courses including Avalanche Fundamentals/Awareness, Level 1, Rescue, and Level 2. This endorsement positions UMA as a recognized provider of standardized avalanche education.
• U.S. Forest ServicecoreOthersUMA holds a year-round special-use permit on the Uinta-Wasatch-Cache Forest and several other seasonal USFS permits for guiding outside the Central Wasatch. They also maintain relationships and insurance for private and other lands where they guide.
• Exum Mountain GuidescoreOthersUtah Mountain Adventures is a direct descendant of Exum Mountain Guides, the oldest guide service in the US. Founders Julie Faure and Tyson Bradley both worked as Exum and UMA guides before managing UMA's operations. The historical connection provides legitimacy and operational heritage dating to Exum's founding.
• Wasatch Backcountry AllianceminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner organization working on backcountry access and stewardship issues in the Wasatch Mountains. Listed as a community partner on UMA's website.
• Utah Avalanche CenterminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner organization providing avalanche forecasting and education resources. Listed as a community partner supporting backcountry safety in Utah.
• Salt Lake Climbers AllianceminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner organization for climbing access and stewardship. Guide Chris Brown works as an anchor technician for SLCA rebolting climbing routes, demonstrating operational collaboration.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Alpine Ascents International: Seattle-based guide service specializing in mountaineering expeditions (Rainier, Denali, Everest, 8000m peaks) plus climbing courses. Comparable in elite-talent focus and high-altitude credentialing to UMA's Denali/Himalayan guide roster.
• Colorado Mountain School: Long-established guide service in Estes Park, Colorado offering rock, alpine, and ski guiding plus avalanche education. Closely mirrors UMA's year-round, full-spectrum, AMGA-affiliated model at similar scale.
• International Mountain Guides: Ashford, WA-based IFMGA-certified guide service running Rainier climbs, alpine courses, and international expeditions. Closely comparable in credentialed-guide depth and premium expedition offerings.
• RMI Expeditions: Established Rainier-focused guide service offering climbs, expeditions, and training programs nationwide and internationally. Comparable multi-discipline guide service at greater scale than UMA.
• Jackson Hole Mountain Guides: Year-round mountain guide service in Jackson, WY offering rock, alpine, and ski touring guiding across the Tetons. Directly comparable in service mix (multi-discipline, private and group, avalanche education) and premium positioning to UMA.
• American Alpine Institute: Bellingham, WA-based guide service offering rock, alpine, ice, and ski mountaineering courses plus avalanche education across the Pacific Northwest and internationally. Comparable multi-discipline, certification-focused service portfolio to UMA.
• Sierra Mountain Guides: California-based guide service offering rock, alpine, and backcountry ski guiding plus avalanche education. Operates as a smaller-scale, multi-discipline AMGA-affiliated guide service analogous to UMA in a different western range.
• Mountain Trip: Guide service specializing in Denali, Aconcagua, and other high-altitude expeditions, plus skills courses. Comparable premium-talent, expedition-and-course business model to UMA's mountaineering arm.
• Exum Mountain Guides: The oldest guide service in the US, based in Grand Teton National Park. UMA explicitly identifies itself as a direct descendant of Exum, and its founders trained there — making Exum the closest operational and heritage analog, though focused on the Tetons rather than the Wasatch.

Others

• American Mountain Guides Association (AMGA): Industry body that certifies guides and accredits guide services in the US. Not a competitor but the governing organization whose certifications underpin UMA's talent and credibility.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@umadventures
• Facebookfacebook.com/pages/Utah-Mountain-Adventures/305334635724
• Instagraminstagram.com/utahmountainadventures

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Utah Mountain Adventures