What Altus Mountain Guides does

Altus Mountain Guides is a privately held Canadian mountain guiding company founded in 2012 and headquartered in Squamish, British Columbia. The company provides professionally guided outdoor experiences and instructional courses across five disciplines: rock climbing, mountaineering, backcountry skiing, avalanche safety training, and trail running, with an additional sub-brand in hiking and a specialized women's splitboard track. Its technical foundation is human expertise rather than technology — every trip is led by ACMG (Association of Canadian Mountain Guides) or IFMGA (International Federation of Mountain Guides Associations) certified guides, and founder Ross Berg holds the IFMGA credential, with Christine Feleki notable as the first certified female splitboard guide in Canada.

The catalog includes more than 65 distinct trips and courses, ranging from $200 day hikes and $590 two-day scrambling courses to $1,925 heli hikes and multi-week international expeditions priced up to $3,620 CAD per person (e.g., Dolomites trail running). Operations anchor in the Sea-to-Sky Corridor (Squamish, Whistler), with a partnership with Sea to Sky Gondola providing efficient alpine access, and extend internationally to Japan, the European Alps, and Patagonia. Equipment rentals (tents, crampons, mountaineering boots, climbing harnesses, etc.) at $15–$45 per item per day form a small supplemental revenue stream.

Altus operates a direct-to-consumer go-to-market: bookings are made through its own website and the third-party Rezdy booking platform, supplemented by an SEO-rich blog of 100+ trip reports and a newsletter funnel. Pricing is uniformly unit-based pay-as-you-go with a 20% deposit and balance due 14 days prior to trip. The customer mix is overwhelmingly individual recreational consumers, augmented by a school and corporate group channel and an Arc'teryx employee partnership. The business carries no proprietary software, AI, or technology platform — its product is certified human guiding services priced and delivered per trip.

Name

Altus Mountain Guides

Legal name

Altus Mountain Guides Ltd

Website

https://altusmountainguides.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2012

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Altus Mountain Guides is a Squamish, BC–based ACMG/IFMGA-certified guiding company providing rock climbing, mountaineering, backcountry skiing, avalanche training, and trail running trips and courses to individual recreationists and corporate groups in North America, Europe, and Japan.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Outdoor Adventure Guiding Services

NAICS

Tour Operators (56152), Tour Operators (561520)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

Technical Outdoor Guiding Services (Hiking, Trekking, Mountaineering) (THAAALAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Guided Backcountry & Off-Piste Services (Ski Touring, Splitboarding, Heli/Cat Skiing) (THAAAJAD), Mountain Safety & Patrol Services (Avalanche Training, Rescue, Medical) (THAAAJAI), Climbing & Via Ferrata Guiding / Instruction (THAAALAH)

Keywords

• Guided mountaineering services
• Outdoor adventure guiding
• Avalanche skills training
• Backcountry ski touring
• Rock climbing instruction

Headquarters

HQ city

Squamish

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Guided Trips and Courses: Revenue generated from selling guided outdoor adventure experiences including mountaineering trips, rock climbing courses, ski touring trips, avalanche training courses, hiking trips, and trail running expeditions. Prices vary by trip type, duration, and location ranging from day trips to multi-week international expeditions.
2. Equipment Rentals: Supplemental revenue from renting outdoor equipment including tents, sleeping bags, backpacks, mountaineering boots, crampons, ice axes, climbing harnesses, helmets, rock climbing shoes, and cooking systems to adventure participants.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Altus Mountain Guides sells professionally guided outdoor adventure experiences and instructional courses led by ACMG- and IFMGA-certified mountain guides. Offerings span rock climbing trips and courses, mountaineering expeditions and training, backcountry ski tours and ski mountaineering courses, avalanche safety training (AST 1/2), guided hiking trips, alpine/trail running expeditions, and equipment rentals. Operations are anchored in the Sea-to-Sky Corridor (Squamish and Whistler, BC) with international expeditions to Japan, the European Alps, and Patagonia.

Product overview

Altus Mountain Guides is a guiding services company specializing in guided outdoor adventures and instructional courses. Founded in 2012 and based in Squamish, BC, the company offers a comprehensive portfolio of guided trips and educational courses across multiple outdoor disciplines. The core offerings include rock climbing trips and courses, mountaineering expeditions and training, backcountry ski trips and touring courses, avalanche safety certification courses (AST 1/2), hiking trips, trail running adventures, and equipment rentals. The company operates both locally in the Sea-to-Sky Corridor (Squamish, Whistler) and internationally to destinations including Japan, the European Alps (Chamonix, Dolomites), and Patagonia. All guides are ACMG and/or IFMGA certified professionals.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Altus MTN Club: A season pass product offering backcountry access

Products and services

• Rock Climbing Trips Guided rock climbing excursions for individuals and groups, including Squamish multi-pitch climbs, single-pitch sessions, Challenge the Chief, and custom group and corporate trips.
• Rock Climbing Courses Instructional rock climbing courses covering intro to rock climbing, sport climbing, traditional climbing, multi-pitch climbing, rock rescue, and rock evolution.
• Mountaineering Trips Guided mountaineering expeditions including Matterhorn, Mont Blanc, Chamonix classics, Joffre Lakes, Mount Robson, Bugaboos, Tantalus Range, Wedge Mountain, and custom guided trips.
• Mountaineering Courses Mountaineering instructional programs including scrambling skills, crevasse rescue, glacier travel, intro mountaineering, and advanced mountaineering courses.
• Ski Trips Guided backcountry ski trips including group tours, custom trips, Revelstoke, Japan (Aomori Springs and Hakuba), European Haute Route, Spearhead Traverse, and ski base camps.
• Ski Courses Ski education including Altus MTN Club, intro backcountry touring, glacier travel and crevasse rescue, steeps and peaks ski mountaineering, women's ski mountaineering, and big mountain skiing.
• Avalanche Courses Avalanche safety training including AST 1 (ski and snowshoe variants), AST 2, Avalanche Safety Progression, and custom AST courses.
• Hiking Trips Hiking excursions including full day hikes, heli hiking, and multi-day backcountry camping expeditions in Squamish and Whistler areas.
• Running Trips Trail and alpine running adventures including Alpine Running Chamonix, Run Chilcotins, Run Esplanades Traverse, Run Patagonia, Run Skoki Lodge, and Trail Running the Dolomites.
• Equipment Rentals Rental equipment including rock climbing shoes, helmets, harnesses, mountaineering boots, axes, crampons, tents, sleeping bags, sleeping pads, backpacks, and cooking stoves.
• Altus MTN Club A season pass product (sub-brand) offering backcountry access to participants.
• Custom Group Trips (Schools and Corporate) Customized group climbing and outdoor experiences for schools and corporate clients, including team-building and outdoor education programs.

Named customers5 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• ACMG (Association of Canadian Mountain Guides)coreOthersACMG is the governing body for professional mountain guides in Canada. All Altus Mountain Guides guides hold ACMG certification, ensuring professional standards and safety protocols are maintained across all guiding operations.
• CAA (Canadian Avalanche Association)coreOthersCAA is the professional association for avalanche safety in Canada. Altus Mountain Guides' avalanche courses are delivered by CAA members and ACMG guides, ensuring industry-leading avalanche education.
• IFMGA (International Federation of Mountain Guides Associations)coreOthersIFMGA is the world organization for mountain guide associations. Lead guide Ross Berg holds IFMGA certification, enabling Altus to guide international expeditions and maintain global professional standards.
• Sea to Sky GondolaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Sea to Sky Gondola in Squamish provides access to Mt. Habrich and other alpine climbing destinations. Gondola transport enables efficient access to high-elevation terrain for day trips.
• ArcteryxminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate partnership offering discounted course rates for Arcteryx employees, including rock climbing courses, alpine climbing courses, AST courses, and ski touring instruction.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Others

• Rezdy: Tour/activity booking platform used by Altus for online reservations. Comparable as an enabling ecosystem participant that aggregates certified adventure operators - relevant for understanding competitive distribution dynamics in this category.
• Arcteryx (Corporate GTM partner): Not a direct competitor but an active corporate partner that offers Altus courses at discounted rates to employees. Comparison is useful for understanding the B2B outdoor apparel brand channel through which similar premium adventure services are sold.

Direct peers

• Kaf Adventures: Vancouver/BC-based outfit offering rock climbing, mountaineering, hiking, and ski touring trips, including local Sea-to-Sky Corridor guiding and international expeditions. Highly comparable persona segments and operational footprint.
• Canada West Mountain School: BC-based ACMG-certified rock climbing, mountaineering, and backcountry skiing school offering a near-identical product catalog across the Sea-to-Sky Corridor and Vancouver area, operating in the same geography with equivalent certifications and guide-to-guest ratios.
• Summit Mountain Guides: Canmore, Alberta-based ACMG-certified mountaineering and ski touring guiding outfit that runs both Canadian Rockies trips and international expeditions, operating a similar multi-discipline trip model with certified guides.
• Whistler Alpine Guides Bureau: Whistler-based ACMG-certified guiding service for backcountry skiing, alpine climbing, and mountaineering - competing directly in Altus's home terrain with overlap on signature Sea-to-Sky itineraries like the Spearhead Traverse.
• Mountain Skills Academy: Revelstoke-based ACMG-certified school delivering avalanche training, ski touring, and mountaineering courses and trips across BC and internationally - directly comparable trip mix with overlapping certification credentials and adventure-tourism customer base.

Broad incumbents

• American Alpine Institute: Washington State-based IFMGA/AMGA-affiliated mountaineering school offering rock, alpine, and ski mountaineering courses and guided expeditions, with a US-wide and international footprint - a broader incumbent in the same certification-led guiding category.
• IFMGA / Compagnie des Guides de Chamonix: Iconic Chamonix-based international federation of mountain guides - directly comparable on mountaineering, off-piste skiing, and alpine running, and an aspirational benchmark for Altus's international Alpine itineraries.

Emerging players

• Baffin Adventures: BC-based smaller guide operator with multi-day adventure expedition offerings - comparable in the guided outdoor adventure services vertical with similar customer profile of outdoor enthusiasts in western Canada.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/altusmountainguides
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/altus-mountain-guides

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 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 Altus Mountain Guides