Cirque Guides

★★★★★Alex Roetter

Elias & I just climbed Ham & Eggs together on the Moose's Tooth in AK. He is fantastic! Insanely strong, knows the route cold and has all logistics dialed, and has a great emphasis on safety and teaching. He is truly the mayor of the Moose's Tooth. Psyched to climb with him again!

★★★★★Leta Kalfas

Dan and the team at Cirque were absolutely amazing. This was my second trip with Dan; the first was a backcountry ski hut tour and this was an outstanding backcountry multi pitch ice climb up Horsetail Falls on Red Mountain Pass. We had an incredilble time and will do this again next year! Thank you Dan!

★★★★★Bill Davis

It’s me again — another great climbing trip with Jesse and Elías, the Spaniard. This time it was three days on ice: two full days in the Silverton area, finishing with a final day on Bridal Veil Falls in Telluride. An absolutely phenomenal stretch of fun, high-quality ice. Silverton delivered exactly what you hope for — long, sustained pitches and that quiet San Juan winter atmosphere. Each morning, Elías walked us through conditions, route options, and the plan with his usual calm precision. On route, communication is steady and clear. At this point we’re dialed enough as a team to move in a watch-and-follow rhythm — less step-by-step instruction, more fluid partnership. His smooth movement and efficient technique make big ice feel manageable, but his concise communication always reinforces the seriousness of what we’re doing. Bridal Veil Falls was the perfect finale. It’s iconic for a reason — long, aesthetic, and demanding. With Elías handling the lead and the logistics, we could focus on climbing well and enjoying the exposure instead of managing the moving parts. We even had it to ourselves, aside from one observer who stepped onto the platform, looked up, and yelled “Wow!” I couldn’t help but respond, “You should see it from up here.” What I appreciate most is the balance — professional, dialed, safety-focused, yet relaxed and genuinely enjoyable to be around. No ego, no theatrics. Just sound decision-making, strong guiding, and real stoke for the day (a little FYB energy mid-route — see final photo). If you’re serious about progressing on ice or want to climb classic lines with someone you trust completely, look no further. PS — We capped it off with the longest, brightest comet I’ve ever seen on the drive to Telluride. A pretty perfect send-off to the day.

★★★★★Jordan Schoen

I did my Avy 1 and Avy rescue course with Cirque in Silverton, CO. Sandy was our guide and it was truly an amazing experience. Sandy is incredibly knowledgable and has a lifetime of experience. I felt like I was in good hands the whole time and learned the insider techniques and protocol through Cirque. Another plus is that our group size was small. With a max of 6:1 ratio for students to guides, my course was personal and moved quickly. I was also able to make friends with my group members, which made the course even more fun, and helped me build connections for future adventures. I'd highly recommend Cirque trips to any skier of any level looking to learn about the area, bag some peaks, or just spend some good times in the backcountry.

★★★★★Jacob Trentman

I would highly recommend Cirque Guides for avalanche training. I leaned a lot, class size was perfect, and the terrian was world class. I felt like I was getting genuine first hand knowledge from professionals who are actively progressing the industry/ sport.