Backpacking (lift-assisted) with Kling Mountain Guides
Have you never backpacked before? Do you want to experience the enjoyment and solitude of camping under the stars without hiking miles and miles? Come on a Lift-Assisted backpacking trip with Kling Mountain Guides! This might sound crazy at first but it's not! Do you enjoy skiing at ski resorts in the winter? Than why not take advantage of those same ski lifts all summer long!
Our summer backpacking at Durango Mountain Resort are specifically designed with families in mind! Trips are one night and two days.
We'll meet in in the morning at Backcountry Experience in the Purgatory Village Plaza at Durango Mountain Resort. After going through a equipment check we'll load the ski lift and head up on to the mountain. By utilizing the lifts we are able to cover a tremendous amount of elevation! It would take hours to hike what we are going to cover in just minutes!
We'll get off the lift and head into the woods for the beginning of our hike. Our camp is not far. This is our first experience with the thin air and high altitude, so we'll take our time getting to camp. Once at our camp location we'll set up the tents. The rest of the afternoon will be spent relaxing in the mountains overlooking the Animas Valley! What a view.
Our dinner will be not the traditional dehydrated camp food but a backcountry gourmet feast complete with appetizer and desert! Then remainder of the evening will be spent sitting around a Leave-No-Trace campfire roasting marshmallows and telling stories.
After a restful nights rest in our Mountain Hardwear tents and Mount Bell sleeping bags, we'll wake to cook a grand breakfasts. Breakfasts typically consist of french toast or pancakes, with eggs, and bacon. Once breakfast is complete we'll pack camp and begin our hike back to the lift. We will either ride the ski lift down, or enjoy a wonderful hike back to the base area. What a fantastic journey!
Price Includes
- Local expert mountain guide fees
- All meals while on the mountain
- Group equipment (stoves, cooking fuel, tents, first aid kits)
- Lift ticket
Price Does Not Include
- Airfare from to Durango
- Items of personal nature
- Individual travel costs, delays, etc.
- Excess baggage fees
- Personal Clothing or gear; sleeping bag, sleeping pad, backpack. These are all available for rent from our gear shop Backcountry Experience.
- Alcoholic drinks and personal snacks
- Hotels before and after trip
- Recommended Travel/trip cancelation insurance
- Guide/ Staff gratuity
Prerequisites:
- No previous camping or backpacking experience required! This trip is designed for the families and new budding adventurers looking for a great time in the mountains!
- General good fitness. You should be able to walk for up to one hour with breaks in between. You will be carrying a light pack of about 15-20 lbs.
- Be excited about adventures!
- Want to eat great food!
- Want to spend time with your family, friends, and loved ones!
Registration:
- To secure your spot on this trip you will need to fill out our domestic registration form.
*Kling Mountain Guides operates under special use permits in the Wrangell-St. Elias National Park , Moab BLM, Indian Creek BLM, Manti-La Sal National Forest, Cedar Mesa Grand Gulch BLM, and Dalla Mountain Park areas. Kling Mountain Guides operates under the Durango Mountain Resort operating plan in the San Juan National Forest. Kling Mountain Guides LLC provides services and employment regardless of ethnic or cultural heritage, religious beliefs, sexual orientation or physical handicap. Josh Kling operates as an employee of Mountain Trip, San Juan College, Fort Lewis College, and the Silverton Avalanche School.. Mountain Trip, San Juan College, Fort Lewis College, and the Silverton Avalanche School all operate under special use permits from the United States Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management in their respective operating districts.**
