Valued Partners in the Industry
Kling Mountain Guides works for and with the best outfitters and companies in the business. Let us take you around the globe. Whether it be climbing, skiing, trekking, or any other mountain adventure. Check out the companies that Josh Kling and Kling Mountain Guides works with below.
Guide Services, College Programs, and Outfitters
Kling Mountain Guides is proud to have partnered with The Durango Rafting Company. These guys and gals are the only rafting company located in Durango that makes family fun their #1 priority! Check these guys out for some great river adventures. Float down the Animas River through the heart of Durango with professional raft guides who specialize in family rafting trips.
Josh Kling and Kling Mountain Guides is privileged to have partnered with San Juan College's Outdoor Leadership and Recreation program (OLER) . This is the fifth year that Josh has worked with OLER at San Juan College. The OLER program at San Juan College is designed to provide an Associate of Arts Degree in Outdoor Leadership with a variety of transfer options. All Outdoor Leadership classes are not limited to degree seeking students, Faculty/Staff and community members are welcome and encouraged to participate in the classes. Please visit the above link for more information.
Mountain Trip was born in the mountains of Alaska in 1973, and has been guiding climbers on Denali since 1976. Come climb the highest peak in North America with Josh Kling and Mountain Trip! Mountain Trip is an authorized concessionaire of Denali National Park and Preserve.
Josh Kling has been an instructor at the Silverton Avalanche School since 2003. Since 1962 the Silverton Avalanche School has educated skiers, snowboarders, snowmobilers, ski patrollers, search and rescue personnel, and law enforcement officers about the hazards of avalanches. Over 4,000 students have learned how to recognize avalanche hazards, determine snow stability, organize and carry out rescue operations and handle avalanche emergencies.
Gear Shops and Retailers
Backcountry Experience is Durango's premier climbing, skiing, camping, and hiking, shop. It has been located on the edge of rugged Southwest Colorado since 1989. The store is a full line, family-owned, completely stocked backpacking, mountaineering, rock climbing and backcountry/telemark ski shop. With the Southern Rocky Mountains and high desert around, and the canyons and big walls of Arizona and Utah to the west, the staff loves to play hard and have fun too. They carry such brands as Backcountry Access, Millet, Black Diamond, La Sportiva, Arc'Teryx, Petzl, Metolious, Yates, Camp , Mountain Hardwear, Beal, Mount Belle, Kayland, Asolo, Evolv, Acopa, Asana, to name a few! The Kling Mountain Guides office is located inside of Backcoutry Experience at 12th and Camino Del Rio.
Colorado is filled with great mountains and great beer and Ska Brewing is the best! Kling Mountain Guides is privileged to be able to team up with multi-award winning Ska Brewing in Durango.
Kling Mountain Guides offsets all of it’s carbon emissions from travel with Carbon Zero. Carbon ZERO is a Durango based company that neutralizes the impact of greenhouse gases through locally based programs that trap or decrease the release of carbon into the atmosphere. Kling Mountain Guides offsets its entire carbon footprint with Carbon Zero.
Lodging and Resorts
The Best Western Rio Grande Inn is located in the heart of historic downtown Durango. With amenities such as complimentary breakfast and complimentary cocktail hour, an indoor heated pool, hot tub and sauna, and high speed internet, what more could you ask for! Check out their website for more information.
Purgatory at Durango Mountain Resort is YOUR HOME MOUNTAIN! If you are looking experience what Durango and Southwestern Colorado have to offer, than you have come to the righ place. KMG is the official mountain guide service of Purgatory Mountain. Check out the great programs that we offer on the slopes of Purg!
The Best Equipment
Kling Mountain Guides is proud to be able to outfit all of our course participants with BCA products. BCA's mission is to save lives, not just pump products. They are an industry leader that sets the bar high! BCA sees its self as having a responsibility, making sure people are equipped not just with products, but with education. That’s why they have invested so much in research and education. If you have not been to their site, check it out!
Kling Mountain Guides is proud to be able to be working Oboz Footwear! All our guides and instructor are now wearing Oboz shoes on all KMG trips and courses! Where do Oboz come from? Wel combine the words “outside” and Bozeman” and you’ve got “Oboz.” Moreover, you’ve got something that speaks volumes about Oboz as a company and their priorities. Outside is where there heads are, dreaming of the next peak to climb or river to float. And Bozeman, Montana is where they live, play and of course, work on making Oboz the best shoes out there! Check them out!
Kling Mountain Guides is proud to have partnered with Millet for all of our ropes, technical clothing and packs. Millet has been leading the industry in outdoor apparel and equipment since it was born in the mountains around St Fons, France in 1921. Since then, climbers and explores have been trusting MIllet products on expeditions to remote locations around the globe. Now Kling Mountain Guides does too!
In Colorado we love powder. Kling Mountain Guides is now proud to be working with Mike and the team at Rocky Mountain Underground, a local Colorado ski company. They have similar view on business and the backcountry, and we like that! Check them out!
Professional Organizations
The mission of the American Institute for Research and Education (AIARE) is to “Save lives through Education.” AIARE provides the best training in avalanche education for backcountry enthusiasts. This is a must have if you wish to rip the pow-pow safely! Make sure that whoever you choose for an avalanche instructor is up-to-date with the most current in avalanche education.
KMG's owner and lead guide, Josh, is a Professional Member of the American Avalanche Association. The American Avalanche Association is comprised of dedicated professionals engaged in the study, forecasting, control and mitigation of snow avalanches. Make sure that whoever you choose as an avalanche course instructor they are at least a Professional Member of the American Avalanche Association.
Kling Mountain Guides is a Partner Guide Service with Leave-No-Trace. Our “office” is comprised of the mountains and desert, so we take LNT very seriously.Two of our staff our Leave-No-Trace Master Educators, the highest level of LNT training. We are excited to offer Leave-No-Trace Life Time Trainer courses along with Leave-No-Trace Awareness workshops. If you or your organization is interested in a LNT course, call us to see if we can help you become more LNT!
Government Agencies
Kling Mountain Guides LLC is an authorized permit holder in the Wrangel-St. Elias National Park.
Kling Mountain Guides LLC is an authorized permit holder in the Cedar Mesa Grand Gulch BLM, Indian Creek BLM, and Moab Castle Valley BLM districts.
Kling Mountain Guides LLC is an authorized permit holder in the Manti-La Sal National Forest.
Kling Mountain Guides LLC is an authorized permit holder in the Dalla Mountain Park, Durango CO.
*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.**
