I’ve taken some time away from the blog, but only because I’ve been out in the mountains…or I’ll be honest; It’s not like I’ve been disconnected, I’ve been spraying super hard over on the Mountain Pro facebook page.

After returning from a solid spring of high montagne ski guiding on the Haute Route, Ortler Circuit and the Berner Oberland. my May and June were filled with quality time spent in and around Crested Butte. After 100+ days in the ski boots, my pale weak feet were begging for some sun and some sandstone crack induced torture. Sarah, Louis, and I spent some time exploring a new-ish Mountain Pro permit zone: Moab area and the splitter cracks of  Indian Creek.

Sarah utilizes a trick she picked up in the Alps in the Fisher Towers

While certainly not my first visit to the area, we spent our time in Moab and the Creek exploring routes and crags that would be best suited for Mountain Pro guests. After ticking off a few of the classics and getting sufficiently re-psyched to rock climb, the oppressive desert heat forced us to retreat home for the coarse granite of Taylor Canyon and June in Crested Butte.

Enjoying the Taylor Canyon classic Tony’s Tango
The month of June in Crested Butte is nothing short of perfection. Too early for July and August’s afternoon thunderstorms and intense heat, just clear blue skies day after day.  Truly perfect weather to enjoy the endless amounts of climbing, hiking and biking near town. I made a habit of roping-up daily, interspersed with great Mountain Pro trips in Taylor Canyon and the Black Canyon run through partner Crested Butte Mountain Guides. Simple mountain town living…

Climbing the Black Canyon’s Maiden Voyage

Typical June Greatness

July and August find me back in Chamonix, France. Training for the AMGA Alpine Guides exam and guiding with IFMGA/UIAGM mountain guides from all over the world. I’m really excited to have a full schedule this summer, and it has been great to catch up with friends while climbing some of the world’s greatest alpine objectives.

Check back in for updates, and don’t forget about the Mountain Pro Facebook and Twitter scene.  Stop by and give me a hard time once in a while!
Mike Bromberg
Mountain Pro Guiding

The AMGA’s new “two week” rule is more stressful than the exam itself… The new rule is designed to give both the candidates and examiners some time to appropriately process feedback and reflect on the learning experience. In past courses and exams, candidates were immediately informed of their final score- resulting in either gleeful satisfaction or (I can only imagine) regret and disbelief!

Although I am generally in favor of the idea behind the new rule, the suspense of waiting for the final word is less than fun. So, despite receiving some great feedback during the course: the more time that goes by, the less positive my memories become.

Speaking of courses and exams- check out this link to a post that I wrote over on the Osprey Packs blog of my experiences in Chamonix.

For now, I am back in Crested Butte obsessively checking my email and my.amga.com for the exam results and getting things sorted for the winter season. There are a ton of great offerings both here in CB and abroad, so check back for website updates often.

MB