Mahoney Alpine Adventures Blog

First ascents, variations, and disappointment. The winter climbing season is a great time of year. It is easy to miss the sunny rock climbing when it is -10 F and 40 mph winds lashing at your face or when the 8 inches of powder snow is followed up with an afternoon of rain. But it [...]

A friend and neighbor of mine, Brian Irwin, wrote an article in the Boston Globe yesterday about climbing in Alaska. It is a well written article. Check it out: Click here to read the article.

July 29, 1961 Raymond Jacquot and Herbert Swedlund became the first to make their way to the Upper Saddle by way of the dirty discontinuous couloir that separates the Grand Teton with its western summit the Enclosure.  Their climb, The Black Ice Couloir AI3+ 5.7 IV,  became one of Americas most sought after alpine ice [...]

Every spring, winter addicts travel north to 63 degrees north latitude to get one last winter fix before the long summer detox.  Just three degrees shy of the Arctic Circle the Alaska Range holds winter year round.   I have made this migration for the last decade in pursuit of unclimbed lines or to offer [...]

The Mahoney clan is preparing for the westward migration for the Teton guiding season! We’re looking forward to many summits and a great season. Interested in a guided climb in the Tetons? Hit the contact button on the top menu!

With the spring showers we have the change of the season.  Yes ice climbing is done for the year but we enter the spring skiing season and rock climbing season.  In the past two weeks I have guided a little bit of everything.  Ice climbing up on Mt. Washington, ski mountaineering on Mt. Washington, and [...]

Every time I get new ice tools I feel like a kid at Christmas time. I want to run out and climb the closest chunk of ice I can find. Perhaps it is because I am a guy and guys like tools. When I started ice climbing, a friend Eugene Woody, took me to the [...]

Variety is the spice of life they say. Well I am no expert on life’s seasoning but I do know a little about livin’. In the past two weeks I have had a plethora of variety; roofing on icy mornings, falling off a roof, ski guiding, guiding ice, snow science workshop, cutting down and trimming [...]

Who would have thought that a holiday road trip could be far more challenging and dangerous than alpine climbing!  I barely survived an epic road trip to South Carolina for Thanksgiving. Maybe I wasn’t paying attention as Claire’s uncle said grace, but by God; I am thankful.   It all started with my family reunion [...]

November on Mt Washington can be just about anything. I just returned from three days staying at Hermit Lake shelter and climbing. Mt Washington is by far the best mountaineering destination in NH and is really only rivaled by Mt Katadin in Maine in the North East. The great thing about Mt Washington is one [...]