Is guide worth it for Long’s Peak?

[Rock_Inhabitant]

Me and my dad are tryna summit longs peak and ski decent. My dad has a ton of mountaineering experience (Cho oyu ski decent if you’re familiar), and I have done some stuff with ice picks and crampons. Do we need a guide for this specific climb or do you think we could wing it with the help of fatmap?

 

[ColoradoDogfart]

heard [tag=251615]@Knapzach[/tag] skied it a while back in a tallt with a spliff in his mouth so you should be fine

 

[Grom]

That is probably a good decision for your dad to make. If he did the majority of his mountaineering with a guide, making all the choices and putting in protection, then it might be smart to go with a guide. If his previous mountaineering was unguided, and he feels confident to make choices about snowpack stability and route finding, then it is possible to do unguided.

Longs ski descent is full-on with exposure. Don't think that going unguided for the first time is 'less cool.'

 

[midwestcoast]

Me and a buddy plan to go unguided around Feb/March. We're both moderately experienced and have our AIARE 2. I've heard it isn't too bad when the conditions are good. Here's a brief overview of the more popular routes:

https://www.skyblueoverland.com/backcountry-skiing-in-colorado-longs-peak-area-ski-lines/#rating