We’re Open and Operating here at the Tahoe Via!

While the Caldor Fire is not quite extinguished, evacuation orders have been lifted for most of our friends in South Lake Tahoe and the West Shore of Tahoe. With that change, we feel comfortable re-opening the Tahoe Via Ferrata to adventure seekers and families looking for a fun morning or afternoon activity. Given the current circumstances, we understand that many folks have changed their plans to come to Tahoe, but for those that are already here in Tahoe or nearby and are looking for a way to get outside and be active- we have an excellent option for you!

A Great Option for Outdoor Fun

Our Via Ferrata, on Squaw Valley’s iconic Tram Face, is not located on National Forest land and therefore is not subjected to the current national forest closures. If you’re like us, you are dying to get in some outdoor activity and the options are pretty limited at the moment across California. As we’re all becoming used to, the air quality can change daily and is difficult to predict, but on most days, we can get out and go climbing.

Below is an outline of how we are currently operating under these interesting circumstances. Our goal is to continue to provide a fun and adventurous outdoor activity that is accessible to everyone when the conditions allow.

Our Smoke Policy

The new normal has everyone adapting – we created a policy to help guide our decisions during smokey days. Our smoke policy is based on the Air Quality Index (AQI). We have various sensors in Squaw Valley that we refer to daily using the website purpleair.com. For smoke-sensitive groups we offer a credit when the AQI reaches 200+ and the group no longer wishes to climb for health reasons.  These credits never expire and can be used for any Alpenglow activity (guided backcountry skiing, future Via Ferrata, rock climbing courses, etc.). If you have personal medical concerns and are worried about climbing in the smoke with an AQI below 200, please call our office, and we can discuss options for you.  Cancellations based on our smoke policy are made on a day-to-day basis, in the hopes that we can provide you with an awesome experience on days that end up being fairly clear.

Navigating our Cancellation Policy in Tough Times

We want to be transparent about our cancellation policy and the reasons why we are currently working hard to uphold it. When you book your trip, we assign a guide to your adventure – at this point, we promise the guide work, and will be paying them for their time regardless of whether the trip goes out or not.  The cancellation policy provides us a way to secure ourselves as a small business and is summarized here:

If you cancel for any reason prior to 30 days before the course start, you may rebook a later date for 100% credit, subject to availability, or you may receive a refund minus a 5% cancellation fee. If you cancel between 7 and 30 days prior to the course start, you may reschedule, subject to availability. Between 7 and 30 days there are no refunds. If you cancel inside of 7 days from the course start, there are no refunds or reschedules available. This includes but is not limited to:

– Injury/illness

– Weather, Mountain and Travel Conditions

– Personal scheduling changes

You can review our entire policy here. The smoke policy above is an exception to our standard cancellation policy to address fire related cancellations, and will be adhered to on a day-to-day basis.

We appreciate everyone’s understanding of this policy. Over the past year and a half between COVID and the wildfires, Tahoe has been hit hard. Our guides are currently facing a difficult time in which their work is inconsistent and unreliable. We are working hard to provide stable work for our certified guides so they can continue to have a livelihood.

We are so grateful for all of our guests that have worked with us over the past few weeks. We understand that the smoke is causing unpredictable and challenging situations for everyone, and that travel plans have been a nightmare to deal with lately. Your support for our company is deeply appreciated.

Take Advantage of those Clear Days

If you wake up to clear skies and find yourself itching to get out, please give us a call. While we cannot guarantee that we will be able to run a tour with a day-of-trip booking, we will do our best! We are fired up to still be offering Via Ferrata tours and hope to climb with you soon!

877-873-5376 or email us at info@alpenglowexpeditions.com