Mountain Skills Rock Guides, LLC
Mountain Skills Rock Guides, LLC
5
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Monday
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Tuesday
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Wednesday
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Thursday
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Friday
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Saturday
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Sunday
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
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About
Mountain Skills Rock Climbing Guides offers guided rock climbing trips to the best climbing destinations in Northern New Mexico, and Las Vegas, NV. Whether you are a first time beginner or a seasoned veteran, come visit one of these pristine locations with us. You will be led by our professional, friendly, and experienced staff through an enjoyable adventure where you can relax and climb with confidence. Our staff has experience working with one on one privates, families, scout groups, church groups, corporate team building, and school groups of all sizes.
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Mountain Skills Rock Guides, LLC
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Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as wait time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
Popular mentions
5.0
255 reviews
Excellent
252
Very good
3
Average
0
Poor
0
Terrible
0
John B
Kansas City, MO3 contributions
Dec 2020
I did a back country ski guide trip with John Kear on 12/31/2020. I believe they offer beginner, intermediate, and advanced trips. This was my first time ever back country skiing so I did the beginner course. I booked this trip last minute and Donna and Jay in the Mountain Skills office were very friendly and accommodating with me through the booking process (there was a lot of back and forth and I had to some things around to make it work). They coordinated the rentals for gear with Le Ski Mastery in TSV, which is also a great rental shop and provided some gear I was pretty happy with.
Back country skiing is physically exhausting and technically challenging. I would not recommend it unless your in decent shape and a pretty good skier. I don't think you need to be a total badass, but you should be a skier that can get down a black diamond with some ease.
The 2 guys I skied with and I had a great experience. We learned a lot about doing back country and avalanche prevention/detection. We started at Williams Lake trailhead by lift #4 and hiked up with our skis and skins past Williams Lake to about 12,000 feet (I believe we were at Sin Nombre Peak?). It was an all day experience, from 8 AM until 4:00-4:30. All three of us were first timers and we had our share of issues (getting stuck in snow, not able to click in to our skis, etc), but John was very patient, knowledgeable and an overall great guide.
It was early-ish in the season and there was about 40 inches at the base of TSV, but I thought the snow was pretty good. Beautiful views and the ski down was cool.
I would definitely recommend first timers or even very advanced back country skiers book a trip with John. For first timers, its a cool experience and very different from skiing in the resort. For more advanced skiers, John is a badass and done a ton of back country skiing all over the world. You can definitely learn from him....
Back country skiing is physically exhausting and technically challenging. I would not recommend it unless your in decent shape and a pretty good skier. I don't think you need to be a total badass, but you should be a skier that can get down a black diamond with some ease.
The 2 guys I skied with and I had a great experience. We learned a lot about doing back country and avalanche prevention/detection. We started at Williams Lake trailhead by lift #4 and hiked up with our skis and skins past Williams Lake to about 12,000 feet (I believe we were at Sin Nombre Peak?). It was an all day experience, from 8 AM until 4:00-4:30. All three of us were first timers and we had our share of issues (getting stuck in snow, not able to click in to our skis, etc), but John was very patient, knowledgeable and an overall great guide.
It was early-ish in the season and there was about 40 inches at the base of TSV, but I thought the snow was pretty good. Beautiful views and the ski down was cool.
I would definitely recommend first timers or even very advanced back country skiers book a trip with John. For first timers, its a cool experience and very different from skiing in the resort. For more advanced skiers, John is a badass and done a ton of back country skiing all over the world. You can definitely learn from him....
Written January 9, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Steve U
Broken Arrow, Oklahoma, United States2 contributions
Jul 2020
Our climbing trip in the Taos area could not have gone better. My son gym climbs weekly for two years and I have been climbing twice, yet our guide Thomas had no trouble at all making a great experience for both of us despite drastically different experience levels. Plus the drive out to climb showed us other areas we wanted to stop and see when climbing was done.
Written August 8, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
LittleScotti
3 contributions
Sep 2020
Jay was a fantastic guide and teacher to our little COVID pod of 5 children, boys and girls, ranging in age from 5 to 11 yrs. Although his approach to the kids was casual ("Just climb as far as you're comfortable!), his safety of both the set up, belays, and triple checking all knots and carabiners, as well as COVID protocols, were impressive. I mostly loved his fatherly encouragement of the kids: Even the 5 yr old, who started her first climb in tears, was scrambling up the 90 ft wall on the second day like a pro! We will definitely be back!
Written October 4, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
azirulnick
Boston, MA9 contributions
May 2021
We had such an awesome experience climbing with Jay. It was our first time climbing outside, and he did a great job assessing our skill level and setting us up to improve steadily throughout the day. The second time we climbed with him, he scouted out a great spot for us to learn how to set up an anchor and to get some intermediate climbing in. He has helped us improve quickly and learn the skills we need to take our climbing further.
He was also lots of fun to hang out with, and full of great advice about the area.
He was also lots of fun to hang out with, and full of great advice about the area.
Written May 19, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Patrick O
Austin, TX2 contributions
Jul 2020
Jay and Thomas were some of the best multi-pitch guides I have climbed within the country. Mountain Skills Rock Guides did an excellent job determining the skill level of our group, all seasoned climbers, and took us up on some rock that I was shocked at the quality. Who knew New Mexico had a little gem like this area. Jay and Thomas didn't treat us like tourists or make us slow down to a crawl and determined our pace and skill was better than most and really became part of our tight crew in a quick minute, rollick up the pitches. If you're looking for some great off the wall, or in this case on the wall, fun on your next trip to the Taos area, look these guys up.
Written August 11, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Mandy
4 contributions
Jun 2021 • Solo
As a novice climber, it was reassuring that safety was Jay’s first priority. It was also very clear that he was wealthy in knowledge and experience and enjoyed sharing with those eager to learn. Due to weather Jay had a plan A, plan B and even a plan C to work around Mother Nature. Not only did I love my day of climbing but I also was able to achieve my personal best and accomplish more difficult climbs. I will definitely return to Taos because of Mountain Skills Rock Guides and now considering to attempt red rocks with my newly acquired skills. Thanks Jay!!!
Written June 28, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Lucas Dominic Salazar
El Prado, NM1 contribution
Jan 2021
I had a one-to-one session with Jay Foley in the Rio Grande Gorge area near Taos, NM (Solar Asylum). It was a beautiful, perfect day of climbing facilitated by an expert climber who knew the crag inside and out. I wholeheartedly recommend this experience to any level of climber looking to know the area and hone your climbing skills.
Written January 24, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Kevin T
New Jersey24 contributions
Jun 2021
Absolutely epic! Couldn't ask for a better first experience top rope climbing. Jay educated us and made us feel safe, keeping me calm at the top when my fear of heights would kick in. We did a full day session with Jay in early June, had such an awesome time, my girlfriend and I are now belay certified at our local gym and have booked our next climbing excursion for Portugal. Jay really went above and beyond to make it an awesome time. Was easily the best day of our entire trip in New Mexico. One of the questions on this review asks if it's romantic for couples, i'd say it depends on the couple! But my girlfriend and I had a great time!
Written July 21, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Lauren G
New York City, NY3 contributions
Feb 2021
We did a day of introductory backcountry skiing with John Kear and had the best time! John is awesome - I would highly recommend backcountry skiing with John, no matter what your experience level. We skied through beautiful terrain and learned a ton, including on avalanche safety and how to use backcountry ski gear. Can't wait to get back out there
Written March 7, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
christopherzab
2 contributions
Feb 2021
We had a wonderful experience with the back -country skiing in Taos with Mountain Skills. Our guide for the day, Hannah, did a terrific job; with help from Nick, teaching us about avalanche awareness and snow make-up and what causes avalanche. We were equipped with all necessary gear making for a safe outing into the wilderness where we skied 1st tracks in 2 ft of snow. I would highly recommend this group as a way to experience the back-country.
Written February 22, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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