CTSS Team

Denali Reflections from CTSS Guide Dallas Glass

As our Denali team heads home after spending nearly 3 weeks on North America’s tallest peak, we had a chance to touch base with CTSS Guide Dallas Glass about his experience on the mountain. This year’s weather brought the team strong winds, heavy snowfall, and elevated avalanche conditions that hampered any available summit windows. We know this feeling, and it’s undoubtedly a hard position to be in. However, instead of turning their situation into frustrations, this team grew together as friends, and their admiration for The Great One also flourished.

Below are Dallas’ thoughts, plus a few photos of the team.

“It is impossible to head into the Alaska Range and come away unchanged. Every expedition has a lesson; a way for you to grow, learn, and develop. Not just as a mountaineer but as a person.

We spent twenty-one days in this land of rock and ice. Fourteen of those were at one camp (14,000ft). Yet, despite unending patience and every last effort to capitalize on a brief period of good weather, the summit wasn’t to be.

Even still, this felt like one of my most successful expeditions in my career. Daily, my team showed me the true nature of climbing, being present in the moment.

Despite the monotony of waking up in the same camp day after day, each of them managed to stay present. They found little ways to celebrate where they were and who they were with. They made snow angels in the fresh powder, constructed tent platforms for arriving teams, strolled endlessly up and down the center path in camp, and stared mesmerized at the surrounding mountains. Never once did they wish the time away. Never once did they utter discontent. Never once did they misplace their focus on the summit.

When the weather finally broke and we had our chance to climb up high, too much snow had fallen. The risk of avalanches was simply too high. Even still, they didn’t gripe. Instead, they laughed, played, and took photos, marveling in the beauty of Denali.

If every expedition has a lesson, this one surely taught me the value of reveling in where I am rather than wasting my time worrying about where I am not.

A huge thank you to my Denali 2025 team for loving every second of our trip despite the extended stay at 14 camp.”

– Dallas Glass, CTSS Mountain Guide

Our 2nd Alpine Academy team has successfully summited Mount Baker! Here’s a look at who has stood on the summit this season.

For those of you looking to jump on a trip this season, you’re in luck! We have a few more spots available for our July 10th 5-day Alpine Academy. Click the link below to learn more and to express your interest.

Photos from the CTSS Archives: 

Our Denali team is officially off the mountain this time around; the mountain wasn’t ready to give up this hard-earned summit. Here at CTSS, safety and success are always our top priorities, but always in that order.

Our team was unable to make a summit bid due to the persistent weather and wind that continued to affect all the teams. We send the entire team a massive congratulations for sticking it out on the mountain, ready for the opportunity to arise. As we all know, having to turn around before your summit bid can happen when we climb big mountains. Because this is always a potential, we encourage all of our climbers to take time to discover and articulate their goals and their “why” before each expedition. When climbers take a moment to reflect before their expedition, it makes trying times like these feel less like a failure, as you can lean on the success of all your additional goals and objectives for this expedition.

Here is a short video from Alan Arnette on coping with failure and some tools and ideas climbers can employ. This video is from our Mindset for Mountaineers webinar, which is available to replay on our YouTube Channel or by clicking here.

And a few images of the team on Denali from CTSS guide Dallas Glass.

Our private Ecuador Volcanoes team just completed a successful two-peak expedition with summits on Cotopaxi (19,347 ft) and Chimborazo (20,548 ft).

First up was Cotopaxi, where the team pushed through harsh weather to tag one of Ecuador’s most sought-after volcanoes. This peak is known to challenge a climber’s endurance in the best of conditions. In tough weather like this, it is a serious feather in any climber’s cap

After Cotopaxi, the team took a well-earned break at Papallacta Hot Springs, a favorite stop for our teams to rest and recover.

They then headed south and summited Chimborazo under cold conditions. Chimbo is Ecuador’s highest peak and the farthest point from Earth’s center. This climb provided excellent training and cold management practice for future 8000m objectives.

A massive kudos to our climbers and guides for pulling off both summits! Now it’s time for more relaxation, where our team will fully immerse themselves in Ecuador’s rich culture and amazing hospitality.

Photos by CTSS guide Benny Lieber

Cotopaxi Summit:

Chimborazo Summit:

Our team on Denali checked in, and here’s the latest from 14,000-foot camp:

A fresh foot of snow has blanketed camp, and the team is holding steady, waiting patiently for the right summit window. The weather continues to stall any forward movement, but CTSS guide Dallas Glass is hopeful the break we’ve been watching will open up in the coming days.

Despite the delays, the team is doing well. They’re embracing the slower pace with grace, humility, and plenty of shared laughter. As we all know, patience isn’t passive in the mountains. It’s an active choice to wait for the weather, for your team, and for the right moment to move.

To our team on Denali: We know tent fever is real, but we’re cheering for you and sending all the good weather vibes for your summit push.

Photo from the CTSS Archives

Here’s the latest from our team on Denali:

Winds continue to hammer down on the upper mountain, but CTSS guide Dallas remains optimistic that a window of light winds is coming their way at the end of the week. The team is hanging tight at their 14,000-foot camp with supplies cached in the upper mountain for their summit bid.

CTSS Owner Mike Hamill, who has guided nearly 20 Denali expeditions, shared his thoughts on North America’s tallest peak, “Denali is one of the most imposing mountains on earth and is considered one of the most challenging climbs because of its extreme weather and serious terrain. I joke that I return to guide Denali each year to prove to myself I’m still a hardcore mountaineer. It is consistently the most arduous work of any of the Seven Summits and a real climbers’ mountain.”

We will continue to keep you all posted on the team’s movement.

Photos below courtesy of (in respective order) Seven Summits finishers Julie McKelvey and Emma Scherwin, as well as Seven Summits aspirant Eva Steinwald.

Our team on Denali, led by CTSS guide Dallas Glass, climbed to 16,500 feet at the end of last week. The team did well and are all in great spirits.

Dallas shared with us that the team will be hanging tight at camp and patiently await their weather window. High winds have made any summit window too small for a successful bid. We will continue to monitor the weather and keep everyone posted on when our team moves to the 17,000-foot camp and above.

In the meantime, our climbers are chopping new tent platforms, enjoying camp time, and making the most of the extra rest days.

Watch our YouTube video below to learn more about Denali. Our 2026 roster is quickly filling up, so drop us a note if you’d like to join the team!

Here is an update from our team on Denali:

The team is at a 14,000-foot camp, where they are taking a rest day and doing some training on the glacier. A short windstorm came through this morning, reminding the team that this is Denali, and they can’t let their guard down.

Tomorrow, the team will climb the headwall to the ridge and cache gear at approximately 16,000 feet. After this and some more rest, the team will set eyes on High Camp at 17,200 feet before dialing in their summit window. We are sending good energy to all of our climbers and guides.

Photos from CTSS archives: