our Mission

To discover your peak…

We are a craft mountain-guiding service, rooted in the North Cascades, focusing on quality mountain guiding with highly skilled professionals as the foundation. Our mission is to provide safe, high-value climbing and skiing for our clients. Whether you are just beginning to explore the mountains or building on years of experience, we want to take you to the next level.

We provide a sustainable work environment, using credentialed guides. Providing living wages to Mountain Bureau LLC guides is a foundational platform and has had intrinsic benefits to our clients. We also strive to protect the environment that we live and work in through educational partnerships with Protect Our Winters and provide mentorship in ways of mitigating human impact via the Washington Climbers Coalition .

In the end, our main mission is you. Your goals and progression in the terrain that you want is our product, domestically and world-wide.

 
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our products

Modern style on classic objectives

We have spent decades climbing and skiing the world, searching for the most rewarding experiences. We are proud to offer a unique approach forged by years of experience. Each programs is built on a standard in which we would want to participate as a customer. Our programs are low-ratio experiences, tailored to your specific goals and objectives. This allows us to seek out the objectives and terrain that inspire you. We have offerings designed for you as an individual or your group, take a look. We are certain you will find something that motivates you.

Education is freedom

If you desire to launch confidently into the mountains or rock on your own, our guides can help you develop the skills and awareness needed to be independent. Whether you are a beginner looking to venture out for the first time, a highly skilled rock climber, or skier we are here to hone your craft and achieve your goals.

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OUR GUIDES

 
 

Exemplary expertise and experience…

The Mountain Bureau LLC is an international network of guides with a home base in Winthrop WA downstream of the North Cascades. Our guides are made up of professional rock climbers, alpinists, and skiers, regarded as some of the best technical experts and educators in the outdoor industry. Mountain Bureau LLC guides are licensed and certified by the American Mountain Guides Association (AMGA) and only work within their Scope of Practice. We are the only service in the United States to brand and live by the term “fair-trade-mountain-guiding” and we stand by this foundational principle. We provide a professionally sustainable work environment that supports our staff and directly benefits our clients’ experience and safety.

 
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MARK ALLEN

CREDENTIALS

AMERICAN MOUNTAIN GUIDE (AMGA)
IFMGA MOUNTAIN GUIDE (IFMGA)
LEVEL I & II AVALANCHE COURSE LEADER (AIARE)
WILDERNESS FIRST RESPONDER

Mark is the owner of the Mountain Bureau. Born in Northwestern Washington, he has been climbing and skiing in the North Cascades for 30 years. In 2009, Mark became the 64th American to hold full guide status with the International Federation of Mountain Guides Association (IFMGA). Mark has built extensive programing on rock, ice, alpine, and ski programs in Washington, Alaska, Canada, Western Europe, and Norway. Mark is the active president of the Methow Valley Climbers a Chapter of the Washington Climbers Coalition and works to sustain climbing environments. In 2013, Mark was nominated for the Piolet d’Or (Golden Ice Axe) Award for his ascent on the Mastodon Face of Mount Laurens in Denali National Park. But most of all, likes exploring mountains in the North Cascades.

~AMERICANS OPEN NEW LINE IN ALASKA FA; THE MASTODON FACE,AK

~ALLEN-ZIMMERMAN VIDEO- PIOLET D' OR NOMINATED 2013

~ WA CLIMBERS KICK OFF AK SEASON WITH ASCENT OF MT. BRADLEY, AK

STEFFAN GREGORY

CREDENTIALS

CERTIFIED ROCK GUIDE (AMGA)
CERTIFIED ALPINE GUIDE (AMGA)
ASSISTANT SPLIT-BOARD GUIDE (AMGA)
CERTIFIED SINGLE PITCH INSTRUCTOR (AMGA)
WILDERNESS FIRST RESPONDER

It’s no wonder Steffan is the Bureau’s aficionado of Southwest Rock. He has been professionally guiding rock, alpine, and desert canyons since 2009. He is an accomplished big wall climber, establishing 10 new free or first free ascent routes up to IV, 5.12+ numerous single pitch and short multi pitch routes in and around Zion National Park When Steffan is not guiding, he spends his time exploring the remote frozen waterfalls of the desert Southwest, completing demanding alpine objectives in Patagonia and Argentina, looking for fresh turns on his split-board, and working on many side projects. Steffan is the host of the Peak Season Podcast for the Mountain Bureau, The executive Director of the Zion Climbing Coalition and has managed projects in Argentina working on solutions for waterless human waste management in National Parks. Steffan grew up in the Pacific Northwest’s Skagit Valley and the Mountain Bureau is lucky that he returns each season to guide in the North Cascades.

Steffan is currently an Aspirant Mountain Guide which requires passing at least one exam in Rock, Alpine and Ski.

~PATAGONIA: GRANT TO IMPROVE CLIMBING INFRASTRUCTURE, ARGENTINA

~FIRST ASCENTS ON BIG WALLS IN ZION, UTAH

~NEW ROUTE TO SUMMIT OF MT. JOHNSON; ZION, UTAH

 
 
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CHRIS SIMMONS

CREDENTIALS

AMERICAN MOUNTAIN GUIDE (AMGA)
IFMGA MOUNTAIN GUIDE (IFMGA)
LEVEL I & II AVALANCHE COURSE LEADER (AIARE)
WILDERNESS FIRST RESPONDER

Chris Simmons has been guiding in Washington, Oregon, and northern California since 1999. In 2011, He became the 75th American to hold full guide status with the International Federation of Mountain Guides Association (IFMGA)and is on the National Instructor Team for the AMGA. Chris has racked up numerous exploratory ski tours in Japan, Canada, and the North Cascades. Chris has had 15 seasons as a ranger for Antarctica’s Mt. Vinson or managing scientific teams in several of the world’s arctic locations. Chris holds a long list of successful guided trips and expeditions including visits to the North Cascades, the Swiss-French and Italian Alps, Ecuador, Antarctica, Canada, China, and the Tibetan Plateau.

~TEAM ESTABLISHES TWIN SISTERS SKI HIGH ROUTE, NORTH CASCADES

~FIRST ASCENT OF SOUTH RIDGE MT. DIDO, ANTARCTICA

 

WHY CHOOSE US?

Craft Mountain Guiding Rooted in the North Cascades

EXPERIeNCE

The founder, Mark Allen has been guiding since 2000 and has maintained a hand in developing all Mountain Bureau programs along with his trusted core staff. Mark has the pleasure of working for nearly every outfitter in the PNW and experienced every possible program variation. Mark as selected and networked team of experienced locals in all the regions we operate. Mark is still involved in all Mountain Bureau operations or guiding your trip. Learn about the Mountain Bureau evolution in our podcast PEAKSEASON Episode 0 & Episode 1.

SMall - Craft - Boutique

We offer a craft experience at competitive prices. All of our trips have a high touch feel and get you the access you desire to a professional team. Mountain Bureau programs are all inclusive by providing instructional team meeting and packing session, group meals all camping equipment, all group climbing equipment all facilitated by a licensed professional with remote emergency oversight. On foreign trips, group accommodations and local transport is also included.

 

Steffan Gregory, a Lead guide at the Bureau, short roping his guest to the summit of Eldorado in the North Cascades National Park- photo Bedrock Productions

We are Career Guides

We are the most experienced group of regional guides in the PNW with a strong emphasis on mentorship of our staff in training. We are extremely selective in who guides our clients and in tern are Fair Trade Living Wage. Our guides are made up of professional rock climbers, alpinists, and skiers, regarded as some of the best technical experts and educators in the outdoor industry.

OPERATIONAL STANTARDS

Its important to know guides are not required to meet a national standard in the US. The bar is quite low. We hire career guides working within their SOP. We also provide our staff an incredible amount of mentorship, communications and tools to succeed on your program. Our operational standard is one of the highest in the industry.