Your Adventure Starts Here

Ian Nicholson is a highly experienced IFMGA/UIAGM-certified mountain guide, author, climber, and skier, and one of the most respected professional guides in the Pacific Northwest. With more than 17 years of full-time guiding experience, Ian has led climbers and skiers on alpine, rock, ice, and ski-mountaineering objectives throughout Washington State and the North Cascades, as well as Alaska, Canada, South America, and the European Alps.

As a fully certified AMGA Mountain Guide in Rock, Alpine, and Ski disciplines, Ian holds the highest level of professional mountain guiding certification recognized in the United States and internationally. He is also a senior member of the AMGA National Instructor Team, where he trains and evaluates professional mountain guides, and serves as an AIARE National Pro Instructor and Pro Trainer.

While Ian has established remote first ascents in Patagonia, the Alaska Range, and British Columbia’s Waddington Range, the Cascades remain his home mountains and greatest passion. He has established more than a dozen first ascents in the Cascades, including modern classics such as Edge of Time on the Fang and Voie de Chaise on Chair Peak, and has spent thousands of days climbing, skiing, guiding, and exploring throughout the range.

Ian is known for his calm demeanor, patience, and ability to teach and mentor climbers and skiers across a wide range of experience levels. He cares deeply about the client experience and believes great guiding is about more than reaching a summit or completing a route. Every trip is shaped around the client, current mountain conditions, thoughtful risk management, and finding the best experience the mountains have to offer that day.

Through Washington Alpine Guides, Ian offers private guided climbing, mountaineering, backcountry skiing, ski mountaineering, and professional instruction throughout the North Cascades and Washington State. Whether the goal is a classic North Cascades alpine climb, an unforgettable ski objective, or developing the skills for bigger adventures, Ian brings exceptional experience, passion, and professionalism to every day in the mountains.