About Sunrise Mountain Guides
Sunrise Mountain Guides is Stowe's premier mountain guide service, specialising in rock climbing, ice climbing, and mountaineering instruction on and around Mount Mansfield — Vermont's highest peak. Based in Stowe, their certified guides lead clients into the dramatic terrain of Smugglers' Notch and the surrounding Green Mountains, where world-class ice routes and granite crags provide a climbing playground that rivals destinations far better known.
Winter is the flagship season, with guided ice climbing outings on the frozen waterfalls and mixed routes of Smugglers' Notch attracting climbers from beginner to advanced levels. All technical equipment — ice tools, crampons, helmets, and harnesses — is provided, making the experience accessible to first-timers while still offering genuine challenge for experienced climbers seeking multi-pitch routes. Ski mountaineering courses combine backcountry skiing with technical ascents for those wanting to push beyond the resort boundaries. Summer and autumn bring rock climbing instruction on the Notch's cliff faces and bouldering areas.
What distinguishes Sunrise Mountain Guides is the depth of their local knowledge — their guides have climbed every route in the Notch across decades of seasons, and they understand how conditions shift with temperature, aspect, and recent weather in ways that only long residency can teach. The personalised, small-group format ensures that instruction is tailored to each client's ability level, creating a progression-focused experience rather than a one-size-fits-all tour.
