CRAG's Guides
The safety, efficiency and fun that comes with hiring a professional guide can add a great deal to the climbing experience. We are a small and friendly guiding service that prides itself on providing a personalized experience for each and every guest. You will soon find that your guide is also a friend, partner and mentor in the mountains and you will want to come back every chance you get!
Certification & Experience
All of our guides are passionate and extremely skilled climbers. They have spent thousands of days climbing in the mountains of Canada and around the world. Canada has one of the most rigorous guide training programs in the world. The process starts by gaining many years of personal climbing experience at a high level. In order to become certified as an Alpine Guide, a number of very challenging courses and exams must be completed in the areas of rock climbing, ice climbing, mountaineering, avalanche safety and wilderness first aid. This process lasts many years, during which time much mentorship and practical experience takes place. When hiring an ACMG guide you can be assured that you are using one of the most skilled and qualified guides in the world. Learn more about the Association of Canadian Mountain Guides (ACMG).
Jay Mills – Owner & Head Guide
Canadian Rockies Alpine Guides is owned and operated by Jay Mills. Jay is an ACMG Alpine Guide and has been guiding and instructing climbing in the Rockies for over 20 years. His specialty is mentoring his guests through the process of learning to climb. His guests always find him excited to climb and teach!
Jay has climbed a number of extreme alpine, ice and rock routes in the Rockies, Alaska, Patagonia, the Alps and elsewhere. His climbing resume includes over 200 first ascents of new routes, rock climbs up to 5.13, ice climbs up to WI7, mixed climbs up to M9 and hundreds of alpine routes around the world.
Samples of his top climbing achievements include:
- Mt. Alberta – North Face (VI 5.10+, A0) First single push ascent of Lowe/Glidden Route. Mt. Alberta story…
- Mt. Robson – Infinite Patience (VI M5 5.7) On the infamous Emperor Face. Infinite Patience story…
- Mt. Hunter – Moonflower Buttress (VI M6 WI5 A0) Alaska. To top of buttress.
- Mt. Hunter – Deprivation (VI M7 WI5) with new variation. To summit. Single 45 hour push, round trip. Alaska climbing stories…
- Cerro Torre – West Face (VI WI5 M4) Patagonia, Argentina.
- Mt. Robson – Emperor Ridge (V 5.7) Single 25 hour push, car to summit.
- Mt. Kitchener – Grand Central Couloir (V 5.9 W5) One day single push.
- Mt. Andromeda – Andromeda Strain (V 5.9+ W5)
- Mt. Bryce – North Face (IV 5.7) Solo, one day single push.
- Mt. Temple – North Face Greenwood/Jones (V 5.9)
- Mt. Aconcogua – Polish Glacier Direct Solo. World’s highest non-himalayan peak.
- Big Corona (V WI5+R, M7) – Ice climb, First Ascent. Big Corona first ascent story…
- Polar Circus (V, WI5, 700m) – Solo, speed ascent in under 3 hours round trip. Linked with Murchison Falls. Polar Circus/Murchison solo linkup story…
- Suntori (VI, M7, W6, 1500m) – First free ascent & first single-push ascent. Suntori story…
- Mt. Cline – East Face (IV 5.10) & SE Buttress (IV 5.10) – First Ascents.
- Mt. Athabasca – Over 100 ascents via 13 different routes.
