Everything you need to arrive at your mountain prepared — not just hopeful.
Every engagement is one-on-one, built around your specific objective, timeline, and life. I don’t offer packages or templates. I offer the coaching I wish I’d had when I started climbing at 38.
Starting from $2,000 · no commissions ever · 10% of fees to Alzheimer’s research
what makes summit coach different
Truly Independent advice
I receive zero commissions from any guide service, gear company, or training organization I recommend. My only interest is your success.
Experience you can’t find elsewhere
38 major expeditions, 8 x 8,000m peaks, Everest at 54, K2 at 58. I’ve made every mistake — and learned from all of them.
Personal, not templated
Every plan is built from scratch around your goals, your fitness, your budget, and the life you’re actually living — not a generic framework.
Available when it matters
Unlimited calls, texts, and emails throughout your engagement. I’m reachable while you’re on the mountain — not just during business hours.
COACHING
Ongoing conversations—the core of what I do.
The most valuable thing I provide isn’t a document — it’s the ability to think through every decision with someone who has been there. These are the coaching touchpoints throughout your engagement.
Initial qualification call
A free 30-minute call to understand your goal, your experience, and your timeline. We’ll both know by the end whether Summit Coach is the right fit.
Confidential intake process
Before we start, I ask detailed questions about your fitness, health, altitude history, and objectives. This means our first working call is already informed — no time wasted on basics.
Regular live coaching calls
Weekly early in the engagement, then milestone-based as your climb approaches — six months out, three months, one month, the week before departure. Available by phone, Zoom, or WhatsApp.
Unlimited email and text
Fast responses to every question throughout your engagement. Gear decisions, training questions, guide concerns, logistics — anything, any time.
On-mountain support
I’m reachable by phone or email while you’re climbing. Real-time guidance at the moments that matter most.
Post-climb debrief
A structured conversation once you’re home — what worked, what didn’t, and what your next objective should be. Every climb makes the next one better.
PREPARATION DOCUMENTS
Written plans you’ll actually use — on the mountain and at home.
Strategic climbing plan
Your personalized roadmap: which peaks, in what order, with which skills, across your full planning horizon. This is the document that turns a dream into a schedule.
Mountain TiPS document
Camp-by-camp guidance for your specific objective — written from firsthand experience on Everest, K2, Denali, Aconcagua, and the Seven Summits. Covers everything from Kathmandu to summit day to the flight home. My clients bring these to base camp and read them repeatedly.
Physical training plan
A written plan built around your current fitness, your objective, and how much time you can realistically train each week. Includes mental and emotional preparation techniques, not just physical conditioning. I partner with Uphill Athlete and can offer a 15% discount on their coaching while you’re enrolled.
Climbing skills assessment
An honest evaluation of where your skills are now versus where they need to be for your objective — with specific recommendations for how to close the gap before your climb.
Pre-climb and post-climb review
GEAR AND GUIDES
The two decisions that most climbers get wrong.
Hundreds of guide companies and thousands of gear options — and most climbers choose based on price or reviews alone. I’ve climbed with or evaluated most of the major operators since 1997. I know who to trust, who to avoid, and where to find quality gear at the lowest honest price.
Guide selection consultation
A vetted recommendation of guide services that match your goals, budget, experience, and style — with honest assessments of safety records, summit rates, and what each company actually delivers. I receive no commission from any referral.
Gear selection consultation
A custom gear list refined over 25 years and 38 expeditions, with current links and prices. I’ll help you buy the right gear at the lowest price — and avoid spending thousands on things you don’t need. No commissions, ever.
Structured checklists before each climb to confirm you’re ready, and after each climb to capture lessons for the next one.
IS SUMMIT COACH RIGHT FOR YOU?
| A good fit if you … | Probably not the right fit if you … |
✓ Have a serious climbing goal and want expert guidance to reach it safely | x Want someone to tell you what you want to hear rather than what you need to know |
✓ Are balancing training with a job, family, and real life | x Are looking for a quick checklist rather than a real coaching relationship |
| ✓ Want unbiased advice on gear and guides with no financial strings attached | x Aren’t willing to invest time and training in proportion to your objective |
| ✓ Want to arrive at your mountain prepared — not just hopeful |
QUICK SELF-CHECK
Answer no to any of these, and Summit Coach can help.
- Are you confident in your physical training plan for this climb?
- Do you know you have the right gear for the conditions you’ll face?
- Do you have the skills your objective requires — and a plan to build them?
- Have you chosen a guide service that genuinely matches your experience and budget?
- Do you have a realistic progression of climbs before your big objective?
- Are you mentally and emotionally prepared for what’s ahead?
Start with a free conversation.
Tell me your goal and where you’re starting from. No preparation needed—just an honest 30 minutes about what it will take to get you there.
Not ready to call? Review Alan’s credentials first →