Utah Adventures — The Wasatch & Moab

Our base camp. A place to begin, build skills and pursue a real objective.

Backcountry skiing, avalanche education, rock climbing, desert towers, alpine objectives and expedition preparation—all based from Utah.

Our base camp

Two Landscapes. One Extraordinary Mountain Base.

Utah gives BBE access to two very different mountain environments.

The Wasatch rises directly above Salt Lake City. From city streets, the landscape changes to granite walls, quartzite ridges, deep winter snow and high alpine terrain.

Farther south, Moab opens an entirely different world: sandstone cracks, desert towers, long routes and objectives that demand their own movement, protection and route-management skills. Moab climbing is operated and guided by Wasatch Mountain Guides (WMG), so established desert-climbing objectives are part of our Utah program.

Together, the Wasatch and Moab make Utah BBE’s North American base camp—a place for a first experience, continuing education, private objectives and preparation for larger mountains.

Find your way

Find Your Way Into the Mountains

You do not need to label yourself a beginner, intermediate or advanced climber. Tell us what you have done, what you want to learn and where you hope it may lead.

I ski at resorts and want to enter the backcountry

Strong downhill skiing is a useful starting point. Backcountry travel adds touring equipment, uphill movement, transitions, terrain selection, avalanche awareness and group decision-making.

Start with a guided day of Backcountry Skiing & Splitboarding if touring is new to you.

Continue through avalanche education, guided touring, mentorship and ski mountaineering according to your goals.

Explore skiing in the Wasatch →

I climb indoors and want to go outside

Gym climbing gives you movement, strength and familiarity with ropes. Outdoor climbing adds real terrain, changing conditions, route-finding, communication, anchors, rope management and judgment.

Begin in the Wasatch with Learn to Rock Climb Outside, then continue toward leading, private guiding, mentorship, multi-pitch objectives and alpine climbing.

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I already climb outside and want a larger objective

A private day in the Wasatch can focus on longer routes, multi-pitch systems, efficiency or alpine movement.

Moab offers a different next step. Desert cracks and towers introduce unfamiliar movement, protection, exposure and commitment in one of North America’s defining climbing landscapes.

Explore Wasatch and Moab climbing →

I want to climb for a day

A half-day or full private day can be an introduction, a memorable objective or focused time with a guide.

We choose the location and route around your experience, goals, weather and current conditions. Complete beginners, visiting climbers, families and experienced partners looking for a local objective can all begin here.

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I am preparing for an expedition

Utah gives us room to work on the parts of an expedition that can be developed before departure: movement, systems, equipment, pacing, transitions, physical preparation and decision-making.

Objective-specific preparation is available for Kilimanjaro, Aconcagua, Denali and Everest. The purpose is practical preparation, not a certification or promise of readiness.

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Winter in the Wasatch

Skiing and Avalanche Education

Big and Little Cottonwood Canyons provide access to a broad range of winter terrain. The right objective changes with snow, weather, avalanche conditions, group experience and what you want from the day.

A guided day may be your first time using touring equipment, an introduction to the Wasatch, focused ski-mountaineering instruction or one step in a longer season of development.

Guided backcountry skiing in the Wasatch, Utah

Start here

Backcountry Skiing and Splitboarding

Full day · Wasatch, Utah · 1–4 Guests

A guided day selected around your experience, conditions and objectives.

From $280 per person · full day

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Lift-access backcountry skiing at Alta or Brighton, Utah

Lifts, then backcountry

Lift Access Backcountry Skiing & Riding

6+ hours · Utah · 1–3 standard (contact us for 4+)

Ski Alta or Brighton with a guide who uses the lifts to reach the backcountry beyond them — more vertical, less skinning. One day is enough.

From $250 per person · full day

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Backcountry skills course in the Wasatch, Utah

Build skills

Backcountry Essentials

2 days · Wasatch, Utah · Up to 4 per guide

Two field days and an evening session — transceiver rescue, terrain, tour planning. The step before Avalanche Level 1.

$550 per person

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Avalanche Level 1 field day in the Wasatch, Utah

Avalanche education

Avalanche Level 1

2 field days · Wasatch, Utah · 2–4 clients per guide

A structured introduction to avalanche terrain, snowpack and decision-making.

$615 per person

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Winter camp during an avalanche course in the Wasatch, Utah

Avalanche education + camping

Avalanche Level 1 with Winter Camping

3 days, 2 nights · Wasatch, Utah · 2–4 clients per guide

The same certification, with three field days and two nights out in the snow.

$1,150 per person

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Backcountry ski mentorship tour in the Wasatch, Utah

Across a season

Backcountry Ski Mentorship

6 field days · Wasatch, Utah · 2–4 clients. Guides rotate across the weekends.

Build judgment and practical experience through repeated days across a season.

$2,000 per person

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Ski mountaineering descent in the Wasatch, Utah

Technical descents

Ski Mountaineering Classic Lines

8–12 hours · Wasatch, Utah · 1–2 clients per guide

Steep couloirs, ice axe and crampons, occasional rappel entrances.

Prior approval required.

From $400 per person · full day

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Granite, quartzite, limestone

Rock Climbing in the Wasatch

The Wasatch offers granite, quartzite and limestone climbing within easy reach of Salt Lake City. A first outdoor climbing day, focused instruction, private guiding, mentorship and longer alpine routes can all begin from the same base.

Half-day rock climbing on Cottonwood Canyon granite, Utah

A few hours

Half-Day Rock Climbing

About 4 hours · Wasatch, Utah · Up to 4 climbers per guide

A flexible introduction or private climbing experience when you have limited time.

From $125 per person · half day (group of 4)

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Learning to rock climb outside in the Wasatch, Utah

Gym to rock

Learn to Rock Climb Outside

Full day · Wasatch, Utah · Maximum 4 climbers per guide

For climbers with some indoor, top-rope or sport experience who are ready for outdoor rock.

$295 per person · full day

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Learning to lead a sport climb in the Wasatch, Utah

First leads

Learn to Lead Outside

Full day · Wasatch, Utah · Maximum 4 climbers per guide

For climbers ready to develop the systems and judgment required to lead outdoors.

$295 per person · full day

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Private rock climbing day in the Wasatch, Utah

Private day

Full-Day Private Rock Climbing

Full day · Wasatch, Utah · Maximum 2 climbers per guide

A day designed around your experience, objectives and preferred style of climbing.

From $375 per person · full day

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Rock climbing mentorship in the Wasatch, Utah

Over a year

Rock Climbing Mentorship

4 days in a year · Wasatch, Utah · 1–2 climbers per guide

A continuing relationship for climbers who want practice, feedback and progression over time.

$2,395 for one climber · $1,495 each for two

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View Wasatch rock climbing →

The Colorado Plateau

Desert Climbing in Moab

Moab is a destination in its own right.

The sandstone towers and crack systems of the Colorado Plateau require skills that are distinct from climbing in the Wasatch. Route selection, protection, movement, efficiency and descent systems all matter differently in the desert.

Our Moab program, operated by WMG, lets us match the objective to the climber. A Moab experience may be an introduction to desert climbing, a first tower, a multi-day program or a specific route for an experienced team.

Desert tower climbing near Moab, Utah

Desert towers

Moab Desert Towers

4 days · Moab, Utah · 2 climbers per guide, always

Guided sandstone climbing and desert-tower objectives selected around your experience and goals.

$1,800 per person, team of 2 · $3,200 private

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Between the crag and the big ranges

Alpine Climbing, Ice and Traverses

Utah also offers objectives that sit between the crag and the larger ranges.

Guided ice climbing introduces movement on frozen terrain. Wasatch alpine routes and traverses bring together endurance, exposure, route-finding and efficient mountain travel. These experiences may stand on their own or support preparation for future climbs elsewhere.

Guided ice climbing in Provo Canyon, Utah

Winter

Guided Ice Climbing

Half or full day · Provo Canyon, Utah · 1–2 climbers per guide

Provo Canyon and Little Cottonwood. All technical gear provided, no experience needed.

From $250 per person · half day

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Wasatch alpine ridge traverse, Utah

Ridges

Wasatch Alpine Traverses

6–10 hours · Wasatch, Utah · 1–2 per guide

Ridgelines linking summits, as a scramble or a trail run.

From $425 per person · full day

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Cottonwood Ridge traverse in the Wasatch, Utah

Two days

The Two Canyons Traverse

2 days · Wasatch, Utah · 1 climber, 1 guide

Our signature line: the Cottonwood Ridge in two days, from Mount Superior to the Twin Peaks at sunrise, fully self-supported.

$1,700

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Before the big mountain

Expedition Preparation

Everest preparation training in the Wasatch, Utah

Everest

Wasatch Everest Prep Course

4 days · Wasatch, Utah · 2 climbers, 1 guide

Four days, with a night at high camp: fixed lines, ascender transitions, ladder crossings and moving in an oxygen mask.

$2,000 per person

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What comes next

Where Utah Can Lead

Utah does not prescribe one path or one definition of progress.

A first day outside may lead to independent cragging. Wasatch climbing may lead to a desert tower in Moab. A season of ski mentorship may lead to a technical descent. Expedition preparation may lead to Kilimanjaro, Ecuador, Mexico, Aconcagua or Denali.

What comes next depends on you.

Your people. Your objective.

Private & Custom Utah

Your schedule, group or objective may not fit a listed program. We can begin with the people involved, the time available and what you want from the experience, then determine the appropriate plan.

Private & Custom may include a family climbing day, a multi-day Wasatch program, a Moab climbing objective, expedition preparation or a combination of Utah experiences.

Our Utah partner

Operated by Wasatch Mountain Guides

Utah guiding programs featured by Benegas Brothers Expeditions are operated by Wasatch Mountain Guides (WMG), a separate guiding company co-owned by BBE co-founder Willie Benegas. BBE helps you explore the experiences and connect with WMG. WMG provides the guiding services and handles reservations, payments, required releases and applicable booking terms.

Your program’s guide and meeting details are confirmed before departure.

WMG holds the guiding permit for its Moab programs.

Start Where You Are

Tell us where you are now

Tell us what you do now, what experience you already have and what you want to move toward. We will help you identify the Utah experience that makes sense—and tell you honestly when a different starting point would serve you better.

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