Ascending Hikes Section
See also 2025 Member Guide to Ascending Hikes
See also 2025 Leader Guide to Ascending Hikes
Who we are: The Colorado Mountain Club's Ascending Hike Section (AHS) provides an opportunity to make new friends and get comfortable in Colorado's backcountry, while increasing your personal hiking speed, strength, and stamina.
The section is administered and led by CMC volunteers. There is no cost, fee, or scheduling commitment. There are no dues or elections. You don't need to join the section to sign up for the hikes, but section membership provides a section member badge in your profile, a once a month newsletter with trip photos, upcoming trips, and articles of interest to section members.
Although the section was started to help new CMC members especially, all members are welcome if increasing speed and stamina is the goal. Newer members benefit from meeting veteran members. Guests are not allowed.
How it works. Interested CMC trip leaders offer AHS-labeled trips all year, usually on Fridays, Saturdays, and/or Sundays. We try to include a couple of high peak climbs and some long hikes just for AHS members at the end of the primary hiking season, mid-May through September. We have a suggested list for leaders of progressively more difficult hikes, but leaders often come up with their own trips, which we welcome and add to the list.
For members, the overall experience is expected to be self-administered, and we hope you take advantage of the entire CMC trip calendar. Members are encouraged to choose hikes based on their own on-going self-assessment. A typical member chooses comfortable hikes to start and then gradually progresses in trip length, highest elevation reached, moving speed, and difficulty. If you are consistent, you will be ready to tackle major new challenges by the end of summer.
Once the spring/summer/fall hiking season is over, we switch to AHS snowshoe trips. This is the best way to keep up your conditioning and enthusiasm over the winter. Never snowshoed? Your trip leaders run a FREE CMC members-only one-day Beginner Snowshoe School during the winter season. We even supply the equipment and teach you about selecting your own equipment, clothing, etc. Practice trips also offered.
Read the Guides. We have prepared a 2025 Member Guide To Ascending Hikes and a 2025 Leader Guide to Ascending Hikes. It is all about hiking technique and speed in the CMC, which relates to the fitness you are trying to achieve.
How to Sign Up For an Ascending Hike. To sign up for an Ascending Hike, visit the CMC start page and click “Find Trips.” In the left sidebar, scroll down to “Sections.” Check “Ascending Hikes.” (Note: if no Ascending Hikes are calendared, the section name will not appear.) Don’t see an Ascending Hike–labeled trip that fits your schedule? Search for any hikes offered at the difficulty rating and date you want.
Alert! This is a popular program. If there is a standby list, join it. Standby lists almost always clear. Your Trip Leader and AHS Coordinators put a lot of effort into planning section activities. Last minute cancellations and no-shows are very discouraging and insufficient numbers may jeopardize the program. We understand that "things happen." Nonetheless, PLEASE DO NOT SIGN UP FOR AN AHS TRIP UNLESS YOU FULLY INTEND TO PARTICIPATE ON TRIP DAY!