Max Lurie
About me
Max started his guiding career working for International Mountain Climbing School in North Conway, New Hampshire. Surrounded by the White Mountains and living in the Mount Washington Valley, Max honed his craft for both personal and professional pursuits. Climbing and guiding on Cathedral Ledge, Whitehorse Ledge, Cannon Cliff and Mount Washington itself Max put in the miles and hours to rise up through the ranks quickly. In the winter season he climbed as much ice as he possibly could, with the wet climate of New England that was quite a bit. The ice climbing in New Hampshire and Vermont is second to none. Guiding the many classic multi-pitch ice routes in Crawford Notch was how he spent the brutally cold winter months. Max took his first American Mountain Guides Association course in North Conway, New Hampshire. This opened his eyes to the dedication and hard work it would take to make guiding a sustainable profession. During this time Max also volunteered with the local Mountain Rescue Service that performed technical rescues throughout the surrounding mountains. Traveling on glaciated terrain wasn’t new to Max as he had climbed many glaciated peaks personally, not to mention that he studied glaciology at university. Yet, he wanted to develop his guiding skills further. Traveling to the Pacific Northwest and working for International Mountain Guides on Mount Rainier, Mount Baker, and in the North Cascades National Park Max quickly fell in love with that landscape. Over the course of many seasons, Max has summited Rainier nearly 100 times, not to mention ascents of other peaks. Mentoring younger guides and taking a leadership role was a natural progression for him. Going back to his roots as a rock and ice climber, Max traded the snowy peaks of the Pacific Northwest for the rugged and technical Rocky Mountains of Colorado. As an American Mountain Guides Association certified Rock and Alpine Guide, Max was a kid in a candy store. Max can often be found guiding and climbing the tricky and technical routes in Eldorado Canyon or high above Boulder on one of the Flatirons. When the conditions are right, the long technical routes in Rocky Mountain National Park are a fantastic reprieve from the summer heat. In the winter, Max teaches American Institute for Avalanche Research and Education courses. He also owns and operates Alpine to the Max based in Boulder, Colorado.Certifications
Max Lurie
AMGA certified Alpine Guide
AMGA certified Rock Guide
AIARE Course Leader
Nationally Registered EMT
Reviews
Trip: AIARE Level One
With Max L. on February 28, 2025
Company: Alpine to the Max
I took an AIARE Level One course with Max Lurie in the early spring of 2025 and had a great experience. Before the course began, Max was able to text with me to answer questions I had about the course and local accommodations which relieved the stresses of getting to and from the course and allowed me to focus entirely on the education. We had a small size group which made the classroom day very personal and allowed us to move at our own pace and gather all the information we could. All the logistics/course planning was super transparent and our whole group felt like we were contributing to decision making and we had the tools on hand to contribute to those discussions. The schedule was flexible and allowed everyone to become familiar with gear, practice equipment and knowledge usage and we got to see some beautiful parts of the RMNP over two days of avalanche rescue training, touring, snow science and more. We were able to ask as many questions as we had and I came away from the course much more confident in my knowledge of how to navigate backcountry skiing and avalanche terrain in a safe/fun way. I would recommend Max's course to anyone who is looking to get their AIARE Level 1!
By Joseph T. on March 03, 2025
Trip: AIARE Level One
With Max L. on February 21, 2025
Company: Alpine to the Max
Great course and Max was extremely knowledgeable. Max made the class engaging and the information easy to learn. He also really seemed to care about all of us having good backcountry experiences.
By Zachary W. on March 03, 2025
Trip: AIARE Level One
With Max L. on February 28, 2025
Company: Alpine to the Max
Max is an awesome instructor. Knowledgeable, friendly, and great at helping his students learn. I had a great time and learned a lot. Highly recommend.
By Cason L. on March 03, 2025
Trip: AIARE Level One
With Max L. on February 28, 2025
Company: Alpine to the Max
Max was great and answered any questions we had and made sure we all knew we could reach out even after the course if something came up that we were unsure about.
By Benjamin W. on March 03, 2025
Trip: Intro to Ice Climbing
With Max L. on February 27, 2025
Company: Alpine to the Max
It was a really great time, ice climbing is a blast and I never felt unsafe. It's very clear he knows what he is doing.
By Vasily G. on March 01, 2025
Trip: AIARE Level One
With Max L. on February 21, 2025
Company: Alpine to the Max
Aiare 1 course in Rocky Mountain National Park was informative and well executed by Max. I was happy to have such a knowledgeable and fun instructor for this course, which is an essential building block for all winter backcountry users planning to be in the mountains.
By Paul C. on February 24, 2025
Trip: Multi Pitch Ice Climbing
With Max L. on February 16, 2025
Company: Alpine to the Max
Max did a great job of meeting us at our individual levels (beginner and intermediate) and was able to challenge us both while making it fun. He did a great job of teaching the skill and also letting us just have a fun adventure ice climbing!
By Victoria L. on February 17, 2025
Trip: AIARE Level One
With Max L. on January 18, 2025
Company: Alpine to the Max
By Haley T. on February 03, 2025
Trip: AIARE Level One
With Max L. on January 18, 2025
Company: Alpine to the Max
Great course. Perfect level of fun and learning. Really helped me become more confident in situations that I just assumed were safe or ran from before. Now I can make educated decisions on if I should head in instead of just relying on stoke level
By Devin B. on January 27, 2025
Trip: AIARE Level One
With Max L. on January 18, 2025
Company: Alpine to the Max
Thanks so much! Max does a great job of fostering a friendly and engaging course!
By Nathan H. on January 24, 2025
Trip: AIARE Level One
With Max L. on January 18, 2025
Company: Alpine to the Max
I just wrapped up the Avalanche AIARE course, and it was such a great experience! The instructors were not only super knowledgeable but also really fun and down-to-earth, which made the whole thing feel like a good time, not just a class. They kept things casual while still teaching us serious skills, and the hands-on practice in the field was super valuable. By the end of the course, I felt way more confident about avalanche safety and had a lot of laughs with both old friends and new ones. Highly recommend it if you're looking to learn and have fun with a solid crew!
By Mikki K. on January 22, 2025