Michael O’Connor AMGA Certified Rock Guide Michael started climbing in 2006 in Maryland at Towson University but didn’t find a real passion for climbing until he traveled abroad to New Zealand in 2007 for a semester of college. He met so many people from all over the world that had come to New Zealand just for the climbing. The amazing community that he became part of him fueled his fire for climbing. Once back in the states, he finished a …
Geoff Unger
Geoff Unger UIAGM/IFMGA Ski & Mountain Guide Geoff has been climbing and skiing for most of his life. His travels have taken him all over the globe for alpinism and guiding. Two of Geoff’s notable achievements are climbing first ascents in the Himalaya and repeating a demanding route on the north face of the Grand Jorasses outside Chamonix in winter. When not in the alpine he enjoys climbing in all its forms from bouldering to multi-pitch traditional climbing and ice …
Katie Lambert
Katie Lambert Katie is a professional rock climber based out of the Sierra which she has called home since 2006. Originally from Louisiana she found climbing at the age of 15 and for the last 20 years she has centered her life around making rock climbing and time spent outdoors a priority. Katie has traveled extensively for climbing not just in the US but throughout Europe, Canada, Mexico, Colombia and Turkey. Her knowledge of the rock extends from bouldering V10, …
Forrest Schwab
Forrest Schwab Forrest is the definition of an outdoor enthusiast and has a serious passion for climbing in the mountains. Growing up in coastal New England, Forrest developed his spirit of adventure early. Much of his youth was spent sailing up and down the eastern seaboard or exploring the craggy White Mountains of New Hampshire. Forrest started climbing in high school and hasn’t stopped since. While at St. Lawrence University in upstate New York, Forrest worked as a student guide …
Ben Traxler
Ben Traxler AMGA Certified Rock Guide Ben started climbing and backcountry skiing during an Outward Bound course when he was 15. Growing up in the Midwest, this trip inspired him to pursue a life climbing in the mountains. He studied Wilderness Leadership and Natural History at Prescott College and now works as a full-time mountain guide. Ben has guided in Alaska, Canada, Washington, Colorado, California, and all over the southwestern states. He is an AMGA Certified Rock Guide, Single Pitch …
Peter Croft
Peter Croft For every rule there is an exception, and Peter Croft is an exceptional individual who has successfully combined decades of climbing and guiding experience with a prolific personal career as climbing athlete. Peter was born in Canada but moved to California to pursue a life in the sun. He currently lives in Bishop with his wife Karine. In 1987 Croft blazed his way into the scene by free soloing Astroman and the Rostrum in a day – two Yosemite climbs that …
Matt Hegeman
AMGA Certified Rock Guide & Alpine Guide Always looking for the next adventure in Patagonia, the Alps, or the big walls of Yosemite, Matt is a rock climber at heart. Growing up in Pittsburgh, he found a mentor who taught him the basics of his craft. He then took a one-way flight to Yosemite where he cultivated a passion for long, committing granite climbs. He has since climbed many of the long classic free climbs of the Valley as well as El Capitan five times, including a …
Barbara Wanner
Barbara Wanner AMGA Certified Single Pitch Instructor Barbara Wanner grew up in Switzerland. As a child she learned to love the mountains and the foothills around home. Living on a farm, she was involved in taking care of animals and working outside. Her love for adventures in the mountains was fostered by many family trips to the Alps, where she hiked from hut to hut in the summer or skied the backcountry in the winter. From a young age Barbara …
Viren Perumal
Viren Perumal AMGA Certified Rock Guide Viren was born in Thailand, and then settled in the Southeastern US where as a youth he learned to climb and kayak whitewater. Viren holds a Masters degree in Biology/Eco-physiology and since 1999, has worked as a professional in almost every diverse aspect of the outdoor industry: raft guide, wilderness therapist, ski patroller, search and rescue worker, ambulance crew, outdoor educator, outdoor retail specialist, and biology researcher, and climbing guide. He is a insatiable learner …
Bernd Zeugswetter
UIAGM/IFMGA Ski & Mountain Guide Born and raised in Austria, Bernd is a third generation climber and skier. He’s been teaching climbing and skiing since 1997 and in 2001 completed his IFMGA certification. Guiding and climbing have taken him to many beautiful places around the world including Pakistan, Nepal, Russia, Argentina, Peru, Mexico and all through the Alps. His recent focus has been on free-climbing long routes like Moonlight Buttress, Sheer Lunacy, and the Touchstone Wall in Zion, and many …
Howie Schwartz
Howie Schwartz SMG Lead Guide & Owner UIAGM/IFMGA Ski & Mountain Guide Howie is an international UIAGM & AMGA ski and mountain guide. He was fortunate to learn to ski as a toddler and he owned the first p-tex snowboard by Burton in 1987, which he hiked up the groomed runs of East Coast ski resorts. He discovered rock and alpine climbing in 1988 on a trip to the Tetons. The highlight was climbing the Grand Teton via the upper …
Neil Satterfield
Neil Satterfield SMG Lead Guide & Owner UIAGM/IFMGA Ski & Mountain Guide Neil is a second generation mountain guide. Born in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, Neil began climbing when he was six years old. A 20 year+ resident of the Eastern Sierra, Neil enjoys the close proximity to backcountry skiing, rock climbing and alpine peaks. “After guiding and climbing in many different countries I am still in awe of how cool the East Side is. I still have more than a …