Climbing is one of my favorite ways to spend time outdoors.  I enjoy all types of climbing.  When I am not climbing, I am working with horses, caring for goats, and enjoying time with my son.   Being an EL combines my love for teaching, climbing, and being outdoors, plus it pushes me to find and explore new places that I can take groups to climb.

I’ve somehow managed to combine growing up in another part of the world and getting educated in the US into a passion for challenging myself in the mountains, not conquering them. It is the desire to experience new heights in as many different locations as possible that drives me to climb in the Cascades, Rockies and myriad other ranges, with the Sierra Nevada always as my favorite. I am particularly drawn to glaciated volcanoes, backcountry sentinels with challenging scrambles, and lonely desert peaks, all of which require the delicate balance of self-sufficiency and team effort. Climbing seems to suck up all my free time, but in between endlessly planned trips I find joy in literature, languages and cultural exchanges, especially those of the culinary kind.

I am a man of many hobbies, which includes backcountry snowboarding/split-boarding, rock/ice/snow climbing in low altitudes and high altitudes, backpacking/peak bagging, scuba diving/free diving, mountain/road cycling, and recently canyoneering.  I lived in Mammoth Lakes for 4 years full time, which only fed my love for climbing and the outdoors.  There I honed in my ice climbing and rock climbing techniques having the Eastern Sierras as my backyard; I love multi-pitch rock/ice so that I get to a peak and enjoy the views all around.  When I'm not climbing, besides working, you can find me doing my many other hobbies (cycling/mtn biking, scuba diving, kayaking, hiking, etc.), but I'm also a geek at heart and there are activities for that. LOL.  I joined MAA, previously known as Sierra Mountaineering Club, as a member and I've learned so much from this organization that I wanted to give back to this community by becoming an Event Leader.  So allow me to share you what I've learned from MAA and my own experiences.

I am from California but my heart belongs in the Northwest. I spend my winters patrolling in Tahoe, and summers raft guiding in Montana, and climbing in the Northwest. I enjoy general Mountaineering, and multi-pitch, alpine rock climbing. I am working towards climbing all of the major 14'er in California, as well as work toward becoming a PCIA certified instructor, to provide trainings for those interested in and passionate about climbing. 

I'm from Alaska and I grew up playing in the woods and snowy mountains. I'm definitely a child of winter but after going to college in Ft. Collins, CO, and escaping to the mountains to play in the powder, I seem to have found myself preferring to live where it's warm and play where it's cold. 

My favorite way to experience the mountains is climbing remote, long, moderate, trad alpine routes. And if I can be even more specific, pointy exposed granite ridge lines are my jam. Or perfect hand cracks (but who doesn't love those?).

When I am not climbing I am teaching. I teach high school Biology and Computer Science at an urban public school. It's the best job in the world.

I love getting outside and challenging myself, it defines and motivates me. I also really enjoy teaching. So, I'm most excited about being an EL because it gives me an opportunity to do both!

I like snow and ice! I joined MAA to meet like-minded climbers, learn and refine my alpine skills, and climb mountains. As an EL, I really enjoy helping members practice their skills and gain confidence.

I love being outdoors, climbing, skiing, backpacking, trail running. I live in beautiful Gardnerville, Nevada after growing up and working in the Bay Area. When I'm not playing in the mountains I consult on leadership and collaborative practices, focusing on the response to human trafficking.

I grew up in the Bay Area and aside from a seven year stint in Philadelphia have lived in Northern California all my life. I started climbing in 2007 with a guided ascent of Mt. Rainier and since then have branched out from general mountaineering to ice climbing to trad rock, from being guided to going with friends to leading groups. As time has gone on I have come to appreciate climbing more and more; it’s an incredible mix of athleticism and problem solving, getting to places you’d never see if you didn’t leave the main trail. As an EL I hope to share my passion for the mountains with others and help to get people out there!