Featured Guide Profile: Gary Falk of Exum Mountain Guides
Age? 35 years young, my friend. Prime!!
Where did you grow up/Where do you live now? I live in Jackson, Wyoming: Gateway to Grand Teton and Yellowstone National Parks.
What do you love about mountaineering? I love covering a lot of terrain in style. The skill set required for safely completing a challenging objective takes years to acquire, and the art of moving efficiently through the mountains is very rewarding.
What was it (specifically or generally) that first peaked your interest in outdoor sports?
The realness of it all. Life outside the mountains rarely has moments where a poor decision can prove disastrous in an irreversible way. For example, a poor financial choice will rarely cause a loss of life or limb.
What does it mean that you “[help your] clients build confidence through progressive challenge.”? How do you achieve this in both short-term and long-term endeavors? The key to building confidence is education. I feel that if I am doing my job, there will be a day when my client will be able to venture on his or her own and move safely through the mountains. This is achieved gradually through front-loading information specific to the objective at hand, and this builds experience. I like to compare experience to a toolbox. The more tools one owns, the greater the things they can build.
How do your experience guiding skiing, mountaineering and rock climbing lend themselves to one another, and where is the most beneficial crossover?
All three disciplines come together during those moments when I have to predict how a person is going to react to a given challenge. I have to make sure that the objective is correct for my clients skill set.
Read the rest of this FEATURED GUIDE PROFILE and see other GUIDE PROFILES on page two of the GUIDE ZONE (scroll to the bottom of the page) or click here
Climbing Magazine's Guide Zone
Adventure Consultants and THE ENVIRONMENT
As people who live very close to the natural world we are genuinely proactive in minimizing our impacts by educating our staff and guests in appropriate techniques to preserve the environment. With our roots in the New Zealand outdoors we have always been conscious of the need to ‘leave only footprints’ and we apply this philosophy to every venture we embark upon. Be it a weekend in the hills or a major expedition, we are particular about leaving the area cleaner than we found it.
Adventure Consultants was the first expedition company to operate clean-up expeditions to Mt Everest and we were removing abandoned oxygen bottles from Mt Everest before well-funded ‘clean up’ expeditions became fashionable. In addition to our existing high standards, we practice ‘Leave no Trace’ (tm) principles to minimize our environmental footprint.
The American Alpine Institute was founded in 1975 and since then has been dedicated to helping climbers raise their skills, protect the environments in which they climb, develop good judgment, and safely gain access to the great mountains of the world.
Though the Institute is especially well known for its advanced training and expeditions, its international reputation is based on its dedication to teaching (at all skill levels from beginners’ to masters’ levels), its high level of customer service, the outstanding skills of its staff, and its public service in the areas of environmental protection and public lands policy.
"7 Summits Club" is the Alpine Club for those wishing to climb all Seven Summits.
We have already carried out several successful expeditions during the year 2003-2006: 16 times within the last 3 years “7 Summits Club” organized Elbrus 5642m expeditions 4 out of them in winter. 135 members successfully reached the Top of Elbrus. 14 times within the last 3 years “7 Summits Club” organized Kilimanjaro 5895m expeditions. 105 members successfully reached the Top of Kilimanjaro 2 times within the last 3 years “7 Summits Club” organized unguided McKinley 6194 expeditions. 22 members successfully reached the Top of McKinley 5 times within the last 3 years “7 Summits Club” organized Aconcagua 6960 expeditions. 41 members successfully reached the Top of Aconcagua 3 times within the last 3 years “7 Summits Club” organized Everest 8848m expeditions. 31 members successfully reached the Top of Everest In 2004 and “7 Summits Club” organized Kosciuszko 2228m expedition. 14 members successfully reached the Top of Kosciuszko 13 members of our expedion in the season 2005/2006 successfully climbed Vinson Massif 4897m 7 members of “7 Summits Club”out of them finished “7 Summits” project – climbed all highest mountains on all continents.
Talkeetna Air Taxi (TAT) specializes in
glacier landings and air transport to various peaks in the Alaska Range for climbers and back-country skiers.
Climbers are our primary concern and focus. Paul Roderick (owner), is a climber with experience on Denali and other peaks in the area. He offers first hand knowledge of route information, keeps an eye on current conditions and climbers, and adds insight into what it takes to climb in Alaska.
We feel that our climbing services go beyond what you might expect, since we are climbers, back country skiers and outdoor enthusiasts just like you. Paul Roderick, the owner, is the only climber/glacier pilot in Talkeetna and knows what it takes to climb in Alaska. The adventure possibilities in this area are endless, and we would be happy to give you some ideas and/or help you plan your excursion.
In a market where companies are offering non-guided basement prices and delivering the equivalent in quality and safety, Mountain Professionals offers mid-range prices with high-end program delivery. We offer professional guides, the highest quality gear, the smoothest logistical delivery and we have no hidden fees. As a small high quality owner operated company, we offer personalized, small group programs in climbing, trekking and adventure travel.
Our commitment to quality and safety, our high end delivery and our competitive pricing makes us not only competitive but a down right better deal than the more expensive company’s...check it out!
Alpenglow Expeditions was founded by Adrian Ballinger in 2004 after he worked for nearly a decade as head guide and director of one of the largest international guide services in the USA. Alpenglow Expeditions was created to combine our guides’ passion for climbing big mountains with their desire to teach others. We focus on high altitude expeditions, technical rock and ice climbing, and ski mountaineering on five continents. Our expeditions challenge climbers to become more efficient and competent in the mountains. Every one of these expeditions is run as a partnership between an AMGA certified guide and the team members, ensuring maximum learning, enjoyment and safety.
Founded in 1995 by director, Marty Molitoris, Alpine Endeavors is comprised of experienced, passionate climbers who are also professionally trained guides and instructors. In addition to being great climbers, all of our guides are state licensed, skilled in wilderness medicine, and trained and certified by the American Mountain Guides Association. Alpine Endeavors was the first, and still the only, guide service in their area to employ and provide all AMGA certified guides for our guests.
Alpine Endeavors offers professional climbing instruction and guiding to climbers of all ability levels for rock climbing, ice climbing, alpine climbing and mountaineering. We operate throughout the year in the Gunks, Catskills, and Adirondacks, switching from rock climbing to ice climbing and winter mountaineering with the seasons and also provide guided trips to unique areas abroad. If you are interested in climbing a specific climb, or looking to improve your technical skills, climbing ability, or general outdoor wilderness skills, we can help you reach your goals.
Chockstone Climbing Guides offers the widest range of climbing services available at Smith Rock State Park. We are a guide owned and guide managed American Mountain Guides Association Accredited Guide Service. Our staff provides personal, professional and customized rock climbing instruction and guiding services for all ages and abilities. From the first time rock climber to those breaking into advanced rock climbing skills or professional instructor training, Chockstone Guides provide the highest quality service for their clients. We maintain low client/guide ratios to maximize the attention that each individual deserves. Our rock-climbing instructors and guides hold personal certification or training through the AMGA and all have wilderness medical training and certification. As teachers, our guides are committed professionals. Through our instructional expertise, dedication to your safety and enthusiasm for climbing, Chockstone Climbing Guides can help you reach new heights.
The winter season of 2008/2009 marks the thirty-fifth year that IME and IMCS have offered comprehensive climbing instruction and retail services for climbers from New England and around the country. Our climbing programs are open to people of "All ages, All abilities, All the time".
Our mission is to provide every climber with a safe, enjoyable and worthwhile climbing experience. Our long-term goal is to run a friendly, personal guide service that you will return to year after year. It's a job and a passion that allows us to share the excitement of climbing and the mountain environment with you.
Along the way we will help you build skills and gain experiences that will make you a better climber and mountaineer.
San Juan Mountain Guides is dedicated to offering professional instruction and guiding that will contribute to a lifetime of safe and successful climbing. Our guides not only help you get to the top of your next big climb, they also share their methods and decision making processes so you can benefit from their years of experience. During our courses and climbs, we also seek to build and maintain friendships, and we pride ourselves on securing partnerships that last for many years. This educational approach and supportive atmosphere is the foundation of all our programs.
Our school is based in Ouray, Colorado located in the heart of the San Juan Mountains. We offer both open registration courses and custom programs designed to fit individual goals. Custom programs allow us the flexibility to structure the curriculum to meet each person or self-organized group's specific needs and objectives. Either way, your outdoor experience will be not only instructional, but also personalized and fun.
Our climbing expeditions maximize many years of accumulated wisdom leading trips to the highest mountains on the planet, a strong record of reaching the top of 8000ers: Everest, K2, Kangchenjunga, Lhotse, Makalu, Cho-Oyu, Shishapangma and many other high altitude summits in all safety, along with an intimate knowledge of the officials who regulate the permit system. We have conducted countless 8000, 7000 and 6000 metre peak expeditions, and consider ourselves specialists in identifying, organizing expeditions to, and getting teams safely to the summit and back down. We have been running expeditions for over 17 years and we know all of the bureaucratic officials, liaison officers, yak drivers, and hoteliers/restaurateurs personally in the countries we visit. We must also give credit to our polite and highly experienced, hard-working climbing sherpas, high altitude guides, cooking, and office staff.
The goal of SummitClimb is to lead expeditions stressing 3 goals in the following order:
Safety at all times
Having fun, being part of a good team, making new friends
Success in reaching the summit and descending safely
Southwest Adventure Guides LLC (formerly Southwest Adventures) has been conducting domestic and international trips and courses since 1989. We are not a travel agent. We guide our own trips with our own staff and support networks. Our courses and trips run throughout the year. In the spring and summer months we conduct rock climbing, mountaineering and mountain biking trips and courses in Southwest Colorado and Southeast Utah, as well as high altitude mountaineering expeditions and courses in Peru, Bolivia, and Alaska.
In the winter months we conduct avalanche courses, backcountry skiing, ice climbing and winter mountaineering trips in Southwest Colorado, as well as international high altitude climbing and trekking expeditions in Mexico, Ecuador, and Argentina.
All of our guides undergo extensive training and have many years experience in the discipline in which they work. Additionally, all of our Senior Guides are either American Mountain Guides Association (AMGA) Certified or Trained.
