Staff Photo Gallery

Dunham Gooding, AAI Director
Dunham has led courses and guided climbs in the Cascades, Canada, Ecuador, Bolivia, and Patagonia and has made ascents throughout North and South America with new routes in the Cascades and first ascents in Bolivia and Alaska. He oversees program and staff development for the Institute. Over the years, Dunham has served on wilderness management and wilderness policy task forces in this country and in Chile, as chairman of the American Climbing Sports Group, chairman of the National Summit Committee on Mountain Rescue, president of the American Mountain Guides Association, and president of the Outdoor Industry Association.

Guy Cotter, AC Director and Guide
While he handles a wide range of responsibilities as director of Adventure Consultants in New Zealand, our southern hemisphere alliance partner, Guy very much enjoys his extensive work as a mountain guide. An IFMGA certified guide, Guy has 30 years of experience and has led over twenty-three major expeditions around the globe including four ascents of Mt Everest. His recent exploits include Everest, Makalu, new routes on Mt Aspiring and the Balfour Face of Mount Tasman in NZ, an Antarctic Peninsula Expedition and riding a horse to Mustang in Nepal. He first climbed Mt. Everest in 1992, completed the Seven Summits in 2005, and was happy to lead his fifth Vinson Massif Expedition in 2006.

Michael Powers, Assistant Director for Staff Development
Michael oversees the hiring, training, and continuing education of climbing and ski guides at the Institute and also greatly enjoys his work as an instructor and guide. Among his other assignments, he looks forward to leading AAI's trips in the French and Swiss Alps each summer. He has led programs in the Cascades, Ouray, Joshua Tree, Red Rock, Alaska, Canada, Ecuador, Chile, Argentina, France, and Switzerland. He is an IFMGA certified guide and has completed numerous rock and ice routes at a high standard in France, Switzerland, New Zealand, Nepal, Alaska, and the western U.S. He has also served as chairman of the AMGA Technical Committee and director of America's national guide certification program. Speaks French & Spanish.

Jason Martin, Operations Manager, Instructor, and Guide
Jason advises climbers on program selection and expedition preparation. Coordinates international programs and expeditions and guides in Alaska, the Sierra, the Cascades, Red Rock, Joshua Tree, Canada, Peru, Bolivia and Ecuador. Jason is a playwright, film critic and outdoor adventure writer. He has authored Washington Ice: A Climbing Guide and Fun Climbs Red Rocks: Topropes and Moderates. AMGA Certified Rock Guide and LNT Master Educator. Speaks Spanish. Read more!

James Pierson, Program Coordinator
James works with climbers on trip selection and preparation for our Cascade Programs. Although he was born in Kansas, he was bit by the Mountain Bug when he went to high school just south of Jackson Hole, WY. After college and working in Colorado as a snowboarding instructor, he moved to the Olympia area, joined the Mountaineers and started climbing. Since then he has climbed throughout Washington and Oregon, as well as ice climbing trips to Colorado, Montana and British Colombia. James also enjoys telemark skiing in the winter, stand-up paddling and fishing in the summer and speaks a little German on the side.

Tim Page, Program Coordinator
Tim coordinates the Southwest and International Programs. Additionally, he is part of the website, marketing and program operations team. Tim has been working in the outdoor industry for over 18 years as an instructor and a guide. He has worked both as a rock climbing instructor, as well as a mountain biking guide and worked at a mountain bike and climbing guide service in Guatemala.

Andrew Yasso, Alaska Program Coordinator, Instructor, and Guide
Guides in the Cascades, Canada and Alaska, as well as coordinates our Alaska Climbing Programs. Andrew grew up in Hong Kong and was fortunate enough to have the opportunity to travel. He has a degree in Outdoor Recreation and began climbing when he started college. Besides climbing, Andrew is a passionate table tennis player. He has taken his Level I and II AIARE Avalanche Courses, is a Wilderness First Responder and an AMGA Certified Single Pitch Instructor. Andrew has climbed in many locations throughout the United States, and has also spent time climbing in the Bugaboos, Canadian Rockes, and Squamish in British Columbia. Read more!

Tom Kirby, IT Manager, Instructor, & Guide
Guides in the Cascades and Alaska. Tom has been climbing rock since 1980, first on crags in Virginia and New Hampshire, then eventually all over the western U.S., including the Colorado Rockies, the Tetons, and the Cascades. Along the way, he added ice climbing and backcountry skiing to his repertoire. He has worked as a software developer, a teacher, and a timber framer. He holds a BA in English, the only language he speaks fluently - though he speaks some Spanish as well. Tom is an AMGA Certified Single Pitch Instructor.

Nancy Newstrom, Bookeeper
Nancy oversees all of AAI's accounting needs both in the guide service and in the Equipment Shop area. Though she is not a climber, she thoroughly enjoys climbing tales and is well read in expedition literature. She spends her spare time gardening, reading, and volunteering with Bellingham Friends of the Library.

Lisa Greif, Travel Counselor
Arranging travel itineraries for AAI climbers on both domestic and international programs occupies most of Lisa's time, but she also works with the hotels and transportation providers in the foreign countries where AAI operates, and makes travel arrangements for the Institute's staff members. She has extensive experience in the airline industry and has past experience working for an international tour operator. Her formal training is in tourism and travel administration.

Richard Riquelme, Manager of Equipment Services
Richard manages AAI's international Guide's Choice equipment field-testing program, and he advises climbers on their selection of personal equipment for domestic and foreign programs. Richard's climbing and skiing has taken him throughout Chile, Peru, and Argentina as well as to the US, Canada, and Europe. His academic training is in metallurgical engineering. He has extensive experience in search and rescue operations. Also guides for AAI and teaches AIARE avalanche courses. Native speaker of Spanish, fluent in English, and proficient in German. AMGA Certified Single Pitch Instructor.

Jeff Voigt, Equipment Specialist
Jeff has worked as an equipment specialist for AAI since 2007. He advises climbers on selection of equipment for domestic and international programs, and assists with the tracking and maintenance of climber and guide gear. He also teaches rock climbing classes and assists with Level 1 Avalanche courses. Jeff enjoys rock climbing throughout the Northwest, and has also spent time climbing in California and in the Southwest. Many of his ascents include technical glaciated peaks such as Rainier and Mt. Hood. Outside of climbing, Jeff spends his time backcountry snowboarding, learning to ski, and working towards a degree in Geology and Earth Studies.

Jeremy Wilson, Equipment Specialist
Jeremy oversees retail and rental operations, and advises clients on appropriate gear selection, route and travel information. His journeys have led him to climbs in the Alaska Range, Europe, Borneo, Canadian Rockies, Cascades, Sierras, Thailand and Malaysia. He lived in Poland and Indonesia for several years as a teacher and introduced children to the sport of rock climbing. He is a Pacific Crest Trail thru-hiker. Jeremy enjoys every facet of climbing, and other outdoor activities, including: cycling, mountain biking, skiing, sea kayaking, running and photography. He is AMGA SPI certified. Speaks some Polish and Bahasa Indonesia and studied urban planning.

All members of the AAI field staff listed here are full alpine guides and rock guides as well as climbing instructors. In addition to extensive and very diverse personal experience, they have received professional training in advanced guiding techniques and rescue. Collectively they have one of the highest levels of wilderness first aid and avalanche training among the world's international guide services. All have been certified as Wilderness First Responders, Emergency Medical Technicians, or the equivalent. Assistant instructors at the Institute, not listed here, receive instruction in first aid as well as professional guiding and rescue training.

Juan Aguada, Instructor and Guide
Guides in the Patagonia region and on Aconcagua. Juan has been guiding since 2003 and has guided treks and climbs extensively on the peaks opf southern Patagonia and on the Patagonia Ice Field. Juan is an AAGM Certified Mountain Guide.

Chantel Astorga, Instructor and Guide
Guides in Cascades, Red Rock, the Sierra, and Alaska. Chantel's wide range of life experiences include kayak guiding in Alaska, leading river rafting trips in Colorado, and working as ski patrol in the winters in Utah. Her climbing adventures have lead her to Alaska, the Cascades, the Sierra Range, and the Tetons. She's also spent time in the Himalayas and Patagonia, and climbing in Canada.

Christopher Benson, Instructor And Guide
Guides in the Cascades. Chris has come to us after working extensively with Outward Bound. Chris enjoys rock climbing especially in the desert near Moab where he spent ample time exploring the landscape of the desert southwest. Based in Colorado for the last 9 years, Chris studied Geology and moved to Crusted Butte, spending winters as a ski patroller, ski guide, and avalanche forecaster and educator. His climbing adventures have taken him to places like the Alaska Range, Argentina, and The Wind Rivers.

Andy Bourne, Instructor and Guide
Andy is a guide and leads trips in the Cascades, Sierra, Red Rock, Canada, and China. He has high altitude experience in Ecuador, Argentina, and China, and numerous ascents throughout the U.S., Canada, Australia, and Asia. Andy is an avid skier and splitboarder, and teaches AIARE Level 1 avalanche courses. His academic background is in marketing. Speaks Mandarin Chinese. Read more!

Dustin Byrne, Instructor and Guide
Guides in the Cascades and Alaska. He has climbed in the Cascades, Alaska, and the Sierra. In his off time he enjoys climbing, skiing, and writing. Dustin is also attending Western Washington University in Bellingham. He also lived in Chamonix for a year backcountry skiing and snowboarding. He is a level one AIARE instructor and AMGA Certified Single Pitch Instructor.

Sebastian Carrasco, Instructor and Guide
Guides in Ecuador. Sebastian was born in Italy, went to college in Canada, and lives in Quito. He is a certified rock guide through the Association of Canadian Mountain Guides. Besides working as a mountain guide, he has done avalanche work in Argentina. He has enjoyed climbs throughout the southern Andes, the Canadian Rockies, and the European Alps.

Chad Cochran, Instructor and Guide
Guides in the Cascades. Originally from the Eastern United States, Chad has climbed and guided throughout the lower 48 as well as traveling south to explore Argentine and Chilean Patagonia. He holds a degree in Recreation and Parks Management. Certified Leave No Trace Trainer, AMGA Certified Rock Guide.

Tim Connelly, Instructor and Guide
Guides in the Cascades, Red Rock, Joshua Tree, Sierra, Alaska, Canada, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, Argentina, Chile, France, and Switzerland. He has worked many seasons in Antarctica and has climbed extensively in New Zealand, the Tetons, Wind Rivers, Chugach, and Cascades. Tim is an AMGA/UIAGM/IFMGA Certified Guide and has an extensive background in search and rescue and has worked with the Himalayan Rescue Association. Speaks Spanish.

Jeremy Ellison, Instructor and Guide
Guides in the Cascades, Canada, Alaska, Red Rock, the Sierra, and China. Jeremy's rock and ice climbing has taken him throughout the Cascades and other ranges of the West. He has also climbed internationally in ranges including the Himalaya, New Zealand Alps, and Ecuadorian Andes. Jeremy is a certified Leave No Trace Trainer. He has worked six field seasons with the U.S. Antarctic Program and joined the AAI staff after six seasons on Mt. Hood where he worked as lead guide for Timberline Mountain Guides.

Mat Erpelding, Instructor and Guide
Guides in the Cascades, Sierra, Alaska, and Red Rock. Mat enjoys climbing on both rock and ice in the Western US, Alaska, and South America. Mat has extensive training and experience in outdoor education, and works independently as a consultant for outdoor programs. He has been a guide and outdoor educator since 1996, and began guiding for AAI in 2006. He is also currently a faculty member at the College of Western Idaho where he teaches physical education courses. Read more!

David Farkas, Instructor and Guide
Guides in the Cascades and Alaska. David comes to us from Colorado, where he has enjoyed rock and ice climbing for nearly twenty years. He has worked for Outward Bound as a trainer, course director and instructor. David was a nurseÕs aide before earning his degree in adventure education, and has also participated in a month-long service learning trip to Tanzania.

Aili Farquhar, Guide
Guides in Washington and Alaska. Aili came to guiding work after working as a backcountry ranger for the National Park and Forest Service in Olympic and North Cascades National Parks, and on Mt. Adams in Southern Washington. She has climbed high volcanoes and summits from Mexico to Alaska as well as technical ski and climbing routes in the Tetons, Wind Rivers, Cascades, Olympis, and the Alaska Range. Aili has a degree in writing and envronmental science. She is a published author and Leave No Trace trainer.

Doug Foust, Guide
Guides in Red Rock and Joshua Tree. Doug grew up on the beaches of Southern California and played professional beach volleyball full time for 7 years before starting a construction based business in Las Vegas. He enjoys climbing long traditional routes and sharing his passion for climbing with others. AMGA SPI Certified and aspirant Rock Guide.

Ben Gardner, Instructor and Guide
Ben first started working as a climbing guide about a decade ago while living in Durango, Colorado. Since then he has worked throughout the US. Ben spent seven years working for Outward Bound in North Carolina, the Florida Everglades, and Patagonia. As an instructor and climbing specialist he ran wilderness courses ranging from 2 to 72 days in length. In 2008, Ben became the Chief Climbing Instructor at the North Carolina School and for three years, he directed all aspects of the climbing and high ropes programs, including all technical training for staff. He currently spends the summers guiding in the Cascades, the spring and fall climbing rock throughout the West, and his winters ice climbing and skiing in Colorado. Ben is an AMGA Single Pitch Instructor and aspirant Rock Guide

Ramiro Garrido, Instructor And Guide
Guides in Ecuador. Ramiro has been climbing since he was eleven and made many ascents of most all the mountains in Ecuador. He has also enjoyed climbing and guiding in Peru and Bolivia and on Aconcagua. He loves to share his two main passions in life, mountaineering and outdoor video filming.

Dawn Glanc, Instructor and Guide
Guides in the Cascades, Sierra, Ouray, Red Rock, Joshua Tree, Alaska, and Canada. Dawn has climbed rock and waterfall ice extensively throughout the western United States, with numerous waterfall ice ascents in Montana, Colorado and Wyoming. She is an AMGA certified Rock and Alpine Guide. Her academic degree is in Outdoor Education.

Horacio Gratton, Instructor and Guide
Guides in Argentina. Though he has climbed and guided throughout the world, Horacio's favorite area is the Fitzroy-Cerro Torre region of Patagonia where he has done innumerable climbs, including one of the rare guided ascents of Fitzroy. Some of his favorite areas include the US (especially Utah and Yosemite), the Alps, the Cordillera Blanca in Peru, and Potrero Chico in Mexico. He enjoys teaching at all levels but especially leading glacier and rock clinics, Patagonia Ice Cap Expeditions, and ascents of technical routes. Speaks Spanish and English.

Elizabeth Guerrero, Instructor and Guide
Guides in the southern and central Patagonia regions of Argentina. Elizabeth has been guiding since 2003 in Argentina and in New Zealand. She is a professor of physical education at Comahue University in San Carlos de Bariloche, and an AAGM Certified Mountain Guide.

Mary Harlan, Instructor and Guide
Guides in the Cascades, Red Rock, and Alaska. Mary was a professional ballet dancer before her interests took a turn in 1998 and she found herself with a passion for climbing and the outdoors. She has spent much of her time desert rock climbing in Nevada, Utah, and Arizona, and is well traveled on glaciers and ice in the Pacific Northwest. Her climbing trips haven taken her all around the United States, as well as to Canada and Mexico. Mary has also been a snowboarding instructor for many years. Her academic degree is in international politics, and she has formal training in environmental education. Speaks French and Spanish. Read more!

Lyle Haugsven, Instructor and Guide
Guides in the Cascades, Alaska, Canada, and Bolivia. AIARE avalanche Level 1 and Level 2 instructor. Lyle has a broad background in cold weather climbing developed during his years as a resident of Alaska. He has climbed and sailed in Chile, Argentina, Mexico, French Polynesia, and Europe. Lyle's academic training is in English, foreign literature, and communications. Speaks French and Spanish.

Kurt Hicks, Instructor and Guide
Guides in the Cascades, Alaska, Red Rock, the Sierra, and Canada. Kurt has focused most of his climbing energy on Washington's North Cascades, completing difficult and classic ascents throughout the range. Kurt especially enjoys climbing waterfall ice in the Canadian Rockies and establishing new ice routes in the Northwest. His academic background is in Outdoor Recreation & Tourism, and he is currently finishing his Master's in Environmental Science. He is an AMGA Certified Rock Guide and a certified Leave No Trace Master Educator. Read more!

Paul Ivaska, Instructor and Guide
Guides in the Cascades, Sierra, Red Rock, Alaska, and Canada. Paul has enjoyed numerous routes in the Cascades, Colorado Rockies, and the Sierra. He works as a ski instructor in the winter in Telluride, CO. Paul's formal education is in the medical field, and he worked for many years as a medic for the US military. Paul also enjoys ski mountaineering and ski touring. Speaks Lithuanian and Russian.

Felipe Jacome, Instructor and Guide
Felipe one of Ecuador's first internationally certified IFMGA guides having received training through ENSA, the guide training center of France. He has extensive high altitude experience with numerous ascents of all of Ecuador's major summits as well as the highest peaks of Peru and Bolivia. Felipe is a senior guide trainer in the Ecuador Mountaineering Federation, and he is director of Mingai Medical Training Center, the primary training institute for wilderness medical training in the northern Andes. Felipe's university degree is in eco-tourism, and he is a Wilderness Emergency Medical Technician. Speaks Spanish and English.

Frank James, M.D., Instructor & Advisor in Travel Medicine
A specialist in travel medicine, infectious diseases, and public health, noted for his research in vaccine preventable diseases. Frank has run an international travel clinic for many years and served as health officer and director of a county health department in Washington. He is the editor of the widely acclaimed book The Medical Consequences of Nuclear War and directed a Kellogg Foundation grant and demonstration project on improving community health through sports. He is an avid climber, skier, snowboarder, and mountain biker.

Erik Johnson, Instructor and Guide
Guides in the Cascades, Red Rocks and Alaska. Erik has climbed extensively in the Western US, Canada and Alaska as well as internationally in Peru, Argentina, China, Thailand, New Zealand, Australia and the European Alps. Erik spent several field seasons in Antarctica including one on an icebreaker in the Antarctic Ocean. Has a degree in Geology and is currently studying Engineering between guiding seasons.

Alan Kearney, Instructor and Guide
Guides in the Cascades, Alaska, Sierra, Joshua Tree, Red Rock, and Canada. Alan is an AMGA Certified Alpine Guide, a widely published mountain photographer, and an author. He has major routes and numerous first ascents to his credit throughout the U.S. and Canada as well as in Nepal, Pakistan, Peru, and Papua New Guinea.

Tom Kirby, Instructor and Guide
Guides in the Cascades and Alaska. Tom has been climbing rock since 1980, first on crags in Virginia and New Hampshire, then eventually all over the western U.S., including the Colorado Rockies, the Tetons, and the Cascades. Along the way, he added ice climbing and backcountry skiing to his repertoire. He has worked as a software developer, a teacher, and a timber framer. He holds a BA in English, the only language he speaks fluently - though he speaks some Spanish as well. Tom is an AMGA Certified Single Pitch Instructor.

Gary Kuehn, Instructor and Guide
Guides in Alaska, the Cascades, and New Zealand. Gary is a dual United States and Australian citizen, and is currently based out of New Zealand where he works as a ski and summer alpine guide. A serious alpinist of over twenty years, Gary has made expeditions to the Karakoram, Antarctica, Peru, Bolivia, Chile, Argentina, and Alaska. His ski mountaineering experience includes traverses both of Denali and the Patagonian Ice Cap as well as several extended trips to France, Switzerland, and Alaska. Gary has a Master's in Engineering.

Jose Landazuri, Instructor and Guide
Jose has been climbing and guiding for sixteen years. He has completed a series of challenging routes in the European Alps, while in Ecuador he has made 200+ ascents of Cotopaxi and 50+ ascents of Chimborazo. He has received technical training in Germany and now serves as an instructor in the Ecuadorian School of Guides. Native speaker of Spanish, fluent in English.

Eric B. Larson, M.D., M.P.H., Medical Advisor
Oversees AAI's research in high altitude physiology and response to high altitude illness and serves as the Institute's lead medical advisor. He is the author of Mountain Illness: Medical Problems of Altitude and Exposure. Eric is executive director of Group Health Center for Health Studies; on the Board of Regents, American College of Physicians; member of the Institute of Medicine. He is an accomplished ski mountaineer and climber with ascents throughout the U.S. and Canada.

Lee Lazzara, Instructor and Guide
Guides in the Cascades, Alakska and Canada. Lee has climbed extensively in the US and Canada, including numerous routes in the North Cascades, and has also climbed in the French Alps and Argentina. He works in Utah as an AIARE Level 1 Instructor and ski guide during the winter season. He is a certified Leave No Trace Trainer. His academic degree is in English and he applies these skills in his minor career as a freelance writer.

Aidan Loehr, Instructor and Guide
Guides in the Cascades, Red Rock, the Sierra, Alaska, Canada, and China. Aidan came to AAI after ten years of working as a pilot in Alaska, and he now works part time flying small planes for delivery around the world (most recently to Tanzania and Jordan). He has enjoyed rock and ice climbing as well as doing big alpine routes in the Cascades, Alaska, and the Bugaboos. His academic background is in pilot training and photography. Other interests include ultra-running and adventure racing.

Kristen Looper, Instructor and Guide
Guides in the Cascades, Red Rock, Sierras, Colorado, and Alaska. She grew up in Idaho climbing the Sawtooths and since then has spent time climbing mountains in Alaska, New Zealand, Costa Rica, and the icefields of Canada and Ouray. Her educational background is at Depaul University, where she studied Shakespeare and Classical Theatre.

Scott Massey, Instructor and Guide
Guides in the Cascades, Red Rock, Sierra, and Joshua Tree. Scott started climbing on the East Coast, and has climbed extensively across the western states, mainly in Colorado, Utah, and Nevada. When not climbing on warm rock or frozen water, he enjoys backcountry skiing in deep powder. He is a Leave No Trace Trainer, and has completed his AMGA Rock Instructor Course. Scott has a BA in History, and speaks Spanish. Read more!

Forest McBrian, Instructor and Guide
Guides in the Cascades, Alaska, Red Rock, the Sierra, and Canada. In addition to climbing in the Cascades, which he has done extensively on many of Washington's most renowned and imposing alpine routes, Forest has spent the last three years living and climbing in mountaineering's historic crucible: the French Alps. Forest's degree is in Communications, and he worked for three years as an instructor and staff trainer for Outward Bound. Forest is an AMGA/IFMGA Certified Rock, Alpine, and Ski Guide. He is fluent in French. Read more!

Ian McEleney, Instructor and Guide
Guides in the Cascades, Sierra, Red Rock, and Joshua Tree. Ian has climbed throughout the United States including rock, water ice, alpine, and big wall ascents. His academic training is in Elementary Education and History. He is a Leave No Trace Trainer. Read more!

Steve Moffat, Instructor and Guide
Guides in New Zealand, Argentina, and Nepal. Steve has many years of experience guiding in the Southern Alps of New Zealand, Canada, the Andes, and Nepal, and he is an IFMGA guide. In his broad Himalayan experience he has climbed as both expedition guide and expedition leader. He has enjoyed leading climbs of 20,000-foot peaks like Island Peak and Cholu East as well as more challenging ascents such as 22,402-foot Ama Dablam. In 2006 he guided and summitted on our Everest expedition. Between expeditions, Steve enjoys a busy schedule of guiding New Zealand ascents, instructional courses, ice climbing trips, and ski tours.

Felix Mtui, Guide
Guides in Africa. Growing up in the foothills of Kilimanjaro, Felix started guiding on the mountain in 1989 and has fashioned superb leadership skills. He has a warm heart, great sense of humor, and is always eager to see people achieve their dreams.

Cliff Palmer, Instructor and Guide
Cliff has been a professional alpine guide and outdoor educator for over 17 years. He has guided trips in Peru, Bolivia, Chile, Canada, U.S., Mexico, France, Spain, and Switzerland. Cliff is a certified AIARE Level I and Level II avalanche instructor. Cliff holds a masters degree in biology. Speaks Spanish and French.

Mick Pearson, Instructor and Guide
Guides in Cascades and Red Rocks. While attending the University of Oregon, Mick realized spending time in beautiful places, learning about himself through group interaction, and not having a conventional routine was his motivation for a degree in Geography and Outdoor Leadership. Mick is committed to growth as an educator, using experiential education, outdoor pursuits, wilderness exploration, and self-discovery as his personal and professional foundation. He is an accomplished teacher and guide. A trainer for both NOLS and Outward Bound, he is also a trainer for aspiring instructors across the nation as an SPI Provider for the AMGA. He is a certified rock guide, alpine guide aspirant, and teaches instructional classes (backpacking, rock climbing, and mountaineering) and corporate team building events in Seattle, WA.

Mike Pond, Instructor and Guide
Guides in the Cascades, Red Rock, and Alaska. Mike grew up in New York State, where he learned to climb and ski in the Adirondack Mountains. He has a degree in Expeditionary Studies and Spanish. Mike's passion for rock, ice, and alpine climbing has taken him to the Canadian Rockies, the Cascaes, the Colorado Rockies, and the desert Southwest. Mike guides in Canada, Colorado, Nevada, and the Cascades.

Mark Puleio, Instructor and Guide
Guides primarily in the French and Swiss Alps. Mark has traveled throughout the world to pursue his passion for climbing. He has extensive rock and alpine climbing experience in the U.S. and Canada, including in the Alaska Range, Canadian Rockies, and North Cascades. He has completed high altitude expeditions in Alaska, Mexico, Ecuador, Peru and Bolivia. Mark is an IFMGA/UIAGM Certified Mountain Guide and an accomplished skier with descents in the Alaska, Canada, throughout the continental United States, as well as the French, Swiss and Italian Alps. When heÕs not out in the field, Mark enjoys spending time with his wife, Kimberly, and their two children at their home in Vermont.

Jeff Ries, Guide
Guides AAI's Haute Route trek in Switzerland as well as the Institute's backpacking trips in the Cascades and on Mt. Rainer's Wonderland Trail. He previously guided in Africa and on Mt. Baker. His interests include emergency first aid and medicine, search and rescue, and ski patrol. Among Jeff's many interests are small plane scenic piloting, ultra-light backpacking, back-country skiing, hiking/trekking, kayaking, and road biking. He is widely traveled and speaks some Spanish.

Richard Riquelme, Instructor and Guide, AMGA Certified SPI
Guides in the Cascades, Alaska, Canada, Ecuador, and teaches AIARE avalanche courses. Richard's climbing and skiing has taken him throughout Chile, Peru, and Argentina as well as to the US, Canada, and Europe. His academic training is in metallurgical engineering. He has extensive experience in guiding and in search and rescue operations, and he teaches AIARE avalanche courses and is an AMGA Certified Single Pitch Instructor. Native speaker of Spanish, fluent in English, and proficient in German.

Mike Roberts, Instructor and Guide
Guides in Alaska, New Zealand, Argentina, Antarctica, and the Himalaya. Mike is an IFMGA guide and has summitted Mount Everest and led expeditions to Aconcagua, Denali (11 ascents), Vinson Massif in Antarctica, Gasherbrum I & II in Pakistan, Cho Oyu in Tibet and Muztagh Ata in Western China. He has also managed to fit in 14 seasons mountain and ski guiding in the Southern Alps of New Zealand, 10 seasons in Antarctica as a Field Leader / Guide to the USA Antarctic Program, has worked as a professional ski patroller / avalanche forecaster and is a qualified physiotherapist.

Benno Schlauri, Instructor and Guide
Guides in Ecuador. Benno is a Swiss guide who has been living and guiding in Ecuador since 1994. He climbed extensively in the Alps throughout his teenage and early adult life. Since his arrival in Ecuador, he has continuously been guiding in most of the Andean countries. Benno is an instructor for the Ecuadorian Association of Mountain Guides. Speaks Spanish, English, French, and German.

Mark Sedon, Instructor and Guide
Guides in New Zealand, Nepal, China, Argentina, and Antarctica. Mark is another of our senior Kiwi guides based in Wanaka, New Zealand. He is an IFMGA guide who has traveled the world extensively, with ski seasons in Utah, Europe, Japan, and Canada; kite surfing time in Vietnam, Hawaii, Australia, and Ecuador; and big wall climbing trips in Yosemite, Zion, and Australia. Mark has led and guided several successful expeditions to Nepal and China including Everest, Cho Oyu, two trips to Ama Dablam, Lobuche East, Island Peak, and Mera Peak. He has also guided Carstensz and the volcanoes in Ecuador, Aconcagua, Denali, and an Antarctic Peninsula yacht-based ski and climbing expedition.

Angela Seidling, Instructor and Guide
Guides in the Cascades, Red Rock, Alaska, and Canada. Though the mountains of Montana are Angela's home turf, her climbing adventures have taken throughout the mountain ranges of the western US, as well as on Denali and in Peru's Cordillera Blanca. Her academic degree is in elementary education, and she has spent the last five years as a middle school teacher. Certified Leave No Trace Trainer and AMGA Certified Single Pitch Instructor. Speaks Spanish.

Erin Smart, Instructor and Guide
Guides in the Cascades. Erin has spent extensive time skiing and climbing in the North Cascades, Sierra, Canadian Rockies, and the Alps. Most notably, she lived in La Grave, France for four winter seasons exploring the depths of ski mountaineering. She holds a degree in Natural Resource Management from WWU. She speaks French and some Spanish. She is also an AIARE level 1 course instructor and volunteers with Mt. Baker ski patrol and Whatcom County Mountain Rescue. Read more!

Dylan Taylor, Instructor and Guide
Guides in the Cascades, Sierra, Red Rock, Alaska, Canada, Argentina, Ecuador, Bolivia, and Chile. Dylan's climbing has taken him from the rock and glacier environments of the Cascades to craggy summits of the High Sierra, sandstone towers in the Southwest, the Italian and French Alps, and the remote alpine walls in Patagonia. He is an AMGA/UIAGM/IFMGA Certified Guide. Dylan has a masters degree in geology with a focus on the formation of the Cascades. Speaks Spanish.

Freddy Tipan, Instructor and Guide
Freddy guides AAI trips in Ecuador and serves as Director of the School of Mountain Guides in Ecuador. He is a dedicated teacher but also loves the adventure of expedition climbing. He was born near Antisana and started hiking and climbing in childhood. In his adult life he has climbed and guided extensively in Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, and Argentina and was Ecuador's third guide to become internationally certified by IFMGA following his training at ENSA in the French Alps.

Ben Traxler, Instructor and Guide
Guides in the Cascades, Red Rock, Alaska, and Canada. Ben has made numerous rock, ice, and ski ascents in the Canadian Rockies and Bugaboos and throughout the western United States, including big wall routes in Yosemite. Before joining AAI's staff, Ben served as a climbing instructor and guide in a college degree granting program as well as for a variety of outdoor schools. He is a certified Leave No Trace Trainer, an AMGA Certified Rock Guide, and his academic degree is in wilderness leadership and natural history.

Alasdair Turner, Instructor and Guide
Guides in the Cascades, Red Rock, Alaska, Canada, and Bolivia. A Scotsman by birth, Alasdair has climbed in the Washington Cascades for the last 15 years where, among his long list of achievements, he notched the first winter ascent of the Serpentine Arete on Dragontail Peak. Alasdair has ventured onto big walls and into mountain ranges outside Washington as well, making difficult ascents throughout Canada, Alaska, Wyoming, California, and Utah. His degree is in Chemistry. He is an AMGA Certified Rock Guide. Read more!

Danny Uhlmann, Instructor and Guide
Guides in the Cascades, Red Rock, Alaska, Canada, and Bolivia. Danny has climbed alpine rock throughout the Sawtooth, Bridger, Teton, Sierra, and Cascade ranges and, in the winter, he pursues water ice in Maine, New Hampshire, and Montana. He also has experience climbing abroad in Argentina and throughout New Zealand's Mount Cook range. Danny is an AMGA Certified Alpine Guide and an AMGA Certified Rock Guide. He has a degree in English.

Justin Wood, Instructor and Guide
Guides in the Cascades, Red Rock, the Sierra, Alaska, and Canada. Justin has climbed extensively in the Cascade and Olympic Ranges, and has also made ascents in the French Alps, Sierra, and at a variety of West Coast rock climbing sites. He came to AAI after years of instructing on glacier, rock, and ice and work as a climbing ranger in Olympic National Park. He has a degree in forest ecology, with a minor in cultural studies. Speaks Spanish and some French.