Mountain, Rock and Ski Instructors
A / B / C / D / F / G / H / J / K / L / M / P / R / S / T
Aaron Beardmore, ACMG, Full Guide, IFMGA. Aaron guides summer and winter mountaineering and rock climbing and has worked in the industrial rigging and heliskiing industries.
Abigal Watkins
Barry Blanchard, ACMG (Association of Canadian Mountain Guides), UIAGM (Union Internationale des Associations des Guides de Montagne), IFMGA (International Federation Mountain Guides Association),1996.
Barry has enjoyed some success: the first ascent of The Andromeda Strain, 1983; the North Ridge of Rakaposhi, 1984; the first ascent of the apocalyptic North Pillar of North Twin; the West Ridge of Mt Everest, 1986; surviving the Rupal Face of Nanga Parbat, 1988; a solo first ascent on the North Face of Kusum Kanguru, 1991; an attempt on K-2, 1993; first ascents in the St Elias mountains; M-16, a first ascent -in winter on the East Face of Howse Peak, 1999; the third ascent of the Infinite Spur on MT Foraker, 2000; the first ascent of Infinite Patience on the Emperor Face of Mt Robson, 2002. More importantly Barry has enjoyed all of his outings, even the ones not included in the narrow definition of “success”. Barry moved to the mountains in 1982 to pursue his Mountain Guiding career (he is an internationally certified -UIAGM- mountain guide) and has included making Hollywood features such as “K-2”, “Cliffhanger” and “The Vertical Limit” in his professional life.
Barry lives in Canmore, Alberta, with his wife Catherine, whom he met on a Mt Everest expedition in 1994; their two young daughters, Rosemary and Eowyn; and their dogs, Finnegan and Seamus.
Chris Geisler
Chris Miller, ACMG (Assoc. of Canadian Mountain Guides), UIAGM (Union Internationale des Associations des Guides de Montagne), IFMGA (International Federation Mountain Guides Association)
For over 20 years, Chris has been a leader in outdoor recreation. He is known for his skills in program development and instruction, as well as his technical climbing and skiing abilities, which he learned in the Canadian Rockies and taken to the volcanoes of Mexico and Andes Mountains in Peru. Chris is an examiner for the Association of Canadian Mountain Guides.
Colin Zacharias, ACMG (Association of Canadian Mountain Guides), UIAGM (Union Internationale des Associations des Guides de Montagne), IFMGA (International Federation Mountain Guides Association)
Colin is the Technical Director as well as instructor and examiner for the ACMG and was a representative for the UIAGM (Europe) standards review at the American Guides Association application for international membership. He is a jury president/sanction representative for Canada (Alpine Club of Canada) in international and national level climbing competitions. His articles have appeared in Climbing, Rock and Ice, Polar Circus and The Alpine Club Journal.
Conrad Janzen, ACMG/IFMGA Mountain Guide, Bachelor in Kinesiology with a Major in Outdoor Pursuits.
Conrad guides private skiing and climbing trips with Banff Mountain Guides, works for Canadian Mountain Holidays (CMH) as a heli ski guide at the Galena Lodge, and with the Alpine Club of Canada on both winter and summer trips. He also work as an Outdoor Instructor/Guide with the University of Alberta, and College of the Rockies. Conrad lives in Banff with his wife Coralee, and enjoys exploring the mountain biking trails around home in the summers.
Craig McGee
Dave Edgar
Fred Amyot, Graduate of the Adventure Guide Program & Bachelor of Tourism Management (TRU), Member of the ACMG as a Hiking Guide, Assistant Rock Climbing Guide and Ski Guide.
Fred has been working in the adventure industry for more than 15 years starting in Quebec as a canoeing, hiking and climbing guide. Guiding being his passion, Fred moved out west to pursue other sectors of guiding like ski touring and heli-skiing. Fred works on the Coast, the Columbia and the Rockies for a variety of adventure tourism operators, hiking and heli-hiking, as well as ski touring and heli-skiing.
Fred lives in Revelstoke, BC, with his wonderful family in the heart of the world’s best powder skiing!
Graeme Taylor
Grant Meekins, ACMG/IFMGA Mountain Guide
Grant is an internationally certified Mountain Guide who was born and raised in the Yukon Territory. For several years, Grant lived above the Arctic Circle and he spent most of his youth in the mountains of northern Canada. He began skiing in 1972 and climbing in 1980. In 1979 he was named Yukon's "Athlete of the Year" for his performances in Cross Country Skiing, Table Tennis and Wrestling.
Grant moved to Alberta in 1997. Since then, he has numerous first ascents to his credit such as "Cineplex" (M9) and "Rocky Mountain Horror Show" (M11+). He has climbed several of the world's most difficult mixed climbs, including "Musashi" (M12). Internationally, Grant has enjoyed guiding some of the world's most beautiful mountains including Ama Dablam, Lobuche, Imja Tse and Aconcagua.
Bilingual in English and French, Grant worked as a high school teacher before discovering his love of guiding. He has a calm, easy-going manner, and gets deep satisfaction out of helping people attain their dreams. Grant lives in Canmore with his wife, the former world champion extreme skier Maegan Carney and their son Lincoln.
Greg Golovach, ACMG / IFMGA Mountain Guide, Canadian Avalanche Association Professional Member, Instructor/Examiner for the ACMG.
Greg is based out of Banff and has been working as a full time Mountain Guide since 1993. In the winter season Greg works for Great Canadian Heli-Skiing as their Head Of Operations, he has worked for GCH for 20 years the last 12 of these have been spent running the skiing program. When not Heli-Skiing Greg does some ice climbing and ski touring work.
In the summer months Greg's own guiding company alpineadventureguide.com keeps him busy with rock climbing, hiking & mountaineering guiding. Greg has guided internationally in Europe, Russia, Alaska, South America and Antarctica.
Helen Sovdat, ACMG (Assoc. of Canadian Mountain Guides), UIAGM (Union Internationale des Associations des Guides de Montagne), IFMGA (International Federation Mountain Guides Association).
Helen is the third Canadian woman to become a certified Mountain Guide. She has been active in the outdoor field as an educator, guide and adventurer for over 15 years. In the winter, Helen guides heli-skiing for Canadian Mountain Holidays, and ski-touring for Yamnuska Inc. Her summer work for Yamnuska and for Outward Bound Western Canada includes rock climbing and mountaineering. Her background in outdoor education enables her to target fun, challenge, and personal growth in the programs she offers. Helen has explored the Coast Mountains of B.C. on numerous ski traverse trips.
Hias Ahrens, Mountain Guide (IFMGA, ACMG, VDBS), Ski instructor Level 4 (ISIA), NCCP Level 5 Coach, ACMG examiner/instructor.
Jeff Honig
Jim Gudjonson, ACMG/IFMGA Mountain Guide
Jim was born in Golden, BC, and as a result has spent most of his life skiing and climbing in the Rocky and Selkirk mountains. Jim, a full IFMGA Mountain Guide, has worked as a guide for ~20 years in Canada as well as organizing numerous international expeditions to Peru, Argentina, Chile, Venezuela, Asia, Italy, Switzerland, France, USA and Iceland. In addition to guiding, Jim has worked as an instructor for TRU’s adventure programs and an instructor/examiner for the Canadian Mountain and Ski Guide Program in the rock, ski and mountain disciplines. Jim has been a co-founder and owner of a backcountry ski lodge and has worked as one of a core group of guides for the Alpine Club of Canada for 20 years.
Jim’s passion for exploring has led him to complete over 100 hundred first ascents on rock, ice, mixed and alpine terrain, including over 30 first ascents (alpine) with clients. Jim is presently completing a Masters Degree in Interdisciplinary Studies (MAIS) that combines sustainable tourism development and sustainable community development.
Jordy Shepherd
Keith Reid
Kobi Wyss, ACMG/IFMGA Mountain Guide
Kobi has been a mountain guide since 1973. He received his training and certification in Switzerland and became a member of the ACMG the following year. Over the years he has instructed and examined on many of the ACMG guide courses and served as the Technical Director at one time. He helped design and develop the Hiking Guide Program for the Association and still instructs in this program.
In the winter he works mainly in the heli-ski industry for Canadian Mountain Holidays, with a bit of ski touring to round the season. During the rest of the year he operates an independent company, Summit Precision, providing guiding services and working as a radio communication consultant. During the high season he also works for Canadian Mountain Holidays in their summer program on a part time basis.
Kobi has a keen interest in natural history, science, climate research and photography and can often be found traveling through the woods and mountains, just to see what’s on the other side.
Kris Wild
Kristina Metzlaff
Lilla Molnar is an ACMG/IFMGA Mountain Guide, and one of few females fully certified in Canada.
In the winter she splits her ski guiding work between heli skiing and ski touring. She is a lead guide with Canadian Mountain Holidays at the Bugaboo Lodge, and guides private ski touring trips from the many backcountry lodges of B.C. She also guides ice climbing around the Rockies. During the summer months she guides rock and alpine climbing predominantly doing trips around the Rockies, Bugaboos and Rogers Pass.
Lilla was a student in the Adventure Travel Guide program and graduated in 1998. She is now an instructor in the mountain program and has worked on the rock climbing, mountaineering and ski touring courses. She is a member of the IFMGA Guide Test Team for Outdoor Research and she helped establish the “Friends of Bugaboo Park”, a group dedicated to stewardship of this special alpine area. Lilla shares her home in Canmore with her husband Marc Piché, also an ACMG/IFMGA Mountain Guide.
Marc Ledwidge
Marc Piche, ACMG/IFMGA Mountain Guide
Mark has been working full time in the industry since 1997. Marc has been a member of the ACMG Technical Committee since 2007 and has held the role of Technical Director since 2009. Involved as an instructor in the TRU Canadian Mountain and Ski Guide program since 2006, he has worked extensively on many of the courses and exams offered in skiing, rock and alpine climbing disciplines.
Marc spent several years working extensively as a heli-skiing guide including 6 years as the assistant Manager of the Bugaboo Lodge for Canadian Mountain Holidays but now enjoys finding more variety in his work including guiding private guests ski touring all over British Columbia and Europe with his fellow Mountain Guide and wife, Lilla Molnar. Lilla and Marc are also active members and directors of the Friends of Bugaboo Park, a group responsible for descent anchor replacement, trail work and managing human waste issues in the Bugaboos
When not climbing or skiing, Marc can usually be found writing about or taking pictures. Having co-authored The Bugaboos climbing guidebook with Chris Atkinson, the pair gained the experience necessary to take on the Alpine Canada Book Project with Kevin McLane which is due out in the fall of 2011.
Mark Bender
Mark Klassen, IFMGA/ACMG Mountain Guide since 1996
Mark spent several years working as a ski area avalanche forecaster in the Rockies, Public Avalanche Bulletin forecaster, heli-ski guide in the Purcells, Selkirks and Coast ranges, rigger and safety for the entertainment industry, instructor with the CAA over 15 years, ACMG/CMSG instructor since 1999, have worked throughout western and northern Canada, and in Nepal, New Zealand, Europe, Borneo and Fiji.
Mark presently lives in Banff, Alberta where he runs his own guiding company, alpinism.com which offers guided ski touring, rock climbing and mountaineering and instructs on CAA avalanche and CMSG guide courses. Mark sits on the following ACMG committees: Technical, Member Services, and is the ACMG News editor.
Matt Peter
Matt Reynolds
Mike Adolph, ACMG(Association of Canadian Mountain Guides) IFMGA (international Federation of Mountain Guides, CAA Professional Member.
Mike began working with the TRU TRCI program in 2010, and is now also instructing on the Guide Training Ice courses. He sits on the Bighorn Standing Commitee that oversees land access and development issues in the David Thompson Corridor and surrounding area.
Mike's family built the Sheiling Mountain Lodge in 1995 west of Nordegg and it is where he currently operates the Custom Outdoor Experience. His passions are climbing and skiing and he recently has started kiteboarding. Kiteboarding now competes with his time in the mountains as he hopes to be instructing kiteboarding soon.
Peter Amann, ACMG(Association of Canadian Mountain Guides) IFMGA (international Federation of Mountain Guides) and Canadian Avalanche Association Professional member.
Peter has worked as a Mountain Guide in many ranges throughout western Canada. He routinely works in many of the camps for the Alpine Club of Canada, including 23 years in the General Mountaineering camp. He also works with training the Canadian Military's SARTECH’s, and is involved with teaching on the ACMG Hiking Guide Program. He can be found guiding/instructing in the summers through the mountains of BC and Alberta. During the winters he presently works as Lead Guide for Robson Helimagic, Avalanche Forecaster and Technician for Chris Stethem and Associates, teaches Avalanche Courses and guides ski touring.
Peter also is involved with the ACMG Board of Directors, and sits on the Alpine Club of Canada’s Safety Committee. Peter resides in Jasper Alberta where he has lived for 35 years.
Peter Oxtoby
Rich Marshall
Rob Orvig
Rob Turner
Roger Sarrasin, ACMG (Association of Canadian Mountain Guides), CAA Professional Member (Canadian Avalanche Association).
Roger has spent the last 14 years pursuing his passion for rock climbing and ski touring, travelling extensively throughout North America, Europe and South East Asia. He is a graduate of the Adventure Guide program at the University College of the Cariboo (TRU), and a board member for the ACMG. Roger lives/works in Squamish as a Rock Guide and spends his winters heli-ski guiding in the Coast and Interior Ranges of British Columbia.
Russ Turner
Scott Davies
Sean Isacc
Shaun King, ACMG / UIAGM Mountain Guide, CAA Professional, CSIA Level 2, B.Sc Kines.
A graduate of the Adventure Studies program himself, Shaun loves sharing his knowledge of the mountains with current students. He has climbed and skied extensively throughout the Rockies and Interior Ranges as well as the European Alps and has been teaching rock & ice climbing, mountaineering, ski touring and avalanche courses for over 10 years.
Shaun is the owner of Mountain Sense Guiding & Instruction in Nelson, BC
Steve Holeczi
Steve Ludwig, ACMG (Association. of Canadian Mountain Guides) Ski Guide, Master Instructor with the Canadian Association of Nordic Ski Instructors, and a former program director with Outward Bound Western Canada , ACMG (Association. of Canadian Mountain Guides) Ski Guide, Master Instructor with the Canadian Association of Nordic Ski Instructors, and a former program director with Outward Bound Western Canada
Steve has 20 years experience in expedition mountaineering in Canada, the Yukon, Europe and South America. Steve brought formalized Telemark skiing skills instruction to Canada in 1978. He is currently employed by Yamnuska School, Pacific Granite Mountaineering and the Canmore Nordic Centre.
Syl Forest
Sylvain Hebert
Todd Guyn