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MEET STEPHEN

Stephen grew up in the Southeast and cut his teeth as a climber on the steep sandstone in West Virginia and Kentucky. He started working as a trip leader while studying ecology and mathematics at Oberlin College. Summer work gave him the opportunity to teach rock climbing, backpacking, and expeditionary canoeing in the western US and Canada. After school, Stephen promptly moved to Washington to be near the alpine summits of the Pacific Northwest. Stephen started working for Mountain Gurus and Northwest Alpine Guides in 2017. He regularly guides in Alaska, Washington, California and Argentina. A strong all-around climber, Stephen’s personal experience ranges from Grade V alpine routes in the North Cascades, to long rock routes in the desert Southwest, to demanding ice climbs in the Canadian Rockies. Stephen is an AMGA certified Single Pitch Instructor and is actively pursuing certification in the Alpine and Rock disciplines.

NOTABLE ASCENTS

  • Aconcagua (2 expeditions)
  • Denali (2 expeditions)
  • Rainier (3 routes)
  • Slesse Mountain (Northeast Buttress)
  • Eldorado Peak (Northwest Face Couloir, Northeast Face and East Ridge)
  • Dragontail Peak (Triple Couloirs, Gerber-Sink, Serpentine Arete, Backbone Ridge)
  • Stuart (Ice Cliff Glacier, Stuart Glacier Couloir, Complete North Ridge)
  • Shuksan (6 ascents via the Sulphide Glacier, North Face, and Fisher Chimneys)
  • Goode Mountain (Northeast Buttress)
  • Triumph (Northeast Ridge)
  • South Early Winters Spire (Direct East Buttress, Southwest Rib)
  • Liberty Bell (Liberty Crack)
  • Grand Teton (Complete Exum Ridge, East Ridge)
  • Elephant’s Perch (Beckey Direct, Mountaineers Route)
  • Johannesburg Mountain (Northeast Buttress)
  • Torment-Forbidden Traverse
  • Juno Tower (Clean Break)
  • Mt Hood (2 routes)
  • Mt Baker (5 routes and ski descent)
  • Various Ice Climbs in Hyalite Canyon, MT and the Canadian Rockies

CERTIFICATIONS

  • AMGA Single Pitch Instructor
  • AMGA Apprentice Rock Guide
  • AMGA Apprentice Alpine Guide
  • AMGA Ice Instructor Course
  • AIARE Level II
  • Leave No Trace Trainer
  • Wilderness First Responder / CPR