Denver Mountain Guiding is a local, family-owned, guide service based in Golden, CO since 2010. We offers a variety of options, including beginner climbing, multi-pitch climbing, ice climbing, alpine climbing, climbing courses for intro to lead, multi-pitch, trad, self-rescue, fear of falling and much more! We believe in giving back to the community, supporting local non-profits, donating time and effort to our local areas by doing trail maintenance, trash clean-ups, bolt replacement days, and even crag development days to add more routes for the community. Our guides receive training by the American Mountain Guides Association (AMGA) and are fully insured and permitted by Denver Mountain Guiding. We are very selective when hiring our guides, and we ensure you that your guide is not only qualified to take you climbing, but is also a wonderful person to share your experience with and guide you through your day.
Kevin has over 20 years of climbing experience throughout the United States and overseas as well. At the University of Missouri he was the Climbing Club President and spent most of his college days climbing, taking climbing trips, or guiding friends, club members, and professors alike. After graduating college and then guiding for a few years, he decided guiding was his passion and started Denver Mountain Guiding in 2010. While not guiding, Kevin enjoys climbing at the local crags or even developing new climbing routes for the community to enjoy!
Laura is a middle school math teacher, turned climbing guide, who loves crunching numbers and teaching kids and adults alike. As of 2016, Laura started her own tutoring company called Math Matters Tutoring, so she has more time to guide, climb, and ski, while still being able to teach kids math. She enjoys climbing, skiing, and spending as much time in the mountains as humanly possible. She has over 20 years of rock climbing experience and has been guiding since the start of Denver Mountain Guiding in 2010. Laura will get you excited about climbing and spending time in the mountains and climbing your best!
Ryan is a Colorado native but did not find his passion for climbing until moving to southern Utah for school where he fell in love with the red rock desert. When he returned to Colorado in 1999 he began actively pursuing climbing, trying to learn as much as possible. He quickly developed a passion for teaching and sharing the sport of climbing with others and began guiding in 2004. He taught outdoor education courses for more than 10 years at Metropolitan State University of Denver and has spent time volunteering with climbing related nonprofit organizations serving underserved youth. Ryan is passionate about teaching and helping others open doors to their own adventures and working with the next generation of guides and climbing instructors.
Nate has been climbing his entire life, getting his start at a climbing gym in Columbia, Maryland. He started to find his passion for instructing climbers over 10 years ago and has been working on honing the craft through professional development ever since. Nate moved to Colorado to be able to explore the amazing rock climbing this state has to offer.
Born in northern Idaho and raised in the Reno / Lake Tahoe area of Nevada, Sam has always had a love for playing outdoors, particularly in the mountains. He grew up snowboarding and racing mountain bikes throughout NV and CA. After moving to Colorado in 2006, he began hiking and trail running CO’s 14ers which eventually led to him finding his ultimate love of rock, ice and alpine climbing in 2013. Sam has been an instructor and guide in the Front Range since 2018, and when he isn’t giving guests a climbing experience to remember, you can likely find him romping through the mountains around the Western US. Some of his favorite areas include the high peaks of the Alaska Range, Grand Teton and Rocky Mountain National Parks, PNW volcanoes, sandstone formations of Eldo, the Flatirons, Red Rock NV and Moab UT, as well as the gorgeous frozen flows of the Lake City and Ouray ice parks, and any other backcountry ice he can find. Sam also has extensive training in adaptive climbing through his role as the National Program Manager and Lead ACI (Adaptive Climbing Initiative) Course Instructor for a Colorado-based adaptive climbing non-profit. Feel free to request Sam for any of your climbing needs: Rock, Ice, Alpine, Adaptive or otherwise!
I've been climbing for 25 years and have 20+ years of competition climbing experience, including winning multiple youth Nationals, winning adult sport Nationals in 2012, and representing US at several bouldering World Cups. Outside, I've climbed up to 5.15a sport and 5.14a trad and have been pursuing difficult rope climbs generally. In 2020, together with Kevin Capps, I started coaching an outdoor Climbing Cats team, which focuses on physical, technical, and safety aspects dealing with outdoor climbing.
From exploring the mountains to appreciating the front country life, James brings joy, a relaxed energy, and his best effort wherever he is. Starting at a young age, he spent time in the mountains – rock climbing, trail running, split boarding, ice climbing, and mountaineering. In 2010, he attended CMC Leadville for their Outdoor Recreation Leadership Program. There he honed his mountain skills and, later, began working for the Colorado Outward Bound school in 2016. As an outdoor educator, he values sharing lessons and perspectives that integrate technical skills with socio-emotional skills. With over a decade of guiding experience, James exudes a calm and confident presence while making complex concepts easy to absorb. No matter the activity, James is passionate about sharing outdoor experiences with others, assisting in growing their love of nature, and teaching technical and interpersonal tools to add to folk’s toolbox of life skills.
Brent loves sharing his passion for climbing with others. As the full-time Program Manager for local Movement gyms, Brent has worked in the climbing industry since 2016 and has a wealth of instructing and coaching experience. He meets clients where they are and aims to help them grow and learn from their experiences along the way, from first-time outdoor climbs to training for long alpine routes. Finding confidence and fulfillment through climbing is Brent's ultimate goal for everyone that he has the pleasure of sharing a rope with.
Originally from South Carolina, Alex found inspiration from his local climbing gym and countless National geographic issues at an early age. Ever since he was 6, he always knew that adventure in the mountains would be a big part of his life. In 2012 Alex moved to the Colorado Front Range to pursue climbing. He became a Wilderness First Responder in 2012 and took his AMGA rock guide training in 2018. Alex loves showing people the world of outdoor climbing. He is passionate about helping people achieve their goals and loves facilitating lasting memorable experiences in the mountains. In addition to working with Denver Mountain Guiding, he also coaches an instructs indoors, both youth and adults, at The Spot climbing gym. Alex is a well-rounded climber and enjoys climbing all seasons and disciplines
Originally from Pittsburgh, PA, Becca started climbing in Boulder, CO in 2009. She learned traditional and multi-pitch climbing while at school at Warren Wilson College in Western North Carolina through the Outdoor Leadership program and the affiliated Outward Bound school. Becca has worked as a climbing coach/instructor at Movement climbing gym in Boulder since 2016, focusing on women’s group programming. She also began guiding through Women’s Wilderness, a local non-profit, in 2016. Becca loves working with people in a skills-based context outside to improve climbing performance and mental skills. She shares an integrated approach to climbing, acknowledging that climbing reflects who we are as humans and how we show up in the world. Becca’s all around skill base and personable energy makes her a great person to guide you up your first outdoor climbs, multi-pitch routes or help you advance your skills as a seasoned climber.
Stember is a mountain athlete that hails from northern Minnesota. He's practically Canadian. As a boy, he has fond memories of nordic skiing with his father in subzero temps, hiking in the Canadian Rockies, and climbing Oak trees. Depending on the season, you can find him skiing, trail running, or climbing. In the climbing world, he excels in all disciplines: sport, trad, alpine, speed, and bouldering. As a mountain runner, he's been blending his love of rock climbing with trail running to complete long ridge line traverses in the alpine setting. Recently, he's has partnered with Arno Ilgner, author of The Rock Warrior's Way, to offer applied mental training clinics. Since he's a bit neurotic, he tries to calm his nervous system with meditation, yoga, and cold showers/alpine lake swimming. The front range of Colorado feels like home and he's allowed his roots to take hold here.
Dylan has over 14 years of climbing experience spanning the country and around the globe from the UK to New Zealand and Oman to Thailand. The best estimate is that he passed 10,000 hours climbing somewhere back around 2016 and hasn't slowed down since then. He also works as a climbing instructor and coach at Movement Climbing + Fitness honing the skills of the devoted and teaching new climbers how to safely climb. He spends free time climbing and developing routes in Rifle, chasing every bit of climbing around, and training for the next big dream.
Will grew up in Massachusetts and started competition climbing at the age of 16. However, Will quickly discovered that his true passion for climbing lies within the exploration of the outdoors. He came to Colorado to attend CU where he studied Environmental Studies. When not in class he was exploring the rock and snow around the front range, finding adventure with any free time he had. Will finds that adventure is one of our greatest teachers and allows us to grow in ways that are not found in many other activities. He is excited to lead you on whatever adventure you may desire and explore the beauty of Colorado with you!
With his experience in building and leading high-performance teams from industry-leading climbing gyms across the U.S., his extensive travels, and his rigorous guiding education through the American Mountain Guides Association, Jeff is in a unique position to educate, inspire, and motivate you on your next adventure! From his base in the foothills in Golden, Colorado, Jeff has teamed up with his friends and colleagues to climb some of the world’s biggest mountains. He’s traveled south to climb South America’s heavily glaciated Cordillera Blanca, north to explore Canada’s remote Purcell Mountains, west to ascend Yosemite’s famed high granite walls, and east over the Atlantic to send some of Europe’s best limestone cliffs.
He spends most of his time guiding private guests and small groups in Colorado, Utah, and Nevada, helping them to achieve their goals in the mountains by arranging custom, personalized itineraries that build upon previous experience. He is especially adept at organizing unique experiences for novices and introducing basic concepts to first-time climbers. Jeff also produces and hosts free educational content on all the relevant social platforms, and offers mentorship for select individuals interested in pursuing the profession. He encourages anyone who is interested in climbing and guiding to reach out to him for educational considerations, career advice, adventure planning, and other recommendations.
Born and raised in the ‘burbs of Southern Jersey, and relocated to central New Hampshire at the ripe age of nineteen, Andrew quickly fostered his relationship with the local crags and mountains. Cutting his teeth on the bolt-laden routes of Rumney’s steep, schist test-pieces and honing his mettle amongst the granite labyrinths of Cannon Cliff, he found himself with an unshakable desire to climb for life. He began his apprenticeship as a guide while also pursuing a Bachelor’s Degree in Adventure Education. Having finished college in 2017, he has since pursued work as a full-time rock and ice climbing guide, traveling all over the States in pursuit of “The Life”. He appreciates black coffee, peppermint tea, and fancies the idea of having cookies for every meal.
Originally from Michigan, Bill moved to Colorado in 2016 for the sole purpose of starting over and kickstarting a new career in the outdoors. In 2018, he began instructing with Colorado Outdoor Bound School where he found a passion for empowering others to seek adventure and self-discovery. Bill is also Programs Manager and Private Coach at Movement Boulder. He is especially stoked to share what he knows with others in a way that is approachable while also challenging them to seek their own adventures throughout Colorado.
Aidan began climbing back in 2010 and guiding in 2018, but has been instructing various movement disciplines since he was a teen. Climbing quickly became his definitive favorite activity as it blended much of what he already knew about movement with everything he did not know about adventure. Since going all in, he decided that he wouldn't be a "_________" climber, he'd do it all: boulder, sport, trad, ice, mountain, big wall, etc... and thinks that climbers would find more enjoyment in their pursuits if they'd stop limiting themselves. He has climbed across the globe but strives to continually fill in the blanks.
Born and raised in the Izmir province of Turkey until the age of seven. Her family immigrated to the States where Defne spent her time roaming Maryland’s suburbs and refining her talents in the theatrical arts. During an eight year stay in Manhattan, she would obtain a Conservatorship in Acting and a Bachelor’s Degree in Film. Her aspirations of becoming a theatrical actor were quickly swept away after her very first visit to a climbing gym. In the three years since then, Defne has sunk her teeth into all things climbing and, thanks to the invaluable friends and mentors she’s met along the way, developing the skills to become the climber she one day hopes to be. Defne dreams big and she thinks you should too!
From more than 10 years, we’ve been leading the way across Colorado — creating the best possible experience since 2010.
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