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...an AMGA accredited school with AMGA certified Top Rope Site Managers, Rock Instructors, Rock Guides, and Alpine Guides, and AMGA trained Ski Mountaineering Guides.
Maine's only AMGA accredited Climbing School!
Jon is certified internationally by the UIAGM/IFMGA and examined and certified at the international standard by the AMGA as a Rock Guide, an Alpine Guide, and a Ski Mountaineering Guide. Certification in each discipline requires passing a rigorous multi-day peer assessment exam. Jon began climbing as a teenager in the mid 70's. With a passion for rock, snow, and ice, Jon's accomplishments as a climber and guide include several high altitude peaks as well as difficult first ascent rock climbs and hundreds of multi-pitch rock and alpine routes throughout the Americas. o Professional guide since 1983, climber since 1975 o American Mountain Guides Association (AMGA) certified Rock Guide (1992) and Alpine Guide (1997), and Ski Mountaineering Guide (2006) o United States Mountain Guides Association (USMGA) Endorsed Rock and Alpine Guide o AMGA Professional member since 1988 o Registered Maine Guide o First to be granted Lifetime Membership in the AMGA in 2004 o B.S. Parks and Forest Recreation with additional studies in education and emergency medicine o Founding Director Emeritus of Maine Bound, the University of Maine outdoor education program o AMGA Advanced Alpine Guide's Course (1995) and Advanced Rock Guide's Course (1990) o American Institute for Avalanche Research and Education Instructor o Paramedic (since 1988) with additional training and experience in critical care and flight medicine o Wilderness First Responder and WEMT Instructor for Wilderness Medical Associates (since 1986) o Served 2 terms on the Board of Directors and Technical Committee member, American Mountain Guides Association o Currently serves on the Board of Directors, Friends of Baxter State Park o Accreditation examiner for Climbing Gym Association and American Mountain Guides Association o Curriculum author, founding program coordinator and instructor trainer for the AMGA Top Rope Site Manager Course andCertification o Guided over 40 successful high altitude (over 18,000') mountaineering ascents o Conference presentor at national and regional outdoor education and wilderness risk conferences o Author of Rock Climber's Guide to Clifton, Maine o Author of Winter Mountaineering and Backcountry Travel in Baxter State Park o Co-author of Technical Rescue Standards for Maine Search and Rescue o Technical editor of Go Climb o Formerly a mountain rescue climbing ranger at Rocky Mountain National Park and a rescue team member on Denali. Some of his favorite areas include the East Face of Long's Peak (the Diamond), Red Rocks, Yosemite, Joshua Tree, Tetons, Rocky Mountains, Shawangunks, Lumpy Ridge, Denali (Mount McKinley), New Hampshire, Canadien Rockies, Bugaboos, Quebec, China, North Cascades, Venezuela, Ecuador, Mexico and Argentina as well as his home areas of Acadia, Clifton and Katahdin. He began guiding in 1983 and has been dedicated to wilderness education on a full-time basis since then. Seeing a need for improved professional standards in guiding, Jon became actively involved in developing nationally recognized guide education programs. He now serves on the AMGA board of directors and is an accreditation reviewer for the AMGA and ORCA climbing programs. For the past decade, he has strived to synthesize good concepts, challenge usual paradigms, and develop new ideas to raise guiding standards. He developed a nationwide curriculum in top rope site management for the AMGA. Jon is the owner of Acadia Mountain Guides Climbing School. |
