Meet Your Guides

Acadia Mountain Guides Climbing School is a company of professional guides. Since our inception in 1993, we have required formal training and evaluation of all our guides simply because it was the right thing to do. Our guiding standards are among the best in the industry and represent the highest standards in Maine. Our guides are friendly, dedicated professionals whose talents lie in their technical expertise, climbing ability and their skill as educators. The quality of our guides is what makes Acadia Mountain Guides Climbing School your best source for climbing instruction.

Our guides are veteran climbers with several years of diverse climbing experience. By requiring in specialized guide education courses we maximize competency and efficiency and greatly reduce risk. Our greater efficiency allows more time to teach you important skills, and to provide you with more climbing opportunities without feeling rushed. All are also certified at or above the Wilderness First Responder level of medical care. Our internal training keeps everyone up on the latest techniques and current on the best local practices.

We are committed to providing you with the best climbing experience possible. It is our goal to provide a supportive climbing environment that maximizes your time and minimizes your risk. Our mission steers us to continually develop cutting edge ideas and techniques that improve the delivery of our instruction. Many of these ideas have become the foundation both the AMGA and PCIA training programs. We believe that the guiding art requires extensive climbing experience and a multi-faceted educational background. We take our philosophy to heart and work to promote responsible climbing and wilderness use as well as responsible guiding on both a local and national level. We are proud to be participating in the development of professional standards that other guide services can only aspire to. Simply put, we are attentive to the details.

We look forward to sharing our love of high places with you and invite you to take a look at our backgrounds.

Guide Staff

Jon Tierney

Owner/IFMGA Guide

Dick Chasse

Senior Guide

Alex Scuterud

Multi Pitch Instructor

PCIA Climbing Wall Instructor Course Provider | AMGA Single Pitch Instructor | AMGA Rock Guide Course | Wilderness First Responder | A.S. in Adventure Sports Leadership and Management

Zack Cleary

Multi Pitch Instructor

Wil Huston

General Manager

PCIA Single Pitch Climbing Instructor | AIARE Level I | Wilderness First Responder

Rowan Ballman

Single Pitch Climbing Instructor

Nathan Kilroy

Single Pitch Climbing Instructor

PCIA Single Pitch Climbing Instructor | AIARE Level I | Wilderness First Responder

Celeste Crowley

Single Pitch Climbing Instructor

PCIA Single Pitch Climbing Instructor | Wilderness First Responder | B.A. in Human Ecology

Henry Anderson

Single Pitch Climbing Instructor

PCIA Single Pitch Climbing Instructor | Wilderness First Responder | Studying for B.S. in Environmental Sciences

Jess Beneski

Single Pitch Climbing Instructor

PCIA Single Pitch Climbing Instructor | AIARE Level 1 | Wilderness First Responder | 200-Hour Yoga Teacher | B.S. in Zoology, Minor is Psychology

Jake Holmes

Single Pitch Climbing Instructor

PCIA Single Pitch Climbing Instructor | AIARE Level 1 | Registered Maine Guide | Wilderness First Responder | Studying for a B.S. in Earth and Climate Sciences

Daniel Hernandez

Single Pitch Climbing Instructor

PCIA Single Pitch Climbing Instructor | AMGA Single Pitch Instructor | Wilderness First Responder

Benjamin Lim

Multi Pitch Instructor

Mackenzie Connor

Single Pitch Climbing Instructor

PCIA Single Pitch Climbing Instructor | AIARE Level I | Wilderness First Responder | B.S. in Environmental Sciences, Minor in Outdoor Leadership

AIARE Instructors

Jon Tierney

Owner, Acadia Mountain Guides, AIARE Level I & II Course Leader

Albert Mandell

AIARE Level I & II Course Leader

AMGA Assistant Ski Guide | AIARE Level III Avalanche Certification | AIARE LI & LII Course Leader | Wilderness First Responder

Rob Benton

AIARE Level I & II Course Instructor

Benjamin Allen

AIARE Level I & II Course Instructor

AIARE Pro 1 Avalanche Certification | AIARE L1 & L2 Course Instructor | Wilderness First Responder | Professional Ski Patroller

Mark Renson

AIARE Level I & II Course Instructor

American Avalanche Institue Level III Certification | Canadian Avalanche Association AST-2 | Senior Outdoor Emergency Care Certified | Proffesional Ski Patroller

Dick Chasse

AMG Senior Guide, AIARE Level I & II Course Instructor

AMGA ACCREDITED

• Since 1994 •

AMGCS is one of 32 AMGA accredited programs in the US and was one of the earliest to pursue and achieve accreditation. AMGCS is the only climbing school in Maine to remain continuously AMGA accredited. We have had one or more AMGA rock guides on staff each year since 1994.

IFMGA Led

Owned by internationally recognized IFMGA/AMGA Mountain Guide Jon Tierney who has been climbing in Acadia since 1982. Jon has over 30 years of local and worldwide experience. The IFMGA requires full AMGA certification as a rock, alpine and ski mountaineering guide.

PCIA Accredited

• Since 2007 •

AMGCS has the distinction of also being accredited to the highest standards of the Professional Climbing Instructors Association. The PCIA requires all staff to be individually trained and certified.