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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
IFMGA Licensed International Mountain Guide | AMGA Certified Rock Guide | AMGA Certified Ski Mountaineering Guide | AMGA Certified Alpine Guide | Paramedic | Life Flight Paramedic | B.S. Parks and Forest Recreation
Jon Tierney
Dick Chasse
Senior Guide
PCIA Single Pitch and Lead Climbing Instructor Course Provider | AMGA Rock Guide Course | AMGA Advanced Rock Guide Course | AMGA Alpine Guides Course | AMGA Ice Instructor Course | AIARE Level III Avalanche Certification | Wilderness First Responder
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
PCIA Single Pitch Climbing Instructor | AMGA Single Pitch Instructor | AMGA Advanced Rock Guide Course | AIARE Level I | Wilderness First Responder | B.A Physics, Minor Geology
Wil Huston
General Manager
PCIA Single Pitch Climbing Instructor | AIARE Level I | Wilderness First Responder
Rowan Ballman
Single Pitch Climbing Instructor
PCIA Single Pitch Climbing Instructor | AMGA Rock Guide Course | AIARE Level I | Registered Maine Guide | Wilderness First Responder | B.S in Parks, Recreation, and Tourism, Minor in Outdoor Leadership
Rowan Ballman
Nathan Kilroy
Single Pitch Climbing Instructor
PCIA Single Pitch Climbing Instructor | AIARE Level I | Wilderness First Responder
Nathan Kilroy
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
Henry Anderson
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
Jess Beneski
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
Jake Holmes
Daniel Hernandez
Single Pitch Climbing Instructor
PCIA Single Pitch Climbing Instructor | AMGA Single Pitch Instructor | Wilderness First Responder
Dan Hernandez
Benjamin Lim
Multi Pitch Instructor
PCIA Single Pitch Climbing Instructor | AMGA Rock Guide Course | AIARE Level II | Wilderness First Responder | M.S. & B.S. in Civil and Environmental Engineer | Licensed Professional Engineer
Ben Lim
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
Mack Conner

AIARE Instructors

Jon Tierney
Owner, Acadia Mountain Guides, AIARE Level I & II Course Leader
IFMGA/AMGA International Mountain Guide | AMGA Ski Mountaineering Guide | AMGA Alpine Guide | AMGA Rock Guide | AMGA Rock and Alpine Instructor / Examiner 1997 – 2007 | AIARE Level III Avalanche Certification | AIARE LI & LII Course Leader | Flight and Critical Care Paramedic | Professional guide since 1983, climber and skier since 1975 | American Avalanche Association and AMGA Professional Member | Registered Maine Guide
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
almandellAl Mandell
Rob Benton
AIARE Level I & II Course Instructor
AIARE Professional Level I | AIARE Level I & II Instructor | PCIA Single Pitch Instructor | Swift Water Canoe Guide | Wilderness First Responder | Maine Search and Rescue | Associates Degree in Outdoor Recreation and Tourism |
Rob Bentonrobbenton_
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
Mark P. Renson
Dick Chasse
AMG Senior Guide, AIARE Level I & II Course Instructor
AIARE LI Course Instructor | AIARE Pro 1 Certified | AMGA Alpine Guides Course | AMGA Advanced Rock Guides Course | AMGA Ski Guides Course | PCIA Instructor Trainer for SPI and Slope Tech Programs | Wilderness First Responder

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.