Our Mountain Guides
The Professionals at California Alpine Guide
are dedicated to providing you a safe and memorable alpine
experience. We hire our mountain guides based on their outgoing
and friendly personalities and their dedication to the profession
of mountain guiding.
American Mountain Guides Association
(AMGA) Certification
When choosing a mountain guide we highly recommend you search
out mountain guides who have certifications and training
from the American Mountain Guides Association. Although
there have been recent upstart guide certification organizations,
the AMGA is considered the standard and the only organization
recognized by the International Mountain Guides Federation.
All of our technical mountain guides have
undergone training through the AMGA and some are certified
by the AMGA. Certification in the United States is a voluntary
process that involves a series of 8-10 day training courses
followed by 6-10 day certification mountain guiding exams.
It is a rigorous process that represents a higher level
of mountain guiding. In rock guiding there are three levels
of certification: single pitch, rock instructor and rock
guide, with rock guide being the highest level.
IFMGA/UIAGM Certification
The International Federation of Mountain Guides
(IFMGA, or UIAGM by it's French acronym) certification represents
the highest level of mountain guide certification in the
world. It is a process that rivals or exceeds a common graduate
degree in both time and money commitments. IFMGA/UIAGM mountain
guides have been through a 4-6 year process that involves
over 50 days of guide's training and 24 days of examination
in all three disciplines - rock, alpine and ski. Less than
60 guides in the United States have achieved the international
certified level. A fully certified IFMGA/UIAGM mountain
guide is qualified to guide any terrain, anywhere in the
world, whether on foot or skis.
Many guide services make all types
of claims about their guide staff, but if you are looking
for the most qualified guides in world, the IFMGA certification
speaks for itself.
At California Alpine Guides you know what
you're getting - friendly, personable & professional
mountain guides who will lead you effeciently & safely
through the mountains and on the rocks.
Dave Miller
Owner & Director
UIAGM/IFMGA Internationally Certified Mountain Guide
AMGA certified alpine guide, rock guide &
ski mountaineering guide
Dave has been climbing and exploring the mountains of
California for over thirty years. He has worked as a
mountain guide in rock climbing, ice climbing, mountaineering
and ski mountaineering throughout California, Mexico
and South America for the past eight years including
Mt. Shasta, Joshua Tree and the Sierra Nevada. He is
a the owner of California Alpine Guides and works full
time as a climbing guide in the field. Dave lives in
the Eastern Sierra Nevada minutes from Yosemite National
Park and the resort area of Mammoth Lakes.
Climbing Experience: Dave's
climbing adventures began back in 1980 while attending
high school in the North Lake Tahoe area of the Northern
Sierra Nevada. Twenty-five years later Dave considers
his proudest climbing achievements to be his multiple
one-day ascents of Yosemite's El Capitan and his ascents
of remote alpine rock routes in the High Sierra. Dave's
alpine climbing achievements include long ice faces
and rock climbing routes in Washington's North Cascade
range, high altitude mountaineering in Peru, Ecuador,
and Mexico and ice climbs throughout California and
Colorado. His ski mountaineering adventures include
many multi-day ski tours throughout the western United
States and glaciated ski tours in the French Alps, the
Cascades, the Coast Range of British Columbia and Alaska's
Chugach Range.
Certifications/Education:
Dave is certified mountain guide in alpine climbing
& rock climbing & ski mountaineering through
the American Mountain Guides Association (AMGA) as well
as a UIAGM/IFMGA internationally certified guide in
all disciplines. Dave also has a level III avalanche
training certificate and is a Wilderness First Responder.
He has a Bachelor's Degree in Political Science. Dave
is known for his backcountry culinary skill and enjoys
the creative outlet of cooking a great meal while in
the field.
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Photo: Dave after guiding a climb
in the French Alps near Chamonix |
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Photo:
Scott belaying on an ascent of Positive Vibrations, The Incredible Hulk, Eastern Sierra Nevada. 2006 |
Scott Brown
Co-founder. Lead Rock, Ski, Alpine & International Guide
AMGA Certified
Rock Guide, AMGA Certified Alpine Guide
For ten years, Scott has worked
as a mountain guide, teaching rock climbing and ice climbing
in the Sierra Nevada, Joshua Tree, Yosemite and on Mount Shasta in California.
He is a co-founder of California Alpine Guides and guides in
the field throughout the year. He guides high altitude mountaineering
and has led 10 international climbing expeditions in Bolivia,
Mexico and Peru.
Climbing experience:
In addition to guiding for CAG, Scott currently guides for
the Yosemite Mountaineering School during the summer. He has
ten speed ascents of Yosemite big walls including The Nose,
Lurking Fear, and The Zodiac on El Capitan. He has logged
over 40 nights on Yosemite big walls, climbed the 2000' Widows
Tears in Yosemite Valley, has climbed Mt. Shasta and Mt Whitney
too many times and spends his winters guiding ice climbing
in the Eastern Sierra Nevada.
Certifications/Education: A
certified Rock Climbing and Alpine Guide through the American
Mountain Guides Association, Scott is AIARE level
II certified and is in the proccess of becoming an international
IFMGA certified guide. Scott has a Bachelors Degree in Recreation
Administration with a minor field of study in Business from
Humboldt State University. He has three years as an integral
member of Yosemite Search And Rescue and is currently
a Wilderness First Responder & LNT Trainer.
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Mark Grundon
Lead Rock & Alpine Guide
AMGA Certified Rock Guide
Mark has been mountain guiding for the past four years thorughout
Colorado, Alaska and most recently on Mount Shasta. Mark is
equally at home on rock climbs as well as alpine and ice climbs.
Mark spends most of the summer season climbing and guiding
throughout the Western United States, mostly in California.
In the winter he ski patrols for Crested Butte, Co.
Climbing Experience: Mark has
been rock climbing since a young age while growing up in the
mountains of Vermont. He excells at steep desert crack climbing
as well as long Yosemite rock climbs. Mark's ice climbing
experience has revolved around the superb ice climbs of Southwestern
Colorado.
Certifications/Education: Mark
is an AMGA certified rock guide, the highest level of rock
guiding certification. He holds an EMT-basic and Outdoor Emergency
Care Technician certificates and holds a Leave No Trace principles
trainer certificate. He also has avalanche level II training.
Mark has a degree in recreation and Environmental studies
from Western State College in Gunnison Colorado.
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| Rich Meyer
Lead Alpine & Ski Guide
Rich has been guiding for over ten years. From local ski tours
in Tahoe, to guided expeditions in Alaska. Some of his adventures
include: trekking in Bhutan, skiing the Haute route in the
Alps, guiding on Mt. Shasta, Mt. Rainer, Denali, and guiding
the volcanoes of Ecuador. Rich has logged numerous ski descents
in the lower 48, Alaska, Canada, Argentina, Chile, France,
and Switzerland. Rich is most often found in working in California,
where he guides various routes and ski descents in addition
to teaching glacier seminars and avalanche courses. Rich has
had extensive training from a variety of schools, including
the PSIA and the AMGA.
Certifications/Education:
Wilderness First Responder, certified by Wilderness
Medicine Institute
American Institute of Avalanche Research and Education, (AIARE)
Level I II III
AIARE: certified avalanche instructor
American Avalanche Association
NOLS: Leave No Trace, certified trainer
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Keith Spernak
Head trekking and backpacking guide
Bio Coming Soon.
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