​   Snow is still piling up above treeline depositing the deepest snowpack of the season. We have become intimate with an entire winters worth of layering and welcome the commonly stable spring skiing conditions. Our legs are strong and our endurance is high from miles of track setting up thousands of feet through the thigh deep.
   AMGA advanced ski guide courses and exams are wrapping up winter programs while summer programs such as rock guide courses, advanced rock and guide exams start to swing. Many of us are making our annual migration north towards the arctic circle to chase deep cold snow at the same time a long cold wet winter drives others to escape to drier climates like the Colorado Plateau. In the coming weeks we will strengthen our fingers on sandstone varnish plates and granite chicken heads, pump our guns on run out pitches up fountain sandstone, and remind ourselves that 5.9 was a hard rating in the 60’s and sure feels hard this early in the spring. After the first day of rock work for the season I am reminded of the skills we as a result of the American Mountain Guide Association Rock Guide Course.
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   The American Mountain Guide Association rock guide course increases a guides confidence and abilities in multi pitch rock climbing terrain. A wide range of technical skills will align guides and instructors with preferred practices of the trade that will leave onlookers bewildered and in awe. Tacoma based guide Andrew Powell said, 

​   Since the course last year I have progressed through other baseline guide track courses and along the way I gained professional and personal climbing experience. These experiences have developed a foundation in the fine art of mountain guiding. The AMGA instructor team members deliver their art in a professional structured manner that enhance professional guides. Often times we learn something that wasn’t in the course description or handbook. ​Bozeman and Jackson Hole based guide Cat Coe says the best thing she learned on course was, 

   
   Year after year the world of american mountain guiding continues it's upward progression with a commitment to professionalism. Employers play an important role in this upward progression by encouraging guides to train and certify through the American Mountain Guide Association. For many, applying for and participating in a course for the first time can seem intimidating. 
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​   Whether or not you believe in the AMGA or plan to certify as a rock guide, the rock guide course will develop technical, personal, or instructional skills. If nothing else you get to climb with exceptional people at some of the best climbing venues in the country. Who knows you may even get to ride in a new friends hot boxed Subaru on your way to a stare down with an overprotective turf defending goose. 
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   Its official! I have been accepted to participate in the American Mountain Guide Association Ski Guide Course in Jackson Hole Wyoming and I will be participating as a splitboarder.
   In order to be accepted into the program an individual has to be at a high level of physical fitness with a deep level of experience which includes successful completion of the AMGA Rock Guide Course, the ability to ride steep terrain up to fifty degrees in a variety of snow conditions, the ability to ascend and descend 4,500 vertical feet per day, and acquire American Institute for Avalanche Education and Research (AIARE) Level 2 or equivalent training. In addition to this a participant needs to be able to navigate in white out conditions, execute multi-burial avalanche rescue, build winter shelters such as a snow cave or quinzee, and implement Leave No Trace practices.  
   The AMGA guide track programs follow 3 disciplines through 10 courses and exams totaling 90 days. The first level courses are the rock, alpine, and ski guide courses. So far I have completed the Rock Guide Course, next is the Ski Guide Course and in June 2016 I will participate in the Alpine Guide Course. After this I will work towards the advanced guide courses and aspirant exams. These courses and exams occur during the same time period. Finally, after completing all three advanced courses and passing the aspirant exams a candidate gains the title of aspirant mountain guide. This series of courses, exams, personal and professional climbing sets the stage to fully complete the certification process by preparing them for the final exams. Successfully completing all of the courses and exams in addition to professional and personal experience a guide has become an American Mountain Guide/IFMGA Guide. This is the highest level of certification American mountain guides can receive and is an internationally recognized certification. After successfully completing the programs an individual is eligible to guide in other International Federation of Mountain Guides Association (IFMGA) countries such as in the European Union, New Zealand, and Canada. On the AMGA data base surprisingly there are only 107 American Mountain Guides!

​   Each year the organization has a number of scholarships it awards to guides. This is a very competitive field with professional athletes, mountain guides, and entry level climbers applying for the scholarships. Unfortunately, I did not receive one of the scholarships however I am not deterred from pursuing guide training and certification. While attending last years AMGA annual meeting in Boulder I participated in a fundraising seminar. It was then I recognized what others have done to secure finances for courses and exams. As a result, I have started a fundraising campaign on the popular site Go Fund Me. It called “Jere’s Ski Guide Course.” All of the blue text are links click away to find out more. 
   The $2,600 raised from this campaign is the cost of the course only. Jere’s Ski Guide Course campaign (click the blue text)  allows everyone the option to donate any amount you wish but I have added 4 reward levels to show donors my appreciation. It is my desire to give back to all of you who have supported my goal of raising $2,600. The first level is a $200 donation called “Powder Hound” (click the blue text) and receives a day of guided skiing or splitboarding, rock climbing, or whitewater rafting. The second level at $400 is named “Ski Bunny” (click the blue text) at this level a donor receives a custom 10x30 photo that has been printed with a matte finish and mounted on gator board. Finally, “Hot Dog” (click the blue text), a $500 fourth level, is a 15x30 photo that has been printed on metallic and finished with a U.V. protection coating and has also been mounted on gator board. These rewards have been professionally printed and mounted by the incredible staff at The Breckenridge Photo Shop. 

​Thank you to everyone who has inspired, continues to contribute, and is willing to help this process. From friends and family to mentors, clients and employers, I would not be able to continue providing the best trips and instruction with out our partnerships.

   The subtle soundscape of Bonobo resonates through muffled sleeping bags as a signal to wake up. It’s still dark as I reach for my head lamp, our lights dance around the tent walls as we stir awake. Crawl into our clothes, rustle out of warm sleeping bags, and out into the cool midsummer mountain air. We drift with soft breezes to our hanging bear proofed bags of food, drop and rummage through them to find breakfast while we boil water for hot coffee. Its only 3 a.m. but its time to start a day of alpinism. Fortunately, we packed our gear bags last night and thankfully they weigh a fraction of other climber’s packs. 
   When preparing for a single or multi-day wilderness alpine climbing trip I carefully consider every item I pack. How necessary is it? Is it required or for comfort? Is it single purpose or multi-purpose? Can the weight be trimmed down? All of these factors contribute to comfort, speed, efficiency, safety and success in the alpine.
   As one of my mentors said “an arsenal of ropes is necessary.” So one item that has become an integral piece of the alpine rope arsenal is the Sterling Fusion Nano 60m x 9.2mm bi-pattern dry rope. At 52.6 grams per meter this rope is obviously light weight but here I will reflect on my experience including out of the package use, preparing the rope, coiling and packing, durability, and ease of use.

   After careful consideration I selected this rope based on weight, length, diameter, functionality, ease of use and the added bonus that its made right here in the United States. In short order the folks at Sterling quickly shipped the rope from their Biddeford Maine facility. A couple days later I had it out in Eldorado Canyon to work out the kinks before taking it to the alpine.
   At the base of the route I ground stacked the rope straight out of the package. Noticing some twists and coils Chris re-stacked the rope as he pulled it through a carabiner. The rope looked good so we started our climb.

   After the first pitch of climbing I immediately noticed the benefits of the Nano 9.2. First it was easy to handle while I clipped into protection. Second as I pulled up the slack flaking knee length lap coils, the rope was compact and comfortable. Even more, as Chris followed the pitch, it smoothly fed through the ATC in guide mode.
   Chris led up the next pitch and as he climbed the coils and twists reappeared. I gradually worked the coils down the rope as it payed out. After he arrived at the anchors and was off belay I quickly remedied the issue. I attached myself with a personal anchor, untied, worked out the twists, and tied back in. Then I followed the pitch and we prepared for our descent.

   In order to ensure a straight running rope, we simul-rappelled the route on single strands. This was the last time the Sterling Fusion Nano 9.2mm 60m bi-pattern dry rope coiled or twisted. Finally the rope had been prepared for more committing routes. The next route would be on a Rocky Mountain National Park classic, The South Face of the Petit Grepon.
   This is when the next benefits appeared. I looped mountaineer coils just above my belly button tied off and attached the rope to my pack. Again I loved the compact coils that fit neatly around my 35 liter pack with out any potential of sagging loops or snags while on the approach. Perhaps most noticeable was the ropes light weight. In combination with a stripped down alpine climbing rack, a day’s worth of food, and extra clothing my pack was light, compact, and held close to my body with little sway as I scrambled during the approach.
   As with the other route we climbed the Sterling Nano 9.2mm was easy to handle and clip into protection. With slightly stiff handling often accompanied with dry ropes it was easy to pinch and clip into protection. In addition slack pulled easily and ground stacked super tight leaving ample real estate for 2 climbers and even enough space to have a seat on. Again lap coils were incredibly compact but also soft and supple enough to allow for clean easy flipping onto the other climber.

   Another great feature of this rope is the bi-pattern sheath. On one side is a solid color and on the other is a yellow diamond pattern. Seemingly the most obvious use of the pattern is while setting up rappels. When threading the rope through fixed anchors and subsequently hand flaking it is easy to locate the center before tossing or saddle bagging. But what I found to be a surprise is the improved efficiency of kiwi coiling. As soon as I reach the center of the rope I take an additional 15 coils into the kiwi, tie off, and this leaves me with about 15 meters. This remaining amount I can hand coil for short roping, drop while protecting short pitches or use with natural terrain anchors and belays. What's more the sheath is quite durable. After I wrapped it around rock horns, flakes, and running across rock slabs it barely showed any sign of use.
   The final great feature of this rope is the dry treatment. While climbing in the alpine there are many opportunities for the rope to become saturated. Either from rain fall during afternoon storms, being dragged through snow and ice on glaciers, climbing steep snow in couloirs, or on snowy faces. This dry treatment limits the amount of water the rope absorbs.
  All though it's been nearly 12 hours since we started in the morning we still have smiles on our faces. We descend through loose rocky scree and talus, the heat of the day has passed and we slowly cool after hours of continually paced movement. Eventually we reach tree line and gently glide onto well traveled and worn trails. Across split log planks, above lush wetland wildflower blooms we reflect on our favorite parts of the climb.
   On the hike out of every alpine climb with the Nano I am still stoked that I added it to my arsenal of ropes. The comfort of carrying it on long approaches, the compact ground stacks, efficient lap flaking and kiwi coils, the durability on natural terrain features, and speedy rappel setups have consistently contributed to my successful alpine climbing trips.
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   Not much can be said about the spring weather in Colorado except maybe "Mayuary" as powder hounds have coined it. Fortunately for those of us in Colorado, March and April provided ample climbing time under perfect weather. Naturally in classic Rocky Mountain style, these warm and dry months faded into cool and wet weather patterns in May. In the week leading to the American Mountain Guide Association Rock Guide Course the wet weather started and persisted along the Front Range. Of course, thinking ahead for a moment, the heavy rains and cool weather will have positive impacts for the potential wildfire and drought. Conversely for rock guides this wet weather forces many of us to get creative to stay motivated.

   On Day 2 we headed into the center of the universe, Eldorado Canyon. We met at another historic spot namely Supremacy Rock. Again Pat Ament led one of the countries early hard routes, Supremacy Crack 5.11b. Except this day we wouldn't climb the route. The day started out with ground school that included belay transitions to lowering using caterpillar rope technique, ATC flips, munter lowers, pre-rigged and belayed rappels. Eventually we led out in groups of three on Time Out, Play Time, and Route 0 to practice theses skills. Clear morning skies crumbled to storm clouds, then rain, and lightning. Fortunately we were able to practically apply the days lessons, namely the ATC flip and lower, belayed rappel and pre-rigged rappel before the rock became wet. 

    Day one of the course would set an unexpected precedent. We started off with introductions at the AMGA headquarters in Boulder. Unquestionably there was a deep pool of talent filling the boardroom. There were local Coloradans that taught at community colleges and guided clients from Rocky Mountain National Park in Estes Park to the San Juan Mountains. Equally there were guides from Wyoming that spent weeks in the Wind River Range only to return to Grand Teton National Park and lead trips up the Grand. In the same way as me the other participants recognized the appeal of taking the rock guide course in Boulder and more specifically the legendary Eldorado Canyon. This attracted guides from as far as Washington and as it turns out may have had better climbing conditions. Never the less we had the all star instructor team that included International Federation of Mountain Guides Association certified guides Angela Hawse, Rob Hess, and Tom Hargis  and also AMGA rock guide and Colorado Mountain School lead guide Mark Hammond. Through their unfathomable experience they would teach us decades of collective rock guiding knowledge.
   After a morning of discussion we headed up to Castle Rock in Boulder Canyon. A short drive through the canyon led to this historical landmark. When in 1964 Royal Robbins and Pat Ament free climbed the nations hardest free route of the time Athletes Feat at 5.11. Here we reviewed many skills including knots, coils, and anchors. By afternoon, thunderstorms had built overhead and many cracks of lightning prompted us to call it a day.

features. Typically this lesson would have been followed with practical application on the ridge but once again with thunderstorms threatening the instructor team decided to relocate. Surprisingly we would meet former director of the  American Mountain Guide Association, Kyle Lefkoff, at Mateo in Boulder.  

   After a few days of rain and limited climbing time we were treated to bottles of wine and cheese samples while Kyle discussed the finer points of client care. As guides know client care is paramount. Ensuring their safety with proper route selection and hazard mitigation, rope system use, weather appropriate gear recommendations, and adequate nourishment for the day however Kyle’s presentation offered more than that. First Kyle gave his background as a guide and former director of the AMGA along with his contributions to The Access Fund. Next he went on to give each course participant a scenario of who, where, when, what of a trip that included meals, accommodations, and don't forget the spa. These scenarios allowed each individual to describe a custom trip at their home crags. Over trays of cheese, pate, crackers, through bottle after bottle of wine everyone described their ideal day of climbing and entertaining. This was a great exercise in client care that led into “Kyle’s five rules of guiding.” The first rule is safety first then tipping. Second is climb, eat, spa, drink, repeat. Third is never lead beginners on a route you wouldn’t solo. Kyle’s fourth rule is to make sure everyone has a cell phone, and everyone has everyone else’s cell phone number saved to memory. Last is nobody climbs until the waivers are signed. Thanks to Kyle for the unexpected hospitality and insight to a side of guiding that can get overlooked. Furthermore this discussion showed our instructor teams ability to adapt to the inclement weather and keep each day full of pertinent lessons. You can check out one of Kyle's contributions "key to success as a mountain guide and in life" on the AMGA website.