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Our Guides

gacg-035Daniel Chambo

Daniel has completed formal AMGA training and wilderness medicine training. Daniel has taken the AMGA Rock Guide Course, is AMGA SPI certified, and he completed his Wilderness First Responder through Wilderness Medical Institute.

Daniel has outstanding experience in outdoor and experiential education. He has worked for organizations such as Outward Bound Wilderness, The Mountain Institute, and Inside Out Inc., Daniel has developed substantial programmatic training to custom tailor his teaching methods and content to help his clients meet their goals effortlessly, building friendships in the process. Daniel cannot resist sharing his contagious passion for climbing with his clients, and is continuously working to improve his skills to offer more fulfilling experiences to climbers of all levels. Daniel has developed a leadership style that is authentic, dynamic, and approachable.

Daniel is an accomplished climber. Daniel has climbed from the desert towers of Utah, to the glacial peaks of Washington State, to the ancient granite domes near his home in Western North Carolina.

 

gacg-051David Kessler

David is a well-rounded rock climber. David has climbed all over the United States and is a very accomplished climber.  He is also a very strong climber, with a very impressive list redpoints.  He is an excellent technician and clients commonly report important technique gains after climbing with him.

David has completed the AMGA Single Pitch Instructor courses and exam, and is a NOLS Certified Wilderness First Responder.  Dave has been climbing and teaching for 33 years at many of the most popular areas in Tennessee, Kentucky, Wisconsin, New York, Canada, Arizona, New Mexico, California, Nevada, Colorado, Wyoming, Oregon, West Virginia and North Carolina.

 

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Scott Perkins

Scott has been climbing since 1988 and since that time has logged roughly 3000 climbing days in the southeastern US.   Scott has climbed extensively in the Gunks of NY and White Mountains of New Hampshire.  He has logged countless climbing days in the Pacific Northwest NW with 50+ ascents of Mount Rainier via 10 different routes, 20+ Baker summits via every major climbing route plus many alpine climbs in the North Cascades, Olympics, BC, Canadian Rockies, Tetons, Winds, High Sierra, Alaska, Mexico and the Andes of South America. His solo summit climbs include Mount McKinley, Aconcagua, Chimborazo, Cotopaxi, Iliniza Sur, Grand Teton, North Face Mount Shuksan, North Face Mount Maude, Lava Headwall and North Ridge on Mount Adams, Sandy Headwall Mount Hood, North Face Mount Athabasca, Mount Olympus.

Scott is an AMGA Certified Rock Instructor and Single Pitch Instructor (SPI).  He has taken the AMGA Alpine Guide Course, and he holds AIARE 1 and 2 certification.  He has also completed  Companion Rescue Course training.  He has been guiding since 1998 and has guided extensively in the southeastern US as well as numerous successfully guided ascents of Aconcagua and Ameghino in Argentina. Chimborazo, Cotopaxi, Cayambe, Iliniza Norte, Ruminahui in Ecuador, and Orizaba and Izta in Mexico. Over the years Scott has worked with everyone from first time climbers, families, summer camps and scout groups to elite members of our military and law enforcement. His youngest client was 4 and oldest 71. Scott is most proud of the fact that in 15 years of guiding no client under his care has ever suffered so much as a minor injury.  Scott is a certified wilderness first responder through SOLO.

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Swis Stockton

Swis is an experienced climbing educator.   Swis has been climbing guiding for over 20 years.  Swis has worked on the climbing staff at the North Carolina Outward Bound School (NCOBS), has developed the climbing program at the University of Georgia, and has worked as a wilderness instructor for Red Top Center in Jackson, Wyoming.  He has climbed multi-pitch ice routes from New Hampshire to the Canadian Rockies and has he has successfully guided several routes in the Andes.  Swis also enjoys longer alpine rock ascents and he has climbed some Grade V aid ascents on big walls from California to North Carolina

Swis is a formally trained and certified guide.  Swis is a Certified Rock Instructor (formerly called "Level 1 Rock Guide")  by the American Mountain Guides Association (AMGA).  He is an AMGA Single Pitch Instructor (SPI) Course and Exam provider/instructor.  Swis completed the Peruvian/Swiss High Mountains Guides Rescue Course  put on by the AGMP/UIAGM in 1999.  He has written articles for Rock and Ice magazine on east-coast climbing and frostbite.

Swis is heavily trained in wilderness and pre-hospital medicine.  Swis has completed Wilderness Advanced Life Support (WALS) courses and is a board certified emergency physician.   Swis teaches wilderness medicine for Wilderness Medical Associates, and is the author of the chapter entitled  "Patient Assessment" in the book "Self-Rescue" (2nd edition) by David Fasulo.

Finally, Swis has formal training contributing to an understanding of social and cultural differences in learning, as he holds a Ph.D. in social anthropology.

 

Derek Thompson

Derek is an avid outdoor enthusiast and educator.  Raised in Natural Bridge Va, Derek's first climbing experience was at Goshen Va in the George Washington National Forest in 2011, and since then Derek's passion for climbing and teaching had continued to develop.  Derek spent a semester in Utah and Wyoming earning an Outdoor Education Certificate from NOLS.  Derek also maintains Wilderness First Responder certification and he is an AMGA certified Single Pitch Instructor.  Derek has served as a climbing director, private guide, and educator.  Derek loves to share his love for climbing, and clients love his patient, calm teaching style.  Derek climbs all over the southeast, including Tennessee, North Carolina, West Virginia, and Virginia.  In 2019, Derek even sampled the limestone cliffs of Thailand!