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KC Bess

Growing up in the red rock country of Southern Utah, KC transitioned from scrambling on rocks as a kid to sport and trad climbing throughout the western United States as a young adult. Climbing lead him to the Teton and Wind River Ranges and opened the door to river running and professional guiding. KC has …

Jon Tierney

Jon lives in Orono, ME and is an internationally licensed IFMGA mountain guide. He has been an active outdoor educator and paramedic for 25 years. He teaches courses in avalanche science, wilderness travel, mountaineering, and technical rescue. He has been teaching for WMA since the eighties. Jon co-founded and directed the University of Maine outdoor program for seventeen years. He now owns Acadia Mountain Guides Climbing School, is active in Maine search and rescue and continues to work as a critical care paramedic in Maine. Jon began exploring outdoors and climbing in the mid 70s. His first expedition was hiking the Long Trail with a fellow 8th grader. With a passion for rock, snow, and ice, Jon's accomplishments as a climber and guide include over 70 high altitude peaks as well as many first ascents worldwide. Within the AMGA he serves on the technical committee as an instructor/examiner and was the primary author of the nationally recognized Top Rope Site Manager course curriculum. Most recently he co-founded the Professional Climbing Instructors Association. Formerly he worked as a climbing and backcountry ranger at Rocky Mountain National Park where he helped to institute wilderness medical and ALS practices and he has served as a search and rescue volunteer on Denali. Jon strives to synthesize good concepts, challenge usual paradigms, and develop new ideas to raise guiding and wilderness education standards.

Jen Darling

Jen has been working in medical services for over 20 years. She began as a medic in the Canadian Armed Forces in 1995 and later transitioned to a civilian career as a Registered Nurse. Her career has seen a variety of locations, ranging from large U.S. trauma centres to remote First Nations health centres. The …

Paul Lovaas

Paul is a former summer camp director, wilderness trip leader, staff training manager, semester school teacher, and a recurrent WMA student. From directing hundreds of youth wilderness trips each summer at Camp Manito-wish YMCA to guiding students and staff through winter camping excursions in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan with Conserve School, Paul’s professional outdoor experiences …

Anissa Vasquez

Anissa began her career in the outdoors while obtaining her Bachelor’s degree in Outdoor Education & Recreation from Central Michigan University. She spent time working in Yosemite National Park and Custer State Park in South Dakota. The majority of her outdoor experience comes from a wilderness therapy program in Utah guiding “at-risk” adolescents. Her passion …

Jenna Curcio

I am a New York State Forest Ranger residing in the Northern Adirondacks with my husband and son. I have degrees in Environmental Biology from SUNY New Paltz and Forest Technology from SUNY ESF Ranger School. I am lucky to spend much of my free time doing the same things I do for work – …

Cal McKnight

Since 2002 Cal has been fully immersed in Outdoor Education and wilderness travel. Their range of work has taken them to the reaches of the US (including Alaska), Costa Rica, Panama, and the Caribbean. Their expertise ranges from instructing backpacking, rock climbing, whitewater paddling, sailing, and remote travel. Their certifications have led them to instructing …

WMA Brasil

WAFA: Primeiros Socorros para Areas Remotas Naturais Avancado

WFR: Wilderness First Responder