What We're About

We welcome individuals, families, and groups.  We see climbing as a lifetime activity that can be enjoyed at all ages and stages of life and can be enjoyed individually or shared with friends and family.  No matter what your climbing interests, objectives, and abilities, if you enjoy climbing, we share that passion with you and we look forward to working with you to grow that passion. 

Mission

We partner with individuals and groups to create experiences that foster personal growth and renewal, promote group bonds, bolster climbing skills and confidence, and deepen connections with the natural world upon which these experiences depend.

Vision

Our clients have experiences that enrich them personally, build stronger bonds in their personal and professional lives, enhance their climbing skills, confidence, and enjoyment, and connect them more directly with the wonders of the world and each moment within it. 

Our Leadership

Kelly "Kel" Rossiter

Lead Guide/Owner

After stints in the military, the corporate world, and a Zen monastery, I began my climbing career in the Pacific Northwest back in the 90’s with a summit of Mt. Adams.  Since then I have had the good fortune to climb and guide rock and ice in twelve different countries on four continents.   I first came to the Northeast to earn an M.S. in Outdoor Education from the University of New Hampshire, and quickly fell in love with the ecological richness, sense of scale, and feeling of community I felt in this part of the country.  After working as the Director of Georgetown University’s Outdoor Education program for three years, I returned to the Northeast to teach in Lyndon State College’s (VT) Recreation Resource department.  Two years ago, my wife Alice and I relocated to “Vermont’s West Coast,” Burlington to pursue new adventures.  For me, those adventures included finishing up my doctoral studies at the University of Vermont and launching my independent guide operations.  We love living on the shores of Lake Champlain, with the Green Mountains silhouetted at sunrise and the Adirondacks silhouetted at sunset.  In addition to partnering with private individuals and groups for adventure, I‘m also an adjunct faculty member in Johnson State College’s Outdoor Education program, and I teach outdoor skills and lead expeditions for Johnson State College, the University of Vermont, the University of New Hampshire, Georgetown University, and other schools.   

My passion for sharing the outdoors with others is matched by my interest in the learning processes involved in the adventure environment.  I believe that an effective guide must have a solid understanding of both technical skills and learning processes.  In pursuit of that goal, I have completed Alpine Guide Course and Rock Instructor Course training with the American Mountain Guides Association while earning my doctoral degree in Educational Leadership and Policy Studies.  Through guiding, I work to integrate these experiences, helping my company’s adventure partners to reach their personal summits and to return from their adventures with a sense of growth, renewal, enrichment, and personal fulfillment.  I look forward to sharing that experience with you!

For a more detailed look at my professional history click here. 

Selected Climbing Resume

• Alaska: Denali (20,320’), Complete West Rib.
• Cascade Volcanoes: Rainier (14,411’-8 times), Shasta (14,179’), Adams (12,281’), Hood (11,249’), Glacier Peak (10, 541'), Jefferson (10,497’), St. Helens (8,365’).
• Mexico: Pico de Orizaba (18,490’-3 times), Ixtaccihuatl (17,159’), La Malinche (14,640’).
• Ecuador: Cotopaxi (19,347’), Pichincha (15,696’), Ruminahui (15,489’),
• North Cascades: Climbing up to Grade V and 5.11 including South Early Winters Spire Direct East Face, Torment-Forbidden Traverse, Prussik Peak South Face, and many others.
• Sierra Nevadas: Climbing up to Grade V and 5.10d including Whitney (14,505’-3 times, via East Face, Mountaineers, & Whitney-Portal Routes), Russell (14,094’, via Fishhook Arete), Gayley-Sill Traverse (13,510-14,159’), Palisades (14,242-2 times, via U Notch Couloir & V Notch Couloir), Darwin-Peak 13,332’ Traverse (13,831-13,332’), and many others.
• French Alps: Climbing up to Grade IV and 5.8 including Arete des Cosmiques (12,605’), Midi-Plan Traverse, (12,605’-12,050’), Aiguille du Tour (11,627’), and many others.
• Italian Dolomite: Climbing up Grade IV and 5.9 including Piz Pordoi West Face, Second Sella Tower North Face, Cima Casson di Formin Northwest Corner, and many others.
• Olympic Mountains (WA): Olympus, Constance, The Brothers, Cruiser, Ellinor, Washington, Townsend, and A Peak.
• Northeast US: Rock, ice, and summit routes up to Grade IV, 5.10d, and WI5 including a Winter Presidential Traverse, Mt. Katahdin via Black Gully West, The Black Dike, Pinnacle Gully, and countless others.
• Other International: Climbing across the US and in Canada, Mexico, Honduras, Indonesia, Thailand, Japan, and Switzerland.

For a more detailed look at my personal and professional land and sea-based adventures click here.

For a more detailed look at my personal and professional climbing-specific adventures click here.

Training & Certifications

• American Mountain Guides Association (AMGA) Rock Instructor Course
• American Mountain Guides Association (AMGA) Alpine Guide Course
• American Institute for Avalanche Research and Education (AIARE) Levels 1, 2, 3
• American Institute for Avalanche Research and Education (AIARE) Instructor Trainer Course
• Leave No Trace (LNT) Master Educator
• National Association for Search and Rescue (NASAR) Search and Rescue Technician Level 3
• SOLO Wilderness First Responder
• Swiftwater Rescue Technician
• American Canoe Association (ACA) Coastal Sea Kayak Instructor
• National Outdoor Leadership School (NOLS) Instructor Course
• USDA Master Gardener

For a more detailed look at my training, certifications, publications, community actions, and other professional activities click here.

Ande Kahora

Associate Guide

Ande began climbing in 2004 while attending college in Vermont.  Since then he has climbed in Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, New York, Wyoming, Utah, Colorado, California,  Idaho, and Canada.  Some memorable climbing moments have been enjoyed climbing the granite towers at the Needles in Calfornia's Sierras; however, his most significant ascents have been locally in New York state, climbing at Spiders Web in Keene Valley.  Ande has been avidly ice climbing for two years, honing his craft at Smugglers Notch, VT,  Lake Willoughby, VT, and North Conway, NH.  Ande started guiding and instructing in 2009 at Acadia National Park, ME.  Since then, he has moved back to Vermont for the winter to guide the amazing ice flows found in the region. 

Training & Certifications

• AMGA Rock Instructor Course Graduate
• PCIA Single Pitch Instructor
• Wilderness First Responder