Meet The Team
Kaf Adventures is run with passion, experience, compassion, and dedication. We are committed to learning through experience, and creating an experience that fosters growth and human change. These are all qualities we feel drive success and create the leaders of tomorrow. We have a desire to create a community that cultivates responsible, conscientious outdoor enthusiasts and adventurers.
Kaf Adventures is a small company, which gives individual attention to our clients, offering a more personal and customized approach to instruction and guided experiences. Kaf is proud to have each and every person on our staff. They are truly the best people, mountaineers, guides, teachers and ambassadors of mountain culture anywhere!
Guides & Instructors
Owner / Founder
Mick has traveled the world over in search of the perfect mountain experience. After working for years under other companies’ ethos and philosophies, nothing quite fit with his personal convictions and passions. In 2006 he set out on his own to make his vision of the holistic mountain experience a reality for anyone who shared his passion for the outdoors.
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Having traveled all over the U.S. as the son of a railroad employee, Mick is accustomed to movement and new views. Mexico, Canada, Thailand, Taiwan, Europe, South America, Tanzania are some of the places and cultures that have shaped and influenced Mick. Currently, Mick resides in Seattle, WA managing Kaf Adventures and continuing to hold the vision of this ever evolving company. He works tirelessly to continue to provide world-class experiences that provide knowledge and a greater perspective of the great outdoors.
Mick’s true passion is education. He has found a unique passion for educating aspiring instructors and guides in the U.S. You will find him outside helping new leaders gain confidence in their ability to make decisions in complex environments.
When he is not in the field (where he spends over 100 days a year) you can find him creating electronic music and making people dance. Mick has a habit of making those around him smile, and you might just wonder when he sleeps!
Mick is an AMGA certified Rock and Alpine Guide, SPI Program Provider, AMGA Instructor Team Member, LNT Master trainer, a Wilderness First Responder, a certified Level 3 Avalanche graduate, an instructor for the American Institute for Avalanche Research and Education, and speaks Spanish and a little Swahili.
Instructor / Guide
Woody Jacobson grew up in the Seattle area where he was fortunate to partake in backpacking, rafting, skiing, and climbing trips all around the Pacific Northwest with family and friends. He first got into guiding in 2013 while he was studying politics at Whitman College. There, he took an AMGA Climbing Wall Instructor course and began teaching indoor rock climbing courses to fellow students as well as guiding outdoor climbing trips. Woody got involved with Kaf Adventures in 2017 and has since worked his way up from shadowing courses to instructing full time.
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For four years, Woody lived in China most of the year, where he guided outdoor education trips and spent the rest of his time rock climbing, traveling, and studying Mandarin Chinese. However, he couldn’t resist summer in the Pacific Northwest, and he returned home every year for the beautiful weather and Cascadian adventures. Woody is based in Seattle these days, although he hits the road for climbing and skiing trips up and down the West Coast and returns to China every year to guide Kaf Adventures’ crack climbing trip in Liming.
Nature and adventure are two of Woody’s biggest passions, and guiding allows him to share these passions with other intrepid people. He can’t imagine a better office than the beautiful forests and mountains of the Pacific Northwest.
Woody is an AMGA Assistant Rock Guide and Single Pitch Instructor, Wilderness First Responder, and Leave No Trace Trainer.
Instructor / Guide
I’ve been based in the Portland area my whole life. Growing up here, I enjoyed the surrounding wilderness from a very young age. I was lucky to have a very outdoorsy family. I started skiing at the age of three, and it is my true passion in life. Skiing has done a lot for me in life, I even give it credit for opening my mind to all the other activities that I now cherish, such as rock and alpine climbing, as well as mountaineering. You can be sure, if there is snow on the ground I will be skiing.
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I believe in community, and love the chance to help grow while building this outdoor community. It’s given me so much, so it means the world to me to be a part of it. I was 19 when I started leading my friends out on backpacking trips. That set me on a path to guiding as a career. I wanted nothing more in life than to keep learning in the mountains and then to share my knowledge with everyone else. That’s been my slow and steady progression since then. I got my professional start working my way through the AIARE program. From there, I have been actively trying to improve my skills in the mountains to a high standard. I’m happy to say I have found a home at Kaf Adventures and hope to keep growing with Kaf for years to come.

The outdoors is my saving grace. I was a trouble maker growing up with way too much energy. I’m from a small town called Bath Michigan, where we actually had bath tub races. Following high school, I joined the Marine Corps and found myself traveling the world. Some of my hobbies included scuba diving and cycling. I did just over four years in the Marines and had decided I wanted to be a special education school teacher and PE teacher. After the Marines I attended Central Michigan University and earned a bachelor’s of science in education for special education, health education and physical education. During this time I joined The High Adventure Club at CMU and we taught ourselves how to rock climb and ice climb and would take trips to Red River Gorge in Kentucky and Seneca Rocks in West Virginia.
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My wife was accepted to the University of Washington for a prosthetics and orthotics program so we made the easy decision to move out West. At this point climbing and mountaineering was everything to me. While my wife was studying, I was climbing. After finishing my wilderness first responder training, I became a volunteer backpacking guide and instructor for 1-2 week trips with 11-17 year old students. I was hired on after our first trip and then I worked various outdoor education programs summitting Mt. Olympus, Mt Rainier, and rock climbing at Smith Rock.
After spending a few years in Seattle and Portland, we moved to a small mountain town in Colorado where I became a full-time special education teacher. I found myself enjoying the long winters because of the amazing snow. The snowboarding was great and we were surrounded by 14ers to climb and ride. After three years in Colorado, we moved back to Oregon where my wife took a position at Shriner’s Children’s Hospital and I became a snowmobile guide in the winter and a mountaineering guide in the spring and summer on Mt. Hood, thanks Kaf! My favorite sport is whitewater kayaking so when I’m not climbing, I’m in a kayak chasing waterfalls and big rapids. I’ve recently picked up kite surfing and I would really like to paraglide off of Mt. Hood one day. I own and manage a real estate and vacation rental business on the side, and substitute teach in Sandy and Welches.
Instructor / GuideJordan grew up in the suburbs of Chicago, always looking for an escape to adventure. He started his journey in the pursuit of adventure with many trips out to the Pacific Northwest to visit family and enjoy some time hiking and mushroom hunting in the woods. His first foray into exploring the mountains came on a snowboard, first in Bend, OR then to Telluride, CO where he honed his craft of splitboard mountaineering. Over the years his mountain interests have diversified into alpine and rock climbing.
Jordan is currently an AMGA Apprentice Alpine Guide, a certified Wilderness First Responder, and has taken a Pro 1 Avalanche course.

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Cam’s a certified Wilderness First Responder, AMGA Apprentice Rock Guide, and a certified Single Pitch Instructor. While Cam loves technical climbing in the mountains, his favorite climb is likely the most recent climbing adventure he has experienced. Cam loves to climb, and share the joy of climbing with others.
Instructor / Guide
Whether at an open bivy on an alpine ridgeline, a cozy tent in a glacier camp, or a circle of close friends and family around a campfire, outdoor places are where Kevin feels most at home.
Thanks to the love and support of his family, a pre-walking Kevin began his wilderness exploration from on top of Dad’s shoulders, and he quickly developed a nearly precocial ability to sleep on the ground. His self-powered downhill skiing career began at age three, and he had to learn quickly to keep up with his older brother. Grateful for a solid foundation of nature appreciation, Kevin went on to work with large mammals and earn a Wildlife Biology degree from Colorado State University.
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Throughout this pursuit, Kevin also challenged himself with new technical outdoor skills in climbing, backcountry skiing, and mountaineering. He found his purpose encouraging nature preservation and facilitating interpersonal growth and discovery, and believes it best to actualize this by supporting peoples’ outdoor goals.
Beginning on the lakes, rivers, and trails of northern Wisconsin over a decade ago, Kevin leads all varieties of outdoor trips. Some of his latest experiences include working in wilderness therapy at New Vision Wilderness; climbing, mountaineering and skiing in the Cascades; ice climbing in Canmore, BC; backcountry skiing throughout the Selkirks; climbing in Peru and Mexico; and mountaineering in Ecuador.
Kevin now resides in Spokane, WA, and is excited to connect with a new outdoor community in the Inland Northwest while maintaining his Kaf Adventures family.
Kevin is an AMGA Apprentice Alpine & Ski Guide, AMGA Assistant Rock Guide, AMGA Single Pitch Instructor, Wilderness First Responder, AIARE Course Leader, Outdoor Emergency Care Technician, and Leave No Trace Trainer.
Instructor / Guide
Megan is an aspiring mountain guide. Megan is an avid climber and skier, who enjoys balancing her ascents with her descents. She currently is an AMGA Apprentice Rock Guide, Wilderness First Responder, Leave No Trace Trainer and has completed her AIARE 1 Avalanche Education and AIARE Avalanche Rescue Course.

A native of the foothills of the Sierra Nevada Mountains in Northern California. Patrick has called many different states home for a short time, and even lived for a few months in Bahrain and China. He began guiding full time during the summer of 2018 leading rafting, canyoneering, and climbing trips in Moab Utah. Since, Patrick has instructed trad, self rescue, and sport climbing courses, mountaineering and crevasse rescue, alpine and backcountry skiing, as well as guided via ferrata, backpacking, and hiking. He works during the early season as a guide on expeditions up the West Buttress of Denali. Patrick’s favorite part of guiding and teaching is the amazing way that the outdoors brings together people from all over as equals and friends and builds bonds through challenges and adventure.
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As a child and teenager, Patrick spent time backpacking, trail running, mountain biking and nordic skiing. He studied marine biology in college where he learned to surf and SCUBA dive. After finishing school, Patrick spent six years in the US Navy as a diver, picking all sorts of things up that sank, and fixing submarines. The Navy brought Patrick to Washington as his last duty station where Patrick fell in love with rock and alpine climbing and backcountry skiing. Here, the mountains pulled him away from the ocean.
After being honorably discharged Patrick spent the last five years teaching skiing during the winter and guiding full time during the summer. Patrick has worked in Moab Utah, the San Juan Mountains of Colorado, the Cascades, taught downhill skiing in China, and more recently worked in the Alaska Range. After bouncing around the mountain West for a few years, Patrick decided to permanently relocate to the Washington, where plenty of precipitation brings deep snow to ski during the winter and still somehow manages to keep the glaciers from receding too fast to play on during the summer.
When Patrick isn’t guiding or teaching outside, you can find him trail running, backcountry skiing, mountain biking, cooking, reading, or traveling ridiculously long distances to catch a wave or SCUBA dive. He makes ends meet during the off season, doing part time remote work as a legal assistant for an immigration law practice. Patrick is an assistant rock guide, apprentice alpine and ski guide, single pitch instructor, and a PSIA certified ski instructor.
Instructor / Guide
Denis grew up in Southern California with seemingly limitless access to all the outdoor activities the Santa Monica mountains and California coast had to offer. Childhood trips with family frequented the Sierra range for winter and summer adventures. Denis started climbing in the mid-90s while still living in California, initially drawn to long winter snow routes and summer alpine rock scrambles, and quickly developed a passion for technical rock and ice climbing and ski mountaineering across the western United States. Among Denis’ favorite outings are the Pacific Northwest volcanos, which to date includes well over 100 summits of Mt Hood, water ice across Colorado and Montana and big summer rock adventures in the Cascades and Sierras mountain ranges.
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Denis’ passion for the outdoors is palpable. He loves sharing knowledge and experiences with others in the outdoor community, and has immense gratitude to the countless climbers who have taught and mentored him over the years. He has racked up his own long history of mentorship and volunteer climbing instruction, and has found guiding to be an incredibly rewarding way to create connection with and within the mountains. Denis is a certified Wilderness First Responder and AMGA Single Pitch Instructor, and is currently pursuing an aggressive agenda of AMGA certifications across the rock, alpine, ice and ski mountaineering disciplines.
When not climbing and guiding, Denis is part of a small team that develops search and rescue technology – predominantly for the ski industry. Denis has two sons, both of whom now out-ski him, and he looks forward to the day they’ll be able to invite him along on their own climbing adventures.
Instructor / Guide
Brenda is committed to facilitating outdoor experiences that enrich her clients’ lives. Whether she’s teaching an avalanche course or guiding climbers to the summit of Mt Baker, Brenda aims to create experiences that promote individual growth and connection to ourselves, others, and our natural spaces. As a person who came to outdoor activities as a young adult, Brenda knows what it’s like to be new to and transformed by the outdoors, and she takes pride in fostering that curiosity and possibility in others.
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Brenda is an AIARE course leader and an AMGA certified single pitch instructor. She is an AMGA apprentice ski and alpine guide, and is pursuing AMGA ski certification. She has over 100 summits of Mt Rainier, three trips to Denali, and summited Mt Everest via the south side in 2006. She has a Masters in Sustainable Business (MBA) from Pinchot University, and a certificate in Diversity and Inclusion from Cornell. She’s a parent, a small business owner, and, at best, a mediocre cook. She draws from all of these life experiences to design fulfilling experiences for her guests—except for the cooking.
Instructor / Guide
Evan Stone was in graduate school back home in Madison, Wisconsin when COVID hit. He decided it was the perfect time to leave school, sell everything he owned except his climbing gear and snowboards and move into a van with his dog, Laila. For the past three years, he has chased climbing, split boarding and ski mountaineering with a passion and is now pursuing a career in the guiding industry. Evan insists that ski season actually lasts all summer, and, in his free time, you can often find him climbing and split boarding on Mt. Hood and other Pacific Northwest volcanoes. When he isn’t out extending the ski season, he loves to hike with his dog, surf on the Oregon coast and spend time with his friends and family.
Instructor / Guide
Despite growing up in the flat suburbs of Chicago, John gained a love for wild places early in his life. After earning a degree in Wilderness Leadership from Prescott College, John began turning that love into a career. He has worked throughout the country, and internationally, guiding rock climbing, ice climbing, skiing and avalanche courses, sea kayaking, hiking, and even a few biking trips. He has spent much of this time teaching adventurous sports to high school and college aged students.
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As an instructor with Kaf, John strives to get to know each student so he can provide unique learning opportunities and have the adventure meet the students where they are. John also serves as the Portland Program Director for the Northwest School of Survival and manages the partnership between NWSOS and Kaf, as well as managing all of the Mt Hood programs.
Instructor / Guide
Michael developed a love for the outdoors hunting and fishing as a youth on the East Coast. During university he got into backpacking with friends exploring the Appalachian Trail. After university, while working in the investment industry Michael developed a deep love for climbing at the Philadelphia Rock Gym that made a huge impact on his life. He moved to the PNW and began working as an outdoor educator and guide. For the past 8 years, Michael has worked with groups from youth to adults in various course types. He has experience with backpacking, rock climbing, mountaineering, and snowsports. His favorite part about guiding and outdoor education is being able to witness and support people along their journey to accomplish their goals and dreams.
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Michael is actively pursuing his AMGA guide certifications and is most recently stoked on ice climbing. He currently resides in Wyoming and enjoys the Rockies however happily travels to both coasts whenever to pursue adventure.
Besides outdoor pursuits & adventures, Michael enjoys cooking with friends, listening to records, gardening and road tripping in his Chevy Astro van. If he is not in the mountains, he is trying to get to the ocean to catch some waves.
Michael is currently a Wilderness EMT, AMGA Apprentice Alpine Guide, LNT Master Educator, NOLS field instructor, PSIA certified ski instructor, volunteer Search and Rescue for Fremont County, and has avalanche level 1 and rescue course education.
Instructor / Guide
Matt is a well-rounded climber and guide. He works year around in the rock, alpine, and ski disciplines and has guided in Washington, Oregon, Colorado, Utah, Nevada, California, Mexico, and Canada. He has also climbed in just about every state that has rocks to climb. Matt is as passionate about nutrition as he is about mountains. He cares deeply about the indigenous knowledge of the plants in the areas in which we recreate and is working towards a M.S. degree in Dietetics.
When Matt isn’t guiding, you can find him foraging, cooking, fly fishing, or developing climbing routes.
Instructor / Guide
A born and raised Seattleite, my first climb in the Cascades was done at the age of 13 on an Outward Bound Course. I rediscovered climbing in my mid-twenties, and soon left work as a designer in the tech industry to climb up and down the west coast. Outdoor education has changed my life drastically, and my greatest joy is sharing that passion with others.
When I am not guiding you’ll often find me climbing long slab routes in Darrington, developing climbs in the Cascades, and rebolting as a volunteer for the WARP in Washington and the ASCA in Joshua Tree.

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Ryder is a Certified Rock Guide with the American Mountain Guides Association, holds a Wilderness First Responder Certification, and has earned his AIARE Level 1 in avalanche safety.He currently splits his time between Liming, Yunnan Province, China and Seattle, Washington.
Instructor / Guide
Tara’s childhood years spent exploring the tide pools and sandstone cliffs of San Diego imbued her with a deep love of the natural world that she carries with her still. She pursued her love of nature through a Bachelor’s degree in Oceanography from the United States Naval Academy and a Master’s degree in Parks, Recreation and Conservation from Clemson University. After college she spent several years in the United States Navy, living on a ship and traveling out to sea for months at a time. Each time she returned from sea and set foot on dry land, she would always head straight into the mountains. On one of these adventures, she made her first trip to the Sierra and has been spellbound by granite peaks, alpine lakes and pine forests ever since. After her commitment to the military ended in 2015, she began her career as an educator and wilderness guide.
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Although Tara’s initial pull towards working in the outdoors was motivated by her love of the natural world, she has fallen even more deeply in love with the work because of the endless opportunities it affords us to build connections, gain a deeper sense of self, and cultivate compassion. Tara has worked both in instructional and supervisory roles in outdoor education, teaching backpacking, rock climbing and mountaineering to people of all ages.
Tara is certified as a Wilderness First Responder, an AMGA Apprentice Rock Guide and Single Pitch Instructor and an AIARE 1. She is also a yoga instructor.
Instructor / Guide
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Kelly has been working full time in the guiding and outdoor education industry since the 05/06 winter season. Current and former employers include Utah Mountain Adventures, White Pine Touring, NOLS, and Westminster College, among others. In 2012, Kelly finished his M.S. in Outdoor Education at the University of Utah. Kelly has worked as a Course Leader for several AIARE avalanche education providers, and he joined the AIARE Instructor Trainer team in 2019. After moving to Oregon, he began teaching AIARE courses on Mt. Hood for Kaf Adventures.
Despite all the time in the mountains, however, the true pleasures in his life are his partner Kat and son Zander.
Instructor / Guide
Joe has been bouldering and single-pitch climbing in the mid-west since the mid-nineties. In 2015 Joe hired Kaf Adventures (Mick Pearson) to take him out multi-pitch trad climbing at Index, WA. The experience was empowering and eye opening. What had seemed impossible-adventuring up big vertical faces-became possible.
Since climbing with Mick, Joe immersed himself into trad climbing. Seeking out and climbing adventurous routes became more than recreation, it became his passion. Joe has climbed many of the classics at iconic crags in North America (e.g., The Bugaboos, Squamish, Yosemite, RMNP, Eldorado Canyon, Joshua Tree, Red Rocks, The Gunks, El Potrero Chico, etc.).
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Joe finds guiding rewarding and meaningful because it affords him the opportunity to share an impactful and potentially transformative experience with others. Joe’s favorite route so far is the Beckey-Chouinard route in the Bugaboos. It was a truly memorable adventure. In 2018 Joe complete the AMGA Rock Guide Course and has been guiding since.
When not guiding, Joe builds custom camper vans for Quality Adventure LLC, which is a small business he founded in 2017. Quality Adventures. Joe also continues to work part time as a patent attorney for Merchant and Gould, an IP law firm based in Minneapolis. https://www.merchantgould.com/Professionals/Joseph-E-Lee
When not climbing or working, Joe spends time with this wife and two Portuguese water dogs. They ski, sail, and paddle together.
Joe is an AMGA Apprentice Rock Guide and NOLS Wilderness First Responder.
Instructor / Guide
Rob grew up in Colorado, playing soccer, rock climbing, and skiing — back when the lift tickets were cheap and the traffic was manageable.
He guides throughout Europe and North America, and recently moved to the Pacific Northwest with his family. He loves introducing people to the mountains, with no attitude and plenty of laughs. The author of three books and hundreds of magazine articles, he especially enjoys instructional guiding with motivated guests.
New to the team, Rob has been enjoying learning new routes and places to ski from his capable colleagues here at Kaf Adventures.
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New to the team, Rob has been enjoying learning new routes and places to ski from his capable colleagues here at Kaf Adventures.
Instructor / Guide
I’ve attempted the NIAD – climbing The Nose of El Capitan in Yosemite Valley sub 24 hours – and both times my climbing partner and I came in at 26 hours! Although we didn’t attain the goal of sub 24 hours we were pleased with our attempt.
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When I am not climbing and instructing, I volunteer with Climbers for Christ by organizing and serving meals, coffee etc at climbing festivals around the US.
I’m a sponsor and help organize events such as showing Reel Rock films and bringing guest speakers to the Tri-Cities – I co-launched this, we’ve had approximately 1600 attend the events over the past 11 years. The partnership / sponsors have grown to include our local REI, Inter-Mountain Alpine Club, Local climbing gyms and Subaru dealership.
When I am not guiding, I enjoy ice climbing, rock climbing for personal development and enjoyment. And making homemade pizzas in my wood-fired pizza oven to share with family and friends!
Instructor / Guide
Berndt is passionate about outdoor instruction and risk management. In addition to 15 years as a career firefighter/EMT, Berndt has a strong instructional background from community and technical colleges in telecommunications and mountain rescue subjects. He brings his instructional and communication skills to the rock and snow world with Kaf, where he has worked since April of 2016.Berndt is an Apprentice Rock and Alpine Guide with the American Mountain Guides Association.
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When Berndt isn’t working at the fire station or participating in Kaf experiences, he can be found skiing, climbing, or hiking throughout the Northwest. He also spends a lot of time walking his two black labs at Point Defiance Park in Tacoma, WA.
Outdoor guiding and instruction allows Berndt to share the activities he is passionate about while having fun and meeting new people. His favorite Northwest climbing area is Washington Pass/Mazama. He also enjoys skiing wherever the snow is fluffy, or at least present.
His favorite trips have been hut-based Via Feratta tours in the Dolomites and week long ski hut tours in the Fairy Meadows of British Columbia. Some of Berndt’s future planned trips include rock climbing in Potrero Chico in Mexico and a ski hut tour in Silvretta Alps of Austria.
Berndt is an AMGA Single Pitch Instructor, Wilderness First Responder, and Leave No Trace Trainer.

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She writes and presents on equity in the outdoors as it pertains to risk management, and was also the Lead Guide and a feature narrative in “Who’s On Top? LGBTQs Climb Mount Hood,” a documentary which premiered Spring 2021. Taylor is a wilderness medicine instructor, a Wilderness First Responder, Leave No Trace Master Educator, and Avalanche Level 1.
Instructor / Guide
I was born in Chongqing, China. There was no rock climbing at all where I grew up, but I climbed every tree and wall on the campus where my parents worked at and where I lived for first 15 years of my life. Outdoor activities were always part of life living at the edge of the city. Three years of studying in France introduced me to a different outdoor terrain, where I quickly began backpacking, hiking and snowboarding in the Alps. It was there I realized, I am happiest in the mountains.
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As a young adult, I joined one of the first rock gyms to open in China. Even though the city boasts a population in excess of 30 million people, there are less than 100 dedicated climbers there. Slowly I became a part of the climbing community, fell in love with climbing outdoors, then began as a part-time climbing instructor. I also started writing about my experiences, in magazines and online, to share what I’ve learned about climbing and help others get their start in climbing.
I have climbed in China, Thailand and at iconic crags in US like Washington Pass, Red Rocks, Red River Gorge, Rumney, Adirondacks, Joshua Tree, The Gunks, Yosemite, High Sierra, and Smith Rock. I always want to level-up, to climb higher grades and touch more remote gorgeous big walls, but also to more effectively share climbing and introduce others to this wonderful world.
Instructor / Guide
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When not climbing, he is mountain biking with his son, running ultra-marathons, and consuming massive quantities of ice cream to compensate for the calorie deficit. He is also a pretty good home cook who specializes in breads. Although he never thought he would become a cat person, Jonathan has a developed an unshakable bond with a scrawny orange cat named Phil which he rescued from the humane society. Phil climbs too, but mostly in search of a nap spot high up on the couch.Jonathan is certified as an Apprentice Rock Guide with the AMGA, a Wilderness First Responder, and an AIARE Level 1 in avalanche safety.
Instructor / Guide
Zack started his guiding career working as a rock climbing instructor and guide in 2014 while completing his university degree. He studied Forest Sciences with a focus on Snow and Avalanche Forecasting at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, BC. During his degree, he worked as a tail guide and avalanche instructor for numerous Canadian ski-guiding operations, and spent his summers as an alpine and rock guide in the Sierras, SE USA, among other locations. During his degree, Zack did an undergraduate research project looking at the effects of vegetation on snowpack instability, which he ultimately presented at the 2018 International Snow Science Workshop.
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Climbing and guiding has taken Zack to all areas of the world, including: the French and Austrian Alps, New Zealand, northern Canada, Mexico, and numerous regions in western Canada and the USA. Zack is in the process of completing his full IFMGA mountain guide certification through the AMGA, and ultimately aims to balance guiding with research in avalanche forecasting.
Zack’s favorite activity in the mountains is split-boarding big lines on big peaks and working to find the best conditions to do this in; though he enjoys any aspect of mountain travel and especially connecting others to the beauty and lessons that the mountains have to offer.

Ellie grew up in Sandpoint, Idaho where she spent her time snowboarding at her local hill, Schweitzer Mountain, adventuring around the hills behind her house, and playing soccer. Though she spent her time outside as a kid, her family was not very outdoorsy. She didn’t really get involved with the outdoor industry until after college.
Ellie first dipped her toes into the guiding world as a raft guide on the Snake and Salmon Rivers and she soon fell in love being on the rivers everyday and showing people life outside their doorstep.
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In the summer Ellie works for Breakwater Expeditions helping to guide backpacking trips in Yellowstone National Park, sea kayaking expeditions in Alaska, river trips on the Missouri, and various other locations. She also runs yoga & backpacking trips at Kaf Adventures. In the winter she works as a Cat skiing guide for Selkirk Powder Guides.
Her passion and love for the outdoors allows her to continuously play outside for a living and to keep providing people with the opportunities to get into nature and explore. Outside of guiding Ellie resides in her hometown, where she enjoys spending time with her pup, mountain biking, hiking, backcountry snowboarding, and dabbling in herbal medicine.
Ellie is a certified Wilderness First Responder, IOLGB Level 1 Ski Guide, AAIRE level 1 and 2, and swift water rescue.
Africa Guide
Wilfred was born at the base of Mt. Kilimanjaro in the town of Moshi, Tanzania. The challenges of summiting Mt. Kilimanjaro have inspired him his whole life. He has guided many groups to the top of Mt. Kilimanjaro, but his life dream had been to climb Mt. Everest, considered by many to be the most difficult and harshest mountain in the world. He achieved this goal in 2012.
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Wilfred received training from Kilimanjaro Tanzania National Park, (KINAPA), and is a certified KINAPA guide and Wilderness First Responder. As a highly committed, professional mountain trekker, in 2012 Wilfred was qualified to become part of a Mt. Everest expedition team. He was one of the few Africans at Everest basecamp and on May 19th he became the first Tanzanian to summit the world’s highest mountain, Mt. Everest (29,0028ft). On 26 August 2014, Wilfred continued his pursuit of climbing the worlds highest peaks and summited the highest mountain in Europe, Mt Elbrus. He plans to complete the 7 summits.
Wilfred and his family of two children are part of the Chagga tribe. They live in the town of Moshi where he grew up.
Administrative Team
The Dreamer
The Dreamer is the first half of the Kaf mantra.
Mick is constantly dreaming of the next creative methodology of how to help individuals achieve their outdoor goals & he is tirelessly fueling the dreams that students and Kaf instructors bring to him.
Read his full bio in the Instructor/Guide section, above.
The Do-er
The Do-er is the second half of the Kaf mantra.
Kevin turns the buttons behind the scenes by “doing” the operational and administrative tasks to turn conceptual dreams into cognitive realities.
Read his full bio in the Instructor/Guide section, above.
The Actualizer
The Actualizer is a nod to the meaning of Kaf & the “Power to Actualize Potential.”
Amber is the grounding force for the Dreamer & the Do-er. She supports guests, students and the Kaf team alike to actualize their potential.
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Despite being born a flatlander, Amber has managed to develop a deep passion for mountain adventure. She was introduced to the guide industry in her youth through trips to the Boundary Waters Canoe Area in northern Minnesota. Those formative experiences led her to pursue a degree in Outdoor Recreation, and begin what would become a nine year sea kayak guide career. Although she loves identifying echinoderms and eating seaweed, she left her work in the sea to pursue work in the mountains. An avid backcountry adventurer, Amber can often be found pulling hard on granite, tip-toeing up a skin track, or meandering along alpine routes. She deeply appreciates every moment spent in the mountains, but is most at home giggling her way up multi-pitch and big wall climbs. Some of her favorites include, The Grand Wall in Squamish BC, and Triple Direct on El Cap.
Amber aims to fill her life with moments of awe, gratitude, and whimsy. When Amber isn’t chasing mountain goals, you can find her pursuing creative ones at home in Bellingham, WA where she routesets at the local boulder gym. Amber also has a knack for costuming and thrives at themed dance parties. Her other hobbies include biking, yoga, practicing sustainable living, thrifting, and finding the perfect oat milk latte wherever she goes. Her keen eye for detail and love of organization keep her calm in the field and dialed on the phones (pun intended). She’s stoked to help you actualize and achieve your goals for your next mountain adventure!