Female Guides Requested Szu-ting Yi

Show Notes:
Related resources:
AMGA Single Pitch Instructor PageSpencer Huffman’s Instagram @shuffrocksSzu-ting Yi (Ting Ting)’s Instagram @szutingyiSPI handbook (2024)EP 20 – Everything SPI 01 – Professionalism and Risk ManagementEpisode Intro:
Dear listeners of the Female Guides Requested Podcast, happy Wednesday. This is your host Ting Ting, and I’m still in my home country Taiwan. Today my dear friend and colleague Spencer Huffman returned for the Everything SPI series. We tried our best to extract and organize important nuggets from our past experiences to help single pitch instructors and whoever wants to enter the field of guiding. In this episode, we focus on Site Selection and Group Management. If you would like to check out our first episode of the series, please visit episode 20 in which we talked about Professionalism and Risk Management.
Both Spencer and I are AMGA certified Rock Guides and SPI Providers. We co-taught an SPI course back in October 2023 and found that our teaching style was quite compatible and complimentary. Therefore, we decided to do this podcast series, Everything SPI, to create supplemental material related to the SPI programs.
Spencer and I both have deep roots in climbing education. We have over 20 years of field instructing experience and are confident that we can provide valuable insights. We also recognize that the field of climbing instruction is dynamic and we can’t possibly know everything. So, if you have any questions, feedback, please reach out to help us improve. Now please enjoy the second episode of Everything SPI with Spencer and Ting Ting.
Things We Talked about:
How to plan the dayHow to actually run a climbing dayClient ScreeningCourse designCase StudyUnderstand the sitesUnderstand your clients – deliver a compelling experienceTime ManagementGroup Management… and more

Show Notes:
Margaret’s links:
Instagram https://www.instagram.com/margaret_wheeler/Meet Margaret Wheeler (AMGA video)Among Mountain Guides, This Woman Is a Rarity – Ski MagWhy IFMGA-certified guide Margaret Wheeler believes that variety makes a difference in the mountains (backcountrymagazine.com)The Ultimate Guide | Dartmouth Alumni MagazineEpisode Intro:
Dear listeners of the Female Guides Requested Podcast. Happy Wednesday. This is your host Ting Ting delivering this wonderful new episode from my home country Taiwan. I am very excited about today’s guest, Margaret Wheeler. I still remember how amazed I was years ago, seeing her, very pregnant, teaching technical skills in an AMGA video. After I started this podcast I kept getting requests to have her on the show. I was fortunate to finally steal a couple hours from her busy life!

In the guiding world, Margaret needs little introduction. She is the second U.S. woman to earn the IFMGA mountain guide title. She is an instructor of guide training for the AMGA and serves on its board of directors and as president of the organization. She is involved in avalanche education through her work as an AIARE (American Institute for Avalanche Research and Education) instructor and trainer. Right now Margaret and her husband Matt Farmer split their time between the Wood River Valley Idaho and Europe.

Margaret is a wonderful story teller and her life never has a dull moment. She started chasing her brothers around the ski slopes of New England which led to a stint ski bumming in Chamonix France right after college. She bounced back and forth between the so-called real life and wild adventures and eventually found her happy true identity in mountain guiding. She also shared so much wisdom and philosophy about guiding from years of experience and her analytical approach to problem solving. She provided a viewpoint on guiding as a career, her expectations towards guide education and how the guiding community can help each other navigate through various challenges. Margaret talked specifically about how to make guiding a sustainable career and how to balance that with having a family

Time flew by quickly and I didn’t even get to ask all of my questions. I hope I will soon have a chance to do another follow up interview with her. Listeners please enjoy this fantastic episode and let me know what other questions you might want to ask Margaret next time!

Show Notes:
Julie Ann’s links:
Instagram @groundingtruthGrounding Truth Website: groundingtruth.comJulie Ann is a member of the RAD team with Traverse Equipment https://www.traverseequipment.com/julieannholderPersonal Instagram @julieann.holderEpisode Intro:
Dear listeners of the Female Guides Requested Podcast. Happy Wednesday. This is your host Ting Ting from Las Vegas. Today our guest is Julie Ann Holder. She was highly recommended by a listener and fellow guide Ian. I was so glad to connect with her and had a wonderful conversation with her.
Julie Ann ‘Julz’ is a Backcountry Mentor, Ski Guide, and Avalanche Educator living in Bellingham, Washington. Two winters ago, she launched Grounding Truth Holistic Guiding: a process-oriented, women-focused, grassroots ski guiding business. As a guide, Julz embodies an attitude of curiosity, wonder, and reverence in wild places. She is dedicated to creating inclusive spaces within outdoor adventures that evoke feelings of radical acceptance and help cultivate more deeply felt experiences.
Julie Ann is truly special. Her love towards snow country and skiing is contagious and her dedication to Grounding Truth is admirable. I don’t consider myself that much of a winter person, but I was curious about why she loved it so much, so I asked her to describe winter for me. I was speechless and when I listened to her words again, I couldn’t help but close my eyes in order to feel the intense beauty. I typically listen to podcasts when I am driving. If you’re like me, please don’t close your eyes when you listen to this episode.
Things We Talked about:
From Georgia rock to Washington snowLearn how to ski as an adultLearn to ski and teach ski at the same timeMyth: Easy to learn hard to master?Benefits of learning a sport later in their livesHow does Julie Ann start guiding?Big Sky MT where everything startedResort skiing versus backcountry skiingTrial and ErrorsAvalanche awareness / how to make decisions -> takes timeAs a guide, thinking about sustainability about a guide’s bodyGrounding Truth founded in 2021Light bulb moments triggering Julie Ann to start her mentorship program?Use modern powerful tools but also use senses to feel the surroundings to make decisionsNeed to see it in actions before loading more information on the plateIntentionally let the course run in an organic wayReciprocal relationship with the placesSince the inception of Grounding Truth, what kind of adjustments did Julie Ann did?What were the keepers since the beginning of Grounding Truth?The beauty of winterVision for the Grounding Truth program?

Episode Intro:

Dear listeners of the Female Guides Requested Podcast, happy Wednesday. I'm your host Ting Ting from sunny and soon to be hot Las Vegas. Today our guest is another Vegas local, Irene Yee. The famed ladylockoff on Instagram.

Irene is a professional west coast based rock climbing and adventure photographer. She started rock climbing out of pure joy, picked up a camera soon after, and continues that journey on her instagram @ladylockoff. Her focus is to uplift women, BIPOC, and the LGBTQIA2S+ communities; choosing to highlight those pushing their own personal limits and finding inspiration in those with passion over muscle. She is internationally published, a @natgeoadventure contributor, and works with today's largest outdoor brands and non-profits.

I had so much joy chatting with Irene in her house. We talked about how she transformed herself from a shy figure, hidden in dark clothes, to a bold, assertive, yet inclusive personality. I learned how she first took photos as a hobby and then slowly but surely turned creative photography into her profession when she identified the community needed her visual work. After we covered the serious topics, we had a fun time sharing about what else there is to do in Vegas besides climbing! That's right, Vegas has more to offer. Now let's have fun with Irene Yee. The Lady Lockoff.

Irene's Links:

Website: www.ladylockoff.com
Social Media: @ladylockoff https://www.instagram.com/ladylockoff

Allie's links:
Instagram: @tahoeallie
Website: www.allieace.wordpress.com

Episode Intro:
Dear listeners of the Female Guides Requested Podcast, happy Wednesday. This is your host Ting Ting from Las Vegas. Our guest today is Allie Ace. We met in an SPI course. She told me that she had been an active listener of the show and resonated deeply with a few prior guests, especially Mia Tucholke. She mentioned that she had a very positive experience with her AMGA courses and wanted to encourage other aspirant female guides not to be afraid to take the first steps to become a guide.

Originally from the east coast, Allie learned to ski in the Poconos at the age of 3. In 2010, she moved to Tahoe to pursue bigger mountains and a full time career in the ski industry. She has traveled all over the country and the world to teach skiing and coach ski racing. Allie is a USSS Level 400 Alpine Coach, Coach Developer and Alpine Official, has her PSIA Alpine Level 3, Children’s Specialist 2, Freestyle Specialist 1, Resort & Divisional Trainer, and Snowboard Level 1. With her eye on steeper and deeper lines, Allie started backcountry guiding in 2020. She is an AIARE Course Instructor, has her Pro 1, and is an AMGA Apprentice Ski & Alpine Guide. Allie currently lives in Truckee, CA, works for Alpenglow Expeditions, NASTC and is the lead alpine trainer at Sugar Bowl Resort. She is working towards her avy Pro 2 and the PSIA National Team this season. When not skiing, Allie enjoys whitewater rafting, kayaking, rock climbing and yoga.

Allie is very passionate about continuing education and training. She is serious about being outstanding in her job and equipping her clients and students with current and relevant knowledge. I learned so much from her. We found there are many analogies between the ski and rock disciplines. Without further ado, let's dive in this episode with Allie Ace.

What We Talked About:

What We Talked About
From PA to CA
Taught ski racing and coaching in resorts
Headed to AK and got into backcountry skiing
How long did it take Allie to make the shift from resorts to mountains?
Allie used to have a dream to heli ski but when she skied in the mountains in AK, she realized she didn't need a helicopter
Allie had a great schedule when she was in AK, which allowed her to ski much on her own in the mountains
Moved back to Tahoe but the pandemic shut down resorts
Due to the pandemic the demand for guides for backcountry skiing increased dramatically
Would love to transition the ski racing kids to backcountry skiing
Think it's really cool to equip those kids with good decision making ability in the mountains
What are the steps Allie took to feel comfortable guiding in the backcountry?
Had great mentors in AK
Took AIARE and AMGA courses, did in house training and shadowed many trips and courses
Certification in ski industry?
Recreational track and pro track
How and why did Allie start her AMGA journey?
Allie had a very positive experience with the AMGA
What's next on Allie's plate?
How long is Allie's guiding season?
What do people do off-season?
Via Ferrata in Tahoe area
Proudest moment
One big take away?

Episodes Intro:

Dear listeners of the Female Guides Requested Podcast, happy Wednesday. I'm your host Ting Ting from sunny Las Vegas. Today I'm presenting you another episode of the Guides' Beta series with our guest Mary Brown.
 
Mary Brown has worked as a guide manager at Alpine Ascents for almost 10 years. A guide manager is often the interface between guide services and their guides, and serves as a bridge between clients and guides. As a guide, I certainly appreciate how a competent and caring guide manager makes my life easier.
 
However what exactly does a guide manager do? In today's episode we dive deep into Mary's role in Alpine Ascents to learn about her job description and duties. Since she has been in the industry for almost a decade, I was curious about what major trends Mary had observed. She pointed to climate change and a more diverse clientele as two areas that have impacted the way guide services operate. She described how guide services, for example, Alpine Ascents, had responded to the changes.
 
We also spent quite some time talking about the awesome initiative, BIPOC Guide Development program, Alpine Ascents piloted in summer 2023. According to Mary the motivation of the program was to provide climbers of color an onramp to professional guiding and help the aspirant guides build their professional network. Mary provided strong reasons to justify the cost to Alpine Ascents. Hopefully other guide services will follow suit.
 
I hope this episode help unveil the road map to becoming a guide. Now, give it a listen!

What We Talked About:

Intro
What do you do?How did you start and how long have you been in this position?Almost 10 years - what did you learn from the industry? How have you improved? Other than daily operation what's your big picture? Things you wish you've done better? Things that you're proud of? 
Relationships with guides
Recruit? How's the turn over rate? How many new guides does Alpine Ascents recruit each yearOnboardingSchedulingCriteria?Seniority?Guide and clients match?Instructor team dynamicsLyra's story (female guide team) but work with majority male clients (atypical?)What kind of impacts do you think a guide manager can impact guidesCompared to traditional sense of Human Resources deptYou mentioned that Alpine Ascents guides have low turnover rate; however they do transition from full time to more diversified job ( you mentioned about longevity) what other jobs do you see guides transition to? How come full time guide is hard in what aspect?Do guides need to be proactive in order to get work? Do you have a feedback system? Are guides generally satisfied with what they are assigned? Or do they fight over work?How do you see your relationship with guides? Pure professional? Some personal?What's fair? And do you think you have blind spots or biases? 
DEI initiatives
 
How did you all start?Describe the program the selection process and are graduates required to work? Will they be staffed working with non-bipoc clientsWhy? Is it a good thing? Business also needs to look at growth and profit, how does Alpine Ascents justify the initial cost and investment?Leadership as a big guide service?How did it go for the first year?Any direction change for the second year?