Meet Our Guides

Aaron Ball

Aaron is SJMG’s Avalanche Course Program Director. He is an American Institute for Avalanche Research and Education Level One & Two course leader, and AIARE Instructor Trainer. Aaron is also a Wilderness Medicine Training Center senior instructor, and regularly teaches WFR & WFR Recert Courses in the San Juan area.

With over 15 years of experience in the outdoor industry, Aaron has worked as a whitewater river guide on rivers in California, Oregon, Utah, and Colorado; has served as a rock, river, and mountaineering instructor, course director and staff trainer for Outward Bound; has ski patrolled at Mammoth Mountain Ski Area; has guided rock climbing and backcountry skiing for Southwest Adventure Guides/San Juan Mountain Guides; and has taught as an adjunct faculty member for the adventure education programs at San Juan College and Fort Lewis College. He currently lives in the mountains outside of Durango, Colorado, with his family and is always out exploring the wonders of the area.

Alan Oram

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Alan is the SJMG Medical Advisor. His varied background makes him one of the most unique individuals in the guiding industry, as he is both an AMGA/IFMGA Guide and a Doctor. As a board licensed Physician, Alan typically works in Emergency Medicine and has expanded his practice to consult guide services throughout the US in best practices for patient care in a wilderness setting. As a guide, Alan is a talented skier and climber and enjoys working with guests of all backgrounds in the San Juans, Tetons, Norway, and Europe.

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Andrea Iuppenlatz

Andrea Iuppenlatz manages SJMG’s Social Media Marketing platforms. She is also the Business Manager for the Red Mountain Alpine Lodge. Formerly she worked in Marketing for National Geographic Adventure

Clint Cook

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Clint has been guiding professionally since 1999, and moved to Ouray in 2001. Clint is one of a few Americans to be internationally licensed as a UIAGM/IFMGA Certified Mountain Guide, and AMGA Certified Rock, Alpine, and Ski Mountaineering Guide. Clint has a B.S. in Natural Resources Recreation and Tourism from Colorado State University. Clint is also a former owner of SJMG.

HIGHLIGHTS

• Started guiding in 1999
• Started with SJMG in 2002
• Education: BS in Natural Resources from  from CSU
• Certifications: IFMGA/AMGA, WFR, CPR, Level 3 Avy

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Dale Remsberg

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Dale is an Internationally Licensed Mountain Guide (IFMGA) and Technical Director of the American Mountain Guides Association (AMGA). Never one to focus on a single aspect of climbing, he is an accomplished all around climber with high-end skills that cover all disciplines of climbing including; sport, trad, mixed, ice and alpine. His passion depends on the season, feeling equally happy on WI6, M8 or 5.12.

Whether climbing in Switzerland, his local crags in Eldorado Canyon, seeking perfect untracked powder around the world, or mastering techniques for classic ice routes in the Canadian Rockies, Dale loves helping both new and experienced climbers and skiers achieve their goals. Dale’s quiet determination and love of the mountains will generally ensure success with a smile on his face.

HIGHLIGHTS

• Started guiding in: 1993
• Started with SJMG in: 2011
• Education: AMGA Mountain Guide Program, Class of 2006
• Certifications: AMGA Certified Rock, Ski, & Alpine Guide, WFR, CPR, Level 3 Avy
• Countries you have climbed in outside the US: Canada, Mexico, Ecuador, Peru, Spain, Italy, France, Switzerland
• Favorite climb in Ouray: The one I’m currently on. If I had to choose one it would be Ames Ice Hose
• Best thing after climbing: Seeing my dog light up!

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Elías de Andrés-Martos

Elias des Andres Martos grew up in Segovia (Spain) at the foothills of the Sierra Guadarrama, where he began going to the mountains at the age of 8. After his college years, he pursued formal mountaineering and climbing instruction with the Spanish Mountaineering Federation, a task that he continues today with the AMGA in the USA. In 2004 he arrived in Colorado, where he matured as a climber, making the Rockies his playground, having ascended over 100 peaks above 4000 meters.

Currently, he lives in Ouray, Colorado, where besides ice climbing, he also volunteers in the Search & Rescue group. Elías has climbed in North and South America as well as in Europe. He enjoys sharing climbing time with people on snow, ice or rock, but prefers them all combined in an attractive alpine route. Elias for sure loves to share his favorite sight ever, that of the Patagonian Ice Shelf, the 3rd largest continental ice cap in the world where he will for sure try to encourage you to go!

Jake Beren

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Jake Beren guides in Ouray and the San Juan Mountains primarily in the winter months. He is a talented skier and ice climber and also recently become a fully licensed AMGA/IFMGA Mountain Guide.

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Jason Burleson

Jason Burleson is a new addition to the SJMG team. He excels at the sport of ice climbing and enjoys leading programs in the Ouray Ice Park and surrounding Ouray backcountry.

Jeff Dobronyi

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An east coast native, Jeff came to the San Juan Mountains after ski patrolling the slopes of Vermont. He now spends the winters and summers in southwest Colorado, guiding climbers on alpine peaks and teaching avalanche safety courses, ice climbing, and rock climbing.

Each spring he heads north to Alaska to guide on Denali. Jeff has climbed and skied all over the country, with highlights including ski descents of Mt. Rainier, Mt. Sneffels, the Spearhead Traverse in Whister, B.C., and rock climbing in the Tetons, Sierra, and North Cascades. 

Jeff is an AMGA Certified Ski Guide and Single Pitch Instructor.

HIGHLIGHTS

• Started guiding in 2011
• Started with SJMG in 2014
• Education: BA Philosophy, Middlebury College
• Certs: Wilderness EMT, Avy 3, AMGA certified single pitch instructor
• Countries you have climbed in outside the US: Canada
• Favorite climb in Ouray: Snake Couloir
• Best thing after climbing: Sharpening the tools for more

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Jim Turner

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Jim Turner works as a mountain guide in Ouray, Colorado and Moab, Utah.  He has climbed in the Central Alaska Range, the Canadian Rockies, Peru’s Cordillera Blanca, Argentine and Chilean Patagonia and extensively around the Colorado Plateau, including at least 30 different routes in the Black Canyon of the Gunnison and an equal amount of desert towers.  His climbing career highlights include summiting Fitz Roy in Argentina by two different routes and putting up new routes in Patagonia, the Central Alaska Range and in the desert Southwest.

Jim has a degree in Environmental Science from the University of New England and worked in education for many years.  He combines his enthusiasm for climbing and his background as an educator to provide excellent instruction to both novice and experienced climbers of all ages and abilities in every climbing discipline.

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Katie Beringer

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Katie is an avid climber, skier, and runner. She is passionate about sharing the outdoors, especially rock climbing, with others. She has been providing opportunities for women to experience outdoor recreation since 2013, leading multiple climbing excursions for women and girls as young as six. She began professionally guiding in 2017 in effort to better facilitate women’s climbing courses. While she enjoys guiding clients from all backgrounds, she has a special place in her heart for guiding adolescent girls, adaptive athletes, and the special needs community.  She aspires to complete AMGA’s Rock Guide Program, guide for many years, and retire with her hopefully immortal dog, Kit.

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Keeton Disser

Keeton Disser is the SJMG Office Manager. She is an avid mountain runner and all around outdoor athlete and has lived in the San Juans for almost 20 years.

Kurt Blair

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Kurt Blair lives in Durango and serves as our program coordinator in the Durango area and for programs in the Weminuche Wilderness. Kurt is an AMGA Single Pitch Instructor and has also completed Rock & Alpine Guide Training with the AMGA. He is an avid rock climber and mountaineer, having climbed in inspiring destinations such as Yosemite and the Himalayas.

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Mark Iuppenlatz

Mark Iuppenlatz is Co-Owner and Director of Business Development for San Juan Mountain Guides. He is an avid backcountry skier and former ski instructor for Vail Resorts. He is also a certified Wilderness First Responder.

Micah Lewkowitz

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Originally from the New England area, Micah spent most of his time climbing on the multitude of rock and ice littering the East Coast.  In search of the year-round climbing season, he is excited to be a part of the SJMG team, climbing ice during the winter and desert rock in the fall and spring.  Micah has guided multiple mountaineering expeditions throughout Alaska, in addition to several years of guiding in Ecuador, Washington, and Utah.  In his spare time, he enjoys climbing with his wife, Hilary, and playing with their Alaskan Malamute, Izta.

HIGHLIGHTS

• Started guiding in 2006
• Education: BA in Psychology & BA in Outdoor Education
• Certifications: AMGA Certified Rock Guide, Avalanche Level II, Wilderness Emergency Technician, Wilderness First Responder, Leave No Trace Trainer
• Favorite ice climb: Ames Ice Hose

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Michael Ackerman

Professional educator, accomplished adventurer and celebrated storyteller Michael Ackerman hails from Colorado’s Western Slope. Embodying over two decades of professional backcountry experience, expert technical skills and hard-earned wilderness wisdom, Michael has made his mark as one of the preeminent adventure guides and outdoor instructors in the American West.

From high altitude glaciated peaks to remote desert canyons, down wild whitewater rivers and across remote alpine single track, Ackerman leads it all with a warm smile, a healthy dose of humor and an indefatigable devotion to the natural world.

Michael began snowboarding in 1986 and it was his love of sliding on snow that led to a life in the mountains. Since 1999, Ackerman has worked as a rock, mountain and river guide, professional ski patroller, avalanche educator, wilderness medicine trainer, SAR technician, Outward Bound instructor, collegiate faculty member and freelance photojournalist. He maintains an exemplary safety record and a distinguished resume of personal and professional expeditions.

Ackerman pursued his formal education at Prescott College, Fort Lewis College and Harvard University, has completed AIARE’s Level Three and Avalanche Instructor Training and has participated in the AMGA’s TRSM and Ski Guide courses.

When he’s not in the field with SJMG, Ackerman can be found producing digital art; utilizing writing, photography, audio and video pieces to share his story and the stories of others. He also enjoys conducting product research, testing and design for a myriad of outdoor equipment manufacturers and is an independently contracted safety officer and logistician for backcountry media projects and mountain film productions.

What do you love most about your job?

Empowering students so they can achieve their dreams. I feel incredibly blessed to meet, teach and work with so many amazing individuals.

Favorite place to travel/climb/ski?

The Great American West

Idea of a good time?

Pursuing human powered, multi-sport adventures with close friends in remote locations.

Hobbies? Passions? Interests?

Radical minimalism, terrestrial and aquatic adventures, playing music, reading non-fiction, fishing and firearms

Climbing/skiing goals?

Lofty summits, deep powder and big smiles.

Nate Disser

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Nate is the Owner/Director of San Juan Mountain Guides. Previously, he also owned Southwest Adventure Guides in Durango, CO before taking over SJMG in 2012 and merging the companies under the SJMG brand. He began guiding in the St. Elias Mountains and has also guided on Mt. Rainier and Denali. He has a BA in Psychology and a BA in Organizational Communications, is a Wilderness First Responder (WFR) and is AIARE Level 3 Avalanche Certified.

Nate is an AMGA Certified Rock & Alpine Guide, the highest level of certification available for guides working in that terrain. Nate has also served on the AMGA Board of Directors 2011 – 2014. He currently serves on the Ouray School Board, and the Ouray Mountain Rescue Team.

HIGHLIGHTS

• Started guiding in 2002
• Started with SJMG in 2003
• Education: BA State University of New York (SUNY) Geneseo
• Certifications: AMGA Certified Rock & Alpine Guide, WFR, CPR, Level 3 Avy
• Countries you have climbed in outside the US: India, Peru, Ecuador, Canada
• Favorite ski descent in the San Juans: Champion Bowl
• Best thing after skiing: Coming home to 9 year old Mason and 7 year old Addison.

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Patrick Ormond

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Pat is one of the most diverse and experienced mountain guides in the US. Climbs throughout North America including: Yosemite, Squamish,Utah, Washington. Big walls in Yosemite and Zion. Ascent of Aggro Monkey 5.13b at Smith Rock, OR. Began climbing in Washington at age three. Expeditions to Alaska and Argentina. Lead guide on Denali and Aconcagua. Ascent of Cassin Ridge on Denali.  Backcountry ski guide and avalanche instructor in Utah. Ski descents throughout the Wasatch range and Tetons. Collegiate rower and 1997 National Champion at the University of Washington. Pay lives with his wife Dawn in Ouray, CO and guides for Exum Mountain Guides in the summer. Pat is a fully certified IFMGA Mountain Guide, having completed his AMGA Rock, Alpine Guide, and Ski Mountaineering Certifications.

HIGHLIGHTS

• Started guiding in 2001
• Started with SJMG in 2009
• Education: BA Visual Comms – University of WA
• Certifications: AMGA Certified Rock, Alpine, & Ski Mountaineering Guide, WFR, CPR, Level 3 Avy
• Countries you have climbed in outside the US: Canada, Argentina, Croatia, Greece, Montenegro, Sardinia
• Favorite climb in Ouray: Bird Brain Boulevard
• Best thing after climbing: Getting my shoes off

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Steve Johnson

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Whether he’s working or playing, Steve’s fun and energetic ways become immediately apparent. His climbing obsession shows in the amount of time he spends in RMNP and especially on the Diamond. Steve started climbing in 1992 and guiding in 1996, drawn by the allure of sharing his passion with others.

Given his burly frame and even-keeled disposition (not to mention his sense of humor), Steve’s been called a “gentle giant”. It’s not hard to imagine him working through the most knotted muscles in his other job as a Certified Massage Therapist. He graduated with honors from the Boulder College of Massage Therapy, and started an in-patient massage therapy program at Boulder Community Hospital for which he received an award recognizing his outstanding community service.

Steve is AMGA Certified in the Rock and Alpine disciplines and is on route to his goal of gaining IFMGA international certification. In addition to climbing in France, Italy and Switzerland, he’s climbed and guided throughout the U.S., including extensive Front Range experience, San Juans, Alaska, Mexico, and Ecuador.

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