Show Notes:

Angela’s Links:

• https://alpinist007.com/ (personal website)
• Angela Hawse takes helm of American Mountain Guides Association board as group leans on women to foster change in guiding culture

Episode Intro:

Dear listeners of the Female Guides Requested Podcast, happy Wednesday. This is your host Ting Ting from Las Vegas. Today our guest is Angela Hawse.

Angela was the 6th woman in the U.S. to become an IFMGA mountain guide with a successful career spanning over three decades. She’s trained and examined aspiring guides for the AMGA for the past 19 years and served as the AMGA president for five. Angela’s led over 30 high altitude mountaineering expeditions to the world’s Greater Ranges and guided remote trips to the Arctic and Antarctic. She skied from Sweden to Norway across Lapland, reached the South Summit of Mt. Everest (500’ higher than K2) and has led numerous technical all-women’s ascents.

She’s currently on the board of the IFMGA and the 1st woman and non-European to join the Technical Commission. Angela has a Master’s Degree in International Mountain Conservation, is on the POW Alliance Team and a Black Diamond athlete. In 2011 she was awarded AMGA Guide of the Year and in 2022 received the AMGA Lifetime Achievement in Guiding Award.

I love that she considers herself successful in mountain guiding because she still loves the profession and is still in it for the same reason that she got into it initially. She established a lifelong love of playing in the mountains since she was a kid. Her curiosity let her explore all facets of life related to guiding, and she hardly found boredom. We talked about dealing with burnout, giving back to the communities, her AMGA work, changes in the environment and the industry in the past 30+ years, and making a guide career sustainable. I’m super inspired by all the wisdom Angela brought in. Now please enjoy this episode with Angela Hawse.

Things We Talked about:

• Has been guiding for 3.5 decades and still going strong
• Angele’s special sauce to keep her in the industry for this long
• Stay curious
• Diversify
• Mental bandwidth
• Childhood
• Prescott college and first role model
• Was a dedicated climber for many many years before thinking about guiding
• Various jobs from Outward Bound, an adjunct position in Prescott, working for different guide services so on and so forth
• Expeditions and giving back
• All women’s expeditions
• What was is like being one of few female guides back then?
• Ways to develop confidence
• AMGA president – what happened during those years
• AMGA’s DEI work
• Angela deeply cares about climate change
• Trends and changes Angela saw in the past 3.5 decades in the mountains and in the industry
• Being a guide in the US full time
• What does Angela’s work consist of now?
• Alpinist 007

Show Notes:

Holly’s Links:

• Holly’s profile on The Mountain Guides
• https://www.instagram.com/hollyismackin/

Episode Intro:

Dear listeners of the Female Guides Requested Podcast, happy Wednesday! This is your host Ting Ting from Las Vegas. Today, our guest is Holly Mackin.

When Holly was little, no one would have ever assumed she’d find her pursuits in the outdoors. Mostly scared of bugs and raised within the traditions of Catholic culture, it seemed highly unlikely she’d commit to a life living in and out of a van or tent. Something changed in high school when she needed an escape from the drama of her peers. She started running outdoors and practicing yoga religiously. She found herself going on mission trips abroad, which gave her more purpose.

When she decided to go to college at the University of Colorado Boulder, she was exposed to backcountry skiing and climbing. Already a runner, she scheduled her classes around soloing the Flatirons so she could take her practice to more interesting places. Throughout college, she spent summers in Grand Teton National Park, where she later planted roots as a mountain guide.

Her passion for rock climbing takes her to the Southwest every spring and fall, frequenting areas like Indian Creek, Red Rock Canyon, and Joshua Tree. In the winter, Holly is usually found in the Tetons, hunting for untouched powder and teaching snow science. She coordinates all women’s backcountry skiing and climbing programs for The Mountain Guides under the Women’s Network. This program also works to support newer women guides on their journey to becoming mountain guides.

Holly followed her heart to become a guide, cherishes the connections she builds with her clients and fellow guides, and has big dreams to make an impact. Now, please enjoy this episode with Holly Mackin.

Things We Talked about:

• From Kentucky to Colorado, following the love of skiing
• Environmental Anthropology and skiing brought Holly to Jackson Wyoming
• Inception of guiding and it all started at a juicery
• In college, Holly maximized her time being on the ski slopes and rock cliffs
• Got an internship at The Mountain Guides doing all sorts of chores and volunteering to shadow trips to get outdoors
• Right now at Teton Valley guiding skiing and teaching avalanche courses
• Feeling closer to her environmental goals guiding
• Holly’s environmental takes and views and how she uses conversations to remind people that we are part of nature
• Holly loves being outside and human connections
• Women’s Programs with The Mountain Guides – guides development and clients long term progression
• Outlook on guiding
• Beyond guiding, Holly wants to be an entrepreneur

Show Notes:

Jessica’s Links:

• Ski Diva (website)
• Jessica and Ski Diva’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/skidiva
• Going Greenland Film
• RAD MOMS: JACKSON HOLE Pro Skiers Take on Motherhood and Skiing

Episode Intro:

Dear listeners of the Female Guides Requested Podcast, happy Wednesday. This is your host Ting Ting from Las Vegas. Today our guest is Jessica Baker.

Former World Tour Freeskiing champion, professional mountain guide, and mother, Jessica Baker, has a knack for seeking out remote adventures. From a young age Jessica developed a love for wild and mountainous landscapes while growing up on a small farm in North Idaho. From the Arctic to the southernmost Andes, Jessica has spanned the globe with her ski and alpine endeavors and broken the ceiling for women in the mountain guiding profession. Jessica lives in Jackson, WY with her husband, a fellow mountain guide, and her two young daughters.

I had so much fun chatting with Jessica. Her passion for mountains and guiding reinforced my belief in adventures and why guides love sharing these experiences. Her commitment to give back to the community and desire to break barriers for people to access the sport of skiing was inspiring. I also admired her energy. She sustains a busy guiding schedule, mentors students, plans big trips and film projects, and raises two kids. She really made me want to ski again. I can’t wait for you to listen to Jessica’s amazing life stories as well.

Things We Talked about:

• Mountains have been part of Jessica’s life since young
• Cut teeth guiding in 2004 and started full time guiding in 2007
• Competition life – what is free skiing? It was judged by fluidity, speed, difficulty of line, and style
• How and what does free-skiing share with guiding?
• Came and settled down in Jackson, WY
• Was asked “Do you want to be a guide?” and audited at Exum Mountain Guides
• The meaning and the draw of guiding
• Became a mom in 2013
• Jessican’s time management strategy
• The inception of Ski Diva
• Does advanced skiing courses have a place in women’s program?
• The financial barriers getting into skiing
• Don’t want to let the sport of skiing die, so access is important
• Giving back to the community
• Going Greenland film project and climate change
• Future plans