About Me

Education in the mountains is everything to me.

I came from a background that you would least expect to find in the big mountains.

I grew up in the flat suburbs of eastern Massachusetts, just outside of Boston. Learning about climbing and guiding was not exactly something that surrounded me. In a previous life, I was a classical music nerd who played in orchestras and theater productions.

Supportive teachers and encouraging mentors meant everything to me. Without them, I would not be the guide, climber, and person that I am today. They helped me find that ever-narrow path from small town life to the big mountains of east Asia, from the eastern Himalaya to the Altay Mountains.

This kind of support system matters, especially to people looking to break into climbing or even into the guiding world, and I make it my mission to support people who show the same energy and excitement for that path!

Ryder

Notable Ascents

First Ascent, Tibetan Cowboys in a Disco

(5.13a)–Liming, Yunnan, China

First Ascent, Sh*t Astronaut

(5.12d)–Liming, Yunnan China

First Ascent, Elephant Riders （大象骑士）

(5.12b/c, 4 pitches, 130m)–Liming, Yunnan, China–with Peter Chasteen

First Ascent, Scorpion Crack

(5.12- C1, 5 pitches)–Keketuohai, China–with Mike Dobie & Locky Carlier

First Ascent, Siege of the House Lizards

(5.11+ C2, 4 pitches)–Keketuohai, China–with Ana Pautler & Dan Jerke

First Ascent, Allegory of the Caves （洞穴寓言）

(5.11c, 17 pitches, grade IV, 550m)–Baiyansi, Yunnan, China–with Dane Schellenberg

First Ascent, It’s Just a Ride （过客而已）

(5.10b, 13 pitches, grade III, 400m)–Baiyansi, Yunnan, China–with Dane Schellenberg

First Ascent, The Milky Way （银河）

(5.9, 15 pitches, grade IV, 475m)–Baiyansi, Yunnan, China–with Dane Schellenberg, Jonny Lumb, and Hang Deng

Haba Snow Mountain （哈巴雪山）

(5394m)–Hengduan Mountains, Eastern Himalaya, China