Kel Rossiter
AMGA Ski Guide
City: Burlington
Province: VT
Bio: After stints in the military, the corporate world, and a Zen monastery, Kel began his climbing career in the Pacific Northwest back in the 90’s with an all-cotton summit of Mt. Adams in his home state Washington. Fortunately he went on to get appropriate training and since then he has had the good fortune to climb and guide rock and ice in twelve different countries on four continents. He first came to the Northeast to earn an M.S. in Outdoor Education from the University of New Hampshire, and quickly fell in love with the ecological richness, sense of scale, and feeling of community he felt in this corner of the country. After working as the Director of Georgetown University’s Outdoor Education program for three years, he returned to the Northeast to teach in Lyndon State College’s (VT) Mountain Recreation Managemment department. Subsequently, he and his wife Alysse relocated to “Vermont’s West Coast,” Burlington so that he could finish up his doctoral studies at the University of Vermont and we both could pursue new career adventures. They love living on the shores of Lake Champlain, with the Green Mountains silhouetted at sunrise and the Adirondacks silhouetted at sunset. In addition to partnering with private individuals and groups as the owner and lead guide for Adventure Spirit Rock+Ice+Alpine Experiences, he also remains active in higher education, instructing with Vermont State Colleges and the University of Vermont. And when summer rolls around, he gets back to his West Coast roots, guiding on Mt. Rainier with Rainier Mountaineering Incorporated and in the North Cascades with his own guide service. Kel's passion for sharing the outdoors with others is matched by his interest in the learning processes involved in the adventure environment. He strongly believes that an effective guide must have a solid understanding of both technical skills and learning processes. He backs that belief up with action: Advancing his own technical skills in becoming a fully Certified Mountain Guide with the American Mountain Guides Association and earning a doctoral degree in Educational Leadership and Policy Studies. Through his guiding, he works to integrate these experiences in the outdoor classroom. As with so many adventure professionals, his personal life is strongly infused with elements of climbing. When he isn't guide-instructing, he's off advancing his skills on adventures of his own. He brings this learning back to the frontcountry through writing. His work has appeared in Climbing Magazine, Alpinist Magazine Mountain Standards, The Seattle Times, and The Wall Street Journal, among others. He also blogs frequently with Mammut, where he is an Athlete/Ambassador. Committed to being an engaged member of the climbing community he is a board member with the Climbing Resource Access Group of Vermont (CRAG-VT). Despite all of this activity, and the many paths he's traveled so far on this journey, he still believes in the power of quietude and works to keep meditation as a vital part of life's adventure. He looks forward to sharing that adventure with you!
Countries
States
Certifications
- AMGA Ski Guide
- AMGA/IFMGA Mountain Guide
- AMGA Alpine Guide
- AMGA Rock Guide
Specialities
AMGA: American Mountain Guides Association
The American Mountain Guides Association (AMGA) is a 501(c)(3) educational non‐profit that is dedicated to supporting the American mountain guiding community. Their mission is to be the leader in education, standards, and advocacy for professional guides and climbing instructors.
As the leading organization of America’s most vibrant, inspiring community of climbers and skiers, the AMGA offers you cutting edge knowledge and hundreds of years of collective experience that you won’t get from any other climbing organization.