Ryan Waters
Guide - Director
Ryan is responsible for the development and delivery of Mountain Professionals expeditions. Working in the professional guiding and outdoor education field for eleven years has taken him to Nepal, Argentina, Chile, Ecuador, Tibet, Pakistan, Mexico, Russia, Tanzania, Greenland, Indonesia, Antarctica, and all over the U.S. His guiding resume includes well over 35 expeditions in the Andes Range and 12 expeditions to the Himalayas. Ryan is a veteran of three expeditions to Mt. Everest, leading groups to the summit via both the Tibet and Nepal sides and three expeditions to Cho Oyu in Tibet. He has led expeditions to K2, Broad Peak, and Gasherbrum II in the Karakoram Himalaya of Pakistan and has climbed Lhotse and the Southeast Ridge of 7,200 meter Pumo Ri in Nepal. A team unsupported West to East ski traverse of Greenland expanded his interests into the polar regions. In 2010, Ryan and Cecilie Skog completed a 1,117 mile/1,800 kilometer Antarctic ski expedition over 70 days from Berkner Island in the Ronne/Filchner Sea to the South Pole, continuing to the Ross Sea to complete the first ski traverse of Antarctica without resupplies or the use of kites. Ryan has a Wilderness First Responder certification, the American Institute of Avalanche Research and Education (AIARE) Level II certification. He has a B.S. degree in Geology.
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Dave Elmore
Guide - Risk Management Director
Dave has worked in several roles since co-founding Mountain Professionals, including Director of Operations and Senior Guide. He has climbed & guided in the U.S., Asia, Europe, Nepal, Pakistan, Mexico, Bolivia, Argentina & Chile. His experience includes big-wall routes, ice ascents, numerous alpine rock routes and back-country ski descents throughout the world. His guiding has taken him to diverse locations such as the Polish Direct on Aconcagua, Huyana Potosi, Ama Dablam, Gasherbrum II, and many more. He has worked as a staff trainer, risk management specialist and operations director for several leading outdoor organizations. Dave was recognized by the Pakistan Military for his role in a rescue from high on Gasherbrum II in 2007. He has taken the AMGA Alpine Guides Course and is pursuing Alpine Guide Certification. He is certified with his Wilderness Medical Training First Responder certificate, and the American Institute of Avalanche Research and Education (AIARE) Level II. Dave has B.S. degrees in Environmental Science and Psychology. He is currently pursuing his Masters Degree in Environmental Policy.
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Cecilie Skog
Guide
Cecilie Skog is a leading Norwegian polar adventurer, professional mountaineer, author, and guide. She is the only woman in the world to complete the "Adventurers Grand Slam", to climb the highest mountain on each continent (Everest and the rest of the Seven summits) in addition to reaching the South Pole and North Pole, which she accomplished unsupported on skis. She is the second woman ever to ski from the mainland to the North Pole unsupported. In 2010 she skied from Berkner Island to the South Pole for her second unsupported trip and continued on to the Ross Sea to complete the first unsupported unassisted ski traverse of Antarctica with Ryan Waters. Cecilie has led five successful ski traverses of Greenland. She is an accomplished mountaineer with a background that includes everything from grade 5 ice climbs to sport climbing to 8000 meter expeditions. Her Himalayan experience includes multiple expeditions to Everest, K2, Cho Oyu, and Shishapangma. She reached the summit of K2 in 2008 during the first Norwegian ascent. She is a gifted guide, author, and speaker. Cecilie has a degree in Nursing.
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Ted Alexander
Guide
Ted has been professionally guiding high altitude mountains for ten years. He has worked as the Program Director of Patagonia Outward Bound and is the co-owner of Skyline Adventure School in Peru. He comes to Mountain Professionals with a depth of experience and an unbridled enthusiasm for the mountains. Ted works as the director of our Peru programs. He adds top professional guiding and leadership skills to every expedition and he may just be the strongest mountaineer we know of! During the off season Ted can be found in Peru climbing extensively in the Cordillera Blanca, making beer, and spending time with his family. Ted holds his level II (AIARE) Avalanche certification, Wilderness First Responder Certification, and is a member of the American Mountain Guides Association working towards his alpine certification.
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Doug Sandok
Guide
Doug is an accomplished guide, program director, and instructor. He has climbed and skied extensively in North America, Argentina, Chile, Bolivia, France, Switzerland, Thailand, Kenya, Tanzania, and the Himalayas of Nepal and India. He has extensive experience guiding mountains such as Kilimanjaro, Mt. Kenya, three expeditions to Ama Dablam and several unclimbed peaks. Doug has worked for over 15 years in the professional guiding industry and has spent extensive time in Nepal both living and working there earning him valuable local Nepali knowledge and language skills. He has spent a large amount of time working for organizations such as Doctors Without Borders and the International Rescue Committee in Bosnia and various African Countries. Doug is a certified Wilderness First Responder, a certified AMGA Single Pitch Instructor and has a B.A. in Sociology.
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Eric Larsen
Guide
Eric is a Polar adventurer, guide and educator. As an educator, he strives to connect people to places and issues and in recognition of those efforts, Eric was elected as one of Outside Magazine's Eco All Stars in 2008. In 2006, Eric and Lonnie Dupre completed the first ever summer expedition to the North Pole. He successfully led his first expedition to the South Pole in 2008 and is now one of only a few Americans to have skied to both the North and South Poles. In November 2009, Eric returned to Antarctica for the first leg of his world record Save the Poles expedition. He became the first person to reach "all 3 poles in a single year". This time he completed a 750-mile ski traverse to the geographic South Pole then two short months later he was at the northern Ellesmere Island for a winter-style North Pole journey. His international team reached the North Pole 51 days later on Earth Day April 22, 2010. He completed the final leg of the Save the Poles expedition by climbing Mt. Everest in a rare Fall ascent . Eric's other expeditions include dog sledding in the Canadian Arctic, training trips to Hudson Bay and countless dog sled races. He has summited Mt. McKinley, ridden his bike across the United States, and been a backcountry ranger in Alaska. He was also inducted as a member of the Explorer's Club. He lives in Boulder, Colorado.
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Mike Lewis
Guide
Mike began his guiding and instructing career in 1993, and has since worked in a variety of settings including rock climbs in Red Rocks, ice climbs and glacier travel on Mt. Shasta, alpine rock in the Sierra, and high altitude glaciated mountaineering in South America. Though always a generalist and able to cross disciplines, through the 90s Mike focused intensely on rock and accumulated many achievements such as climbing Facile (5.14b), many ascents of El Capitan and other well-known big walls, onsights of Astroman (5.11c, IV) and the Rostrum (5.11c, IV) in Yosemite, and many first ascents including the 15+ pitch Dogma (5.11c V) in Red Rocks. Mike lived "on the road" for a decade, working on the YOSAR Valley team (Yosemite Search and Rescue), instructing and guiding rock climbing and mountaineering, and managing safety in the Argentine off-Broadway aerial show called De La Guarda. Mike has worked for Outward Bound since 2002 as an Instructor, Staff Trainer and Course Director. He has a B.S. degree in Recreation Management and an M.A. in Contemplative Counseling Psychology, and is pursuing training and certifications with the AMGA (American Mountain Guide's Association) in the rock and alpine disciplines. Mike's areas of focus for the last decade have been in high altitude mountaineering, expedition climbing, and technical alpine climbing, as well as mastering the art of guiding. Mike lives in Boulder, CO.
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Thomas Haines
Guide
Thomas works as a mountain guide and outdoor instructor and his passion for climbing has taken him to Tibet, Mexico, Peru, Ecuador, Canada, Argentina, New Zealand, and all around the USA. Thomas is a well rounded climber in several disciplines, from high altitude Himalayan peaks to big wall rock in the U.S. and hard alpine ice in the Andes. His experience includes reaching the summit of Mt. Everest via the Northeast Ridge, the French Direct on Alpamayo, guiding the Polish Glacier on Aconcagua, the North Face of Mt. Robson, multiple routes on Mt. Aspiring, and the Nose of El Capitan amongst many others. Thomas has worked as a guide trainer and has a Wilderness First Aid certification and a B.A. in Natural Resources and Tourism.
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Melissa Beckwith
Office Admin, Graphic Designer
Melissa is an avid skier, hiker, backpacker and general outdoor enthusiast. She has worked in the outdoor sports industry for over 14 years in the marketing and creative services of Clif Bar, Vail Resorts, Red Bull and Patagonia. She currently has her own graphic design business and works in the Mountain Professional admin office helping with the communication/marketing/website aspects of the business.
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Mountain Professionals trips are guided by our staff of professional mountaineers and polar adventurers. We lead small, highly personalized teams on climbing and polar expeditions. 
