Meet The Team

Kaf Adventures is run with passion, experience, compassion, and dedication. We are committed to learning through experience, and creating an experience that fosters growth and human change. These are all qualities we feel drive success and create the leaders of tomorrow. We have a desire to create a community that cultivates responsible, conscientious outdoor enthusiasts and adventurers.

Kaf Adventures is a small company, which gives individual attention to our clients, offering a more personal and customized approach to instruction and guided experiences. Kaf is proud to have each and every person on our staff. They are truly the best people, mountaineers, guides, teachers and ambassadors of mountain culture anywhere!

Guides & Instructors

Mick Pearson

He/Him

Owner/Founder

Mick has traveled the world over in search of the perfect mountain experience. After working for years under other companies? ethos and philosophies, nothing quite fit with his personal convictions and passions. In 2006 he set out on his own to make his vision of the holistic mountain experience a reality for anyone who shared his passion for the outdoors.

Having traveled all over the U.S. as the son of a railroad employee, Mick is accustomed to movement and new views. Mexico, Canada, Thailand, Taiwan, Europe, South America, Tanzania are some of the places and cultures that have shaped and influenced Mick. Currently, Mick resides in Seattle, WA managing Kaf Adventures and continuing to hold the vision of this ever evolving company. He works tirelessly to continue to provide world-class experiences that provide knowledge and a greater perspective of the great outdoors.

Mick’s true passion is education. He has found a unique passion for educating aspiring instructors and guides in the U.S. You will find him outside helping new leaders gain confidence in their ability to make decisions in complex environments.

When he is not in the field (where he spends over 100 days a year) you can find him creating electronic music and making people dance. Mick has a habit of making those around him smile, and you might just wonder when he sleeps!

Mick is an AMGA certified Rock and Alpine Guide, SPI Program Provider, AMGA Instructor Team Member, LNT Master trainer, a Wilderness First Responder, a certified Level 3 Avalanche graduate, an instructor for the American Institute for Avalanche Research and Education, and speaks Spanish and a little Swahili.

Woody Jacobson

He/Him

Instructor / Guide

Woody Jacobson grew up in the Seattle area where he was fortunate to partake in backpacking, rafting, skiing, and climbing trips all around the Pacific Northwest with family and friends. He first got into guiding in 2013 while he was studying politics at Whitman College. There, he took an AMGA Climbing Wall Instructor course and began teaching indoor rock climbing courses to fellow students as well as guiding outdoor climbing trips.

For four years, Woody lived in China most of the year, where he guided outdoor education trips and spent the rest of his time rock climbing, traveling, and studying Mandarin Chinese. However, he couldn’t resist summer in the Pacific Northwest, and he returned home every year for the beautiful weather and Cascadian adventures. Woody is based in Seattle these days, although he hits the road for climbing and skiing trips up and down the West Coast and returns to China every year to guide Kaf Adventures’ crack climbing trip in Liming.

Nature and adventure are two of Woody’s biggest passions, and guiding allows him to share these passions with other intrepid people. He can’t imagine a better office than the beautiful forests and mountains of the Pacific Northwest.

Woody is an AMGA Certified Rock Guide and Single Pitch Instructor, Wilderness First Responder, and Leave No Trace Trainer.

Kyle Wyatt

He/Him

Instructor / Guide

I’ve been based in the Portland area my whole life. Growing up here, I enjoyed the surrounding wilderness from a very young age. I was lucky to have a very outdoorsy family. I started skiing at the age of three, and it is my true passion in life. Skiing has done a lot for me in life, I even give it credit for opening my mind to all the other activities that I now cherish, such as rock and alpine climbing, as well as mountaineering. You can be sure, if there is snow on the ground I will be skiing.

I believe in community, and love the chance to help grow while building this outdoor community. It’s given me so much, so it means the world to me to be a part of it. I was 19 when I started leading my friends out on backpacking trips. That set me on a path to guiding as a career. I wanted nothing more in life than to keep learning in the mountains and then to share my knowledge with everyone else. That’s been my slow and steady progression since then. I got my professional start working my way through the AIARE program. From there, I have been actively trying to improve my skills in the mountains to a high standard. I’m happy to say I have found a home at Kaf Adventures and hope to keep growing with Kaf for years to come.

Gen Dron-Smith

She/Her

Instructor / Guide

Gen has been an avid traveler and adventurer throughout her life. While attending college in Australia she fell in love with rock climbing. She became so enamored with it that after graduating, she moved to China to explore new route development in Liming and Yangshuo. Since then, the pursuit of climbing led Gen into a professional full-time career in outdoor education and guiding. She splits her time between the PNW and California, where she also instructs month-long expeditions with high school students.

When she’s not in the field, she enjoys showering, hanging out in Seattle with her housemate’s Instagram famous chickens, and going on adventurous climbing trips.

Gen has completed an Advanced Rock Guide and Alpine Guide Course through the AMGA. She also holds a Wilderness EMT certification, and AIARE 1/Avalanche Rescue education.

Wyatt Moore

He/Him

Instructor / Guide

Wyatt grew up in Seattle, and first found his love for the outdoors with climbing in early college around Index and some brief excursions to Washington pass in the North Cascades. Moving to Ohio for Graduate school he spent his free time traveling to the Red River Gorge and New River Gorge for some rock climbing and continuing building his stoke. Returning home to Washington he was eager to build his confidence and joined Kaf Adventures alpine mentorship program where he really opened up his eyes to what was possible in the mountains.

Going through the mentorship program eventually set his path onto guiding where he is now pursuing mountain guide certification through the AMGA. When he is not slogging his way up glaciers or the forested old growth of the Cascades, he likes spending his free time in a coffee shop or with his small cat!

Patrick Lane

He/Him

Instructor/Guide

A native of the foothills of the Sierra Nevada Mountains in Northern California. Patrick has called many different states home for a short time, and even lived for a few months in Bahrain and China. He began guiding full time during the summer of 2018 leading rafting, canyoneering, and climbing trips in Moab Utah. Since, Patrick has instructed trad, self rescue, and sport climbing courses, mountaineering and crevasse rescue, alpine and backcountry skiing, as well as guided via ferrata, backpacking, and hiking.

He works during the early season as a guide on expeditions up the West Buttress of Denali. Patrick’s favorite part of guiding and teaching is the amazing way that the outdoors brings together people from all over as equals and friends and builds bonds through challenges and adventure.

As a child and teenager, Patrick spent time backpacking, trail running, mountain biking and nordic skiing. He studied marine biology in college where he learned to surf and SCUBA dive. After finishing school, Patrick spent six years in the US Navy as a diver, picking all sorts of things up that sank, and fixing submarines. The Navy brought Patrick to Washington as his last duty station where Patrick fell in love with rock and alpine climbing and backcountry skiing. Here, the mountains pulled him away from the ocean.

After being honorably discharged Patrick spent the last five years teaching skiing during the winter and guiding full time during the summer. Patrick has worked in Moab Utah, the San Juan Mountains of Colorado, the Cascades, taught downhill skiing in China, and more recently worked in the Alaska Range. After bouncing around the mountain West for a few years, Patrick decided to permanently relocate to the Washington, where plenty of precipitation brings deep snow to ski during the winter and still somehow manages to keep the glaciers from receding too fast to play on during the summer.

When Patrick isn’t guiding or teaching outside, you can find him trail running, backcountry skiing, mountain biking, cooking, reading, or traveling ridiculously long distances to catch a wave or SCUBA dive. He makes ends meet during the off season, doing part time remote work as a legal assistant for an immigration law practice. Patrick is an assistant rock guide, apprentice alpine and ski guide, single pitch instructor, and a PSIA certified ski instructor.

Katie Griffith

She/Her

Instructor/Guide

Katie has spent the last decade connecting folks to the outdoors as an educator, coach, and guide. She has led canoe and backpack expeditions in Northern Minnesota and the Rocky Mountains, taught field science in Colorado, coached competitive youth climbing in Seattle, and guided climbing up and down the West Coast.

Katie now splits her time between the desert of Joshua Tree and the temperate rainforest of the Pacific Northwest, working as a rock and alpine climbing guide and freelance writer. She is curious about the intersections between climbing and life, and she learns more about herself every time she ties into a rope. In her work as a guide, she seeks to facilitate self-discovery, empowerment, and community building through climbing.

One of Katie’s favorite parts about being in the mountains is that there is always something new to learn! She’s committed to personal growth and professional development, and she’s now operating as an AMGA Assistant Rock Guide and Apprentice Alpine Guide. She is also a Wilderness First Responder, LNT Trainer, and has completed a Level 1 Avalanche and Rescue Course.

Drew Charness

He/They

Instructor/Guide

The outdoors is my saving grace. I was a trouble maker growing up with way too much energy. I’m from a small town called Bath Michigan, where we actually had bath tub races. Following high school, I joined the Marine Corps and found myself traveling the world. Some of my hobbies included scuba diving and cycling. I did just over four years in the Marines and had decided I wanted to be a special education school teacher and PE teacher.

After the Marines I attended Central Michigan University and earned a bachelor’s of science in education for special education, health education and physical education. During this time I joined The High Adventure Club at CMU and we taught ourselves how to rock climb and ice climb and would take trips to Red River Gorge in Kentucky and Seneca Rocks in West Virginia.

My wife was accepted to the University of Washington for a prosthetics and orthotics program so we made the easy decision to move out West. At this point climbing and mountaineering was everything to me. While my wife was studying, I was climbing. After finishing my wilderness first responder training, I became a volunteer backpacking guide and instructor for 1-2 week trips with 11-17 year old students. I was hired on after our first trip and then I worked various outdoor education programs summitting Mt. Olympus, Mt Rainier, and rock climbing at Smith Rock.

After spending a few years in Seattle and Portland, we moved to a small mountain town in Colorado where I became a full-time special education teacher. I found myself enjoying the long winters because of the amazing snow. The snowboarding was great and we were surrounded by 14ers to climb and ride. After three years in Colorado, we moved back to Oregon where my wife took a position at Shriner’s Children’s Hospital and I became a snowmobile guide in the winter and a mountaineering guide in the spring and summer on Mt. Hood, thanks Kaf! My favorite sport is whitewater kayaking so when I’m not climbing, I’m in a kayak chasing waterfalls and big rapids. I’ve recently picked up kite surfing and I would really like to paraglide off of Mt. Hood one day. I own and manage a real estate and vacation rental business on the side, and substitute teach in Sandy and Welches.

Carly Mentink

She/Her

Instructor/Guide

Carly grew up learning how to snowboard on the tiny, icy hills of Wisconsin.

She spent 5 seasons guiding backcountry skiing/snowboarding, ice climbing, and rock climbing throughout Colorado, and as an instructor for teenage outdoor programs throughout Colorado and Utah. Her summers are spent working on rivers throughout Oregon, California, Colorado, Idaho, Alaska, and Arizona. Her winters are now spent in the Pacific Northwest where she teaches avalanche courses and occasionally works as an outdoor education instructor for a local university.

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SaRah Busse

She/Her

Instructor/Guide

SaRah has travelled extensively Internationally and in the US, participating in various outdoor activities to gain knowledge and experience. Exploring the world in areas that are off the beaten path brings her great joy.

In 2019 SaRah was a recipient of the Women’s Mentorship program through NWAC and SheJumps. Since then, she has been pursuing a career in the avalanche industry. She is passionate about teaching others how to explore the backcountry safely and promotes inclusion.

SaRah is a Wilderness First Responder. She is fluent in Spanish and can speak Bahasa Indonesian.

Kelly Robbins

He/Him

Instructor/Guide

Born and raised in rural Oregon near the town of Corvallis, Kelly developed an early affection for the outdoors, spending countless hours exploring the woods behind his house.

Kelly has been working full time in the guiding and outdoor education industry since the 05/06 winter season. Current and former employers include Utah Mountain Adventures, White Pine Touring, NOLS, and Westminster College, among others. In 2012, Kelly finished his M.S. in Outdoor Education at the University of Utah. Kelly has worked as a Course Leader for several AIARE avalanche education providers, and he joined the AIARE Instructor Trainer team in 2019. After moving to Oregon, he began teaching AIARE courses on Mt. Hood for Kaf Adventures.

Despite all the time in the mountains, however, the true pleasures in his life are his partner Kat and son Zander.

David Capasso

He/Him

Instructor/Guide

Raised around the farmland, rivers, and streams of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. David grew up outside from dawn to dusk, constantly involved with sports. While working for the states of Pennsylvania and Oregon he developed a drive for working outside with Natural Resource Management/ Wildland Fire. After moving to Vermont, he searched outside peakbagging, bouldering, and climbing upon available weather breaks. In 2001, David started backcounty skiing, and is now AIARE, AAI, American Red Cross, and state government trained. The majority of his experience hails from the Central Oregon Cascades and NW Wyoming. He strives to educate in an approachable, fun, and engaging style.

When David isn't leading winter programs with Kaf he enjoys working in the forest, backcountry skiing untouched snow, spending time on the beach, and camping. He prefers a rural landscape, and dislikes cold hands. David is pleased to be working with Kaf Adventures since 2022. Change the aspect, change your life!

Brenda Hollon

She/Her

Instructor/Guide

Brenda is an AIARE course leader and an AMGA certified single pitch instructor. She is an AMGA apprentice ski and alpine guide, and is pursuing AMGA ski certification. She has over 100 summits of Mt Rainier, three trips to Denali, and summited Mt Everest via the south side in 2006. She has a Masters in Sustainable Business (MBA) from Pinchot University, and a certificate in Diversity and Inclusion from Cornell.

She’s a parent, a small business owner, and, at best, a mediocre cook. She draws from all of these life experiences to design fulfilling experiences for her guests—except for the cooking.

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Denis Lee

He/Him

Instructor/Guide

Denis grew up in Southern California with seemingly limitless access to all the outdoor activities the Santa Monica mountains and California coast had to offer. Childhood trips with family frequented the Sierra range for winter and summer adventures.

Denis started climbing in the mid-90s while still living in California, initially drawn to long winter snow routes and summer alpine rock scrambles, and quickly developed a passion for technical rock and ice climbing and ski mountaineering across the western United States.

Among Denis’ favorite outings are the Pacific Northwest volcanos, which to date includes well over 100 summits of Mt Hood, water ice across Colorado and Montana and big summer rock adventures in the Cascades and Sierras mountain ranges.

Denis’ passion for the outdoors is palpable. He loves sharing knowledge and experiences with others in the outdoor community, and has immense gratitude to the countless climbers who have taught and mentored him over the years. He has racked up his own long history of mentorship and volunteer climbing instruction, and has found guiding to be an incredibly rewarding way to create connection with and within the mountains. Denis is a certified Wilderness First Responder and AMGA Single Pitch Instructor, and is currently pursuing an aggressive agenda of AMGA certifications across the rock, alpine, ice and ski mountaineering disciplines.

When not climbing and guiding, Denis is part of a small team that develops search and rescue technology – predominantly for the ski industry. Denis has two sons, both of whom now out-ski him, and he looks forward to the day they’ll be able to invite him along on their own climbing adventures.

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Kevin Stolbrock

He/Him

Instructor/Guide

Whether at an open bivy on an alpine ridgeline, a cozy tent in a glacier camp, or a circle of close friends and family around a campfire, outdoor places are where Kevin feels most at home.

Thanks to the love and support of his family, a pre-walking Kevin began his wilderness exploration from on top of Dad?s shoulders, and he quickly developed a nearly precocial ability to sleep on the ground. His self-powered downhill skiing career began at age three, and he had to learn quickly to keep up with his older brother. Grateful for a solid foundation of nature appreciation, Kevin went on to work with large mammals and earn a Wildlife Biology degree from Colorado State University.

Throughout this pursuit, Kevin also challenged himself with new technical outdoor skills in climbing, backcountry skiing, and mountaineering. He found his purpose encouraging nature preservation and facilitating interpersonal growth and discovery, and believes it best to actualize this by supporting peoples’ outdoor goals.

Beginning on the lakes, rivers, and trails of northern Wisconsin over a decade ago, Kevin leads all varieties of outdoor trips. Some of his latest experiences include working in wilderness therapy at New Vision Wilderness; climbing, mountaineering and skiing in the Cascades; ice climbing in Canmore, BC; backcountry skiing throughout the Selkirks; climbing in Peru and Mexico; and mountaineering in Ecuador.

Kevin now resides in Minneapolis, MN, and is excited to connect with a new outdoor community in the Twin Cities while maintaining his Kaf Adventures family travelling to work in the Cascades and abroad. He will be living in Tanzania in 2025, so feel free to pay him a visit!

Kevin is an AMGA Certified Rock Guide, AMGA Aspirant Mountain Guide (Rock, Alpine & Ski), AMGA Single Pitch Instructor, Wilderness First Responder, AIARE Course Leader, Outdoor Emergency Care Technician, and Leave No Trace Trainer.

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Ryder Stroud

He/Him

Instructor/Guide

Ryder has 15 years of mountain experience across the globe. He has established first ascents in some of the best climbing destinations in Asia. In China, he has organized climbing expeditions to the remote parts of the eastern Himalaya and put up new routes across four of the most rugged provinces in the country–including one of the China’s longest rock climbing routes.

He has also spent time climbing across great ranges of North America from the Coast Range to the Sierra Nevada. He is fluent in Mandarin Chinese and occasionally leads adventurous travelers on trips in western China.

Ryder is a Certified Rock Guide with the American Mountain Guides Association, holds a Wilderness First Responder Certification, and has earned his AIARE Level 1 in avalanche safety.

He currently splits his time between Liming, Yunnan Province, China and Seattle, Washington.

Sam Ridley

He/Him

Instructor/Guide

Sam grew up in the foothills of Colorado’s Rocky Mountains, alpine skiing every chance he had. But it took moving to the wheat fields of Walla Walla, Washington for him to discover his passion for climbing and backcountry skiing. Since then, he has taken every opportunity to explore steep ski lines in the Rockies, the sandstone towers of the Southwest, and most recently the glaciated peaks of the Pacific Northwest.

His only greater joy comes from sharing the outdoors while he learns from and teaches others. As a Colorado State University Biology Education graduate, Sam enjoys applying his education to help meet others’ goals.

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Sam Baum

He/Him

Instructor/Guide

Growing up in central Pennsylvania, Sam spent many of his formative years exploring the woods, streams and rock climbing near his home. After high school, he attended the University of Vermont where he studied mechanical engineering.

Sam’s first experience with outdoor education came from a NOLS course. Ever since that experience, Sam has pursued a career in the outdoors. He has worked throughout the country teaching backpacking, rock climbing, canoeing, and working as a wilderness therapy guide. Over the past several years Sam has begun adding more commercial guiding into the mix as well as work as an EMT.

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Michael Davis

He/Him

Instructor/Guide

Michael developed a love for the outdoors hunting and fishing as a youth on the East Coast. During university he got into backpacking with friends exploring the Appalachian Trail. After university, while working in the investment industry Michael developed a deep love for climbing at the Philadelphia Rock Gym that made a huge impact on his life. He moved to the PNW and began working as an outdoor educator and guide.

For the past 8 years, Michael has worked with groups from youth to adults in various course types. He has experience with backpacking, rock climbing, mountaineering, and snowsports. His favorite part about guiding and outdoor education is being able to witness and support people along their journey to accomplish their goals and dreams.

Michael is actively pursuing his AMGA guide certifications and is most recently stoked on ice climbing. He currently resides in Wyoming and enjoys the Rockies however happily travels to both coasts whenever to pursue adventure.

Besides outdoor pursuits & adventures, Michael enjoys cooking with friends, listening to records, gardening and road tripping in his Chevy Astro van. If he is not in the mountains, he is trying to get to the ocean to catch some waves.

Michael is currently a Wilderness EMT, AMGA Apprentice Alpine Guide, LNT Master Educator, NOLS field instructor, PSIA certified ski instructor, volunteer Search and Rescue for Fremont County, and has avalanche level 1 and rescue course education.

Cameron Brown

He/Him

Instructor/Guide

Cam Brown grew up in a rural part of San Diego, California where he was fortunate enough to spend summers climbing and backpacking with family and friends in the Sierra Nevada Mountain Range. While Cam’s first ever rock climbing experience was in the iconic Joshua Tree National Park, Cam has spent an extensive amount of time climbing in Yosemite National Park and surrounding High Sierras wilderness.

Cam’s a certified Wilderness First Responder, AMGA Apprentice Rock Guide, and a certified Single Pitch Instructor. While Cam loves technical climbing in the mountains, his favorite climb is likely the most recent climbing adventure he has experienced. Cam loves to climb, and share the joy of climbing with others.

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Brian Rajdl

He/Him

Instructor/Guide

Brian is an educator and guide. He has been guiding by kayak and trail for 28 years mostly at Isle Royale National Park, Michigan. He has been climbing rock for 30 years and ice for 25, and guiding rock and ice for the last 8 years. Brian has traveled around the world to climb; bouldering in Namibia, big walls in Yosemite and Zion, multi-pitch ice in Canada, and alpine climbs in Chamonix. He works as an administrator and a teacher for his school for homeschoolers full time during the school year, and guides weekends and vacations. This leaves his summers free to travel, climb, and guide.

Brian is on a 4 year plan to transition to guiding full time with the ultimate goal of obtaining his IFMGA pin. Brian has 4 children and can be found mountain biking, surfing, sea kayaking, whitewater kayaking, and skiing when he is not out climbing. Brian works on his local high angle rescue team, SHARP, when he is home guiding in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula.

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Evan Stone

He/Him

Instructor/Guide

Evan Stone was in graduate school back home in Madison, Wisconsin when COVID hit. He decided it was the perfect time to leave school, sell everything he owned except his climbing gear and snowboards and move into a van with his dog, Laila. For the past three years, he has chased climbing, split boarding and ski mountaineering with a passion and is now pursuing a career in the guiding industry.

Evan insists that ski season actually lasts all summer, and, in his free time, you can often find him climbing and split boarding on Mt. Hood and other Pacific Northwest volcanoes. When he isn't out extending the ski season, he loves to hike with his dog, surf on the Oregon coast and spend time with his friends and family.

Zach Smith

Hi/Him

Instructor/Guide

Zach grew up in Baltimore Maryland where he was able to backpack and ski on the east coast from a young age. After moving to the west coast he quickly became obsessed with rock climbing, mountaineering, and backcountry skiing. He currently lives in Bend Oregon where he spends most of his time in the Oregon cascades or at Smith Rock. When he isn't skiing or climbing Zach enjoys playing tenor saxophone, mountain biking, and trying to find the best burritos.

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Berndt Bittlingmaier

He/Him

Instructor/Guide

Berndt is passionate about outdoor instruction and risk management. He has a strong instructional background as a 20+ year Fire Lieutenant/EMT, community college educator, and mountain rescue volunteer. He enjoys sharing rock and snow experiences with Kaf Adventure’s guests and has been doing so since 2016. Berndt is an Apprentice Rock and Alpine Guide with the American Mountain Guides Association.

When Berndt isn’t working at the fire station or participating in Kaf experiences, he can be found skiing, climbing, or hiking with his family throughout the Northwest. He enjoys walking dog friendly trails with his 2 dogs, Phoebe and Carly.

His favorite international trips have been Via Feratta tours in the Italian Dolomites, rock climbing in Kalymnos, Greece, and week-long ski hut tours in the Fairy Meadows of British Columbia.

Berndt is an AMGA Single Pitch Instructor, EMT, and Leave No Trace Trainer.

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John Barkhausen

He/Him

Instructor/Guide

Despite growing up in the flat suburbs of Chicago, John gained a love for wild places early in his life. After earning a degree in Wilderness Leadership from Prescott College, John began turning that love into a career. He has worked throughout the country, and internationally, guiding rock climbing, ice climbing, skiing and avalanche courses, sea kayaking, hiking, and even a few biking trips. He has spent much of this time teaching adventurous sports to high school and college aged students.

As an instructor with Kaf, John strives to get to know each student so he can provide unique learning opportunities and have the adventure meet the students where they are. John also serves as the Portland Program Director for the Northwest School of Survival and manages the partnership between NWSOS and Kaf, as well as managing all of the Mt Hood programs.

Tyler Stockdale

He/Him

Instructor/Guide

A born and raised Seattleite, my first climb in the Cascades was done at the age of 13 on an Outward Bound Course. I rediscovered climbing in my mid-twenties, and soon left work as a designer in the tech industry to climb up and down the west coast. Outdoor education has changed my life drastically, and my greatest joy is sharing that passion with others.

When I am not guiding you’ll often find me climbing long slab routes in Darrington, developing climbs in the Cascades, and rebolting as a volunteer for the WARP in Washington and the ASCA in Joshua Tree.

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Matt Sellick

He/Him

Instructor/Guide

Matt is a well-rounded climber and guide.

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Jordan Bohme

He/Him

Instructor/Guide

Jordan grew up in the suburbs of Chicago, always looking for an escape to adventure. He started his journey in the pursuit of adventure with many trips out to the Pacific Northwest to visit family and enjoy some time hiking and mushroom hunting in the woods. His first foray into exploring the mountains came on a snowboard, first in Bend, OR then to Telluride, CO where he honed his craft of splitboard mountaineering. Over the years his mountain interests have diversified into alpine and rock climbing.

Jordan is currently an AMGA Apprentice Alpine Guide, a certified Wilderness First Responder, and has taken a Pro 1 Avalanche course.

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Roger Carter

He/Him

Instructor/Guide

Roger Carter is an Aspirant American Mountain Guide who has worked in the ski, rock, and alpine disciplines. During his spare time, he enjoys pursuing these activities, and training to improve his skill set. He is passionate about group dynamics and leadership, providing recreational opportunities to adaptive groups, and his volunteer work with his local mountain rescue group.

Dean Olin

He/Him

Instructor/Guide

I have a passion for rock climbing in the great outdoors and desire to share my 34 years of climbing experience with you! My enthusiasm for climbing has led me to multiple locations within Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Nevada, Utah, California, Canada and Wadi Rum, Jordan with each location offering rich diversity in rock types and required techniques.

I’ve attempted the NIAD – climbing The Nose of El Capitan in Yosemite Valley sub 24 hours – and both times my climbing partner and I came in at 26 hours! Although we didn’t attain the goal of sub 24 hours we were pleased with our attempt.

When I am not climbing and instructing, I volunteer with Climbers for Christ by organizing and serving meals, coffee etc at climbing festivals around the US.

I’m a sponsor and help organize events such as showing Reel Rock films and bringing guest speakers to the Tri-Cities – I co-launched this, we’ve had approximately 1600 attend the events over the past 11 years. The partnership / sponsors have grown to include our local REI, Inter-Mountain Alpine Club, Local climbing gyms and Subaru dealership.

When I am not guiding, I enjoy ice climbing, rock climbing for personal development and enjoyment. And making homemade pizzas in my wood-fired pizza oven to share with family and friends!

Ellie Engel

She/Her

Instructor/Guide

Ellie grew up in Sandpoint, Idaho where she spent her time snowboarding at her local hill, Schweitzer Mountain, adventuring around the hills behind her house, and playing soccer. Though she spent her time outside as a kid, her family was not very outdoorsy. She didn’t really get involved with the outdoor industry until after college.

Ellie first dipped her toes into the guiding world as a raft guide on the Snake and Salmon Rivers and she soon fell in love being on the rivers everyday and showing people life outside their doorstep.

In the summer Ellie works for Breakwater Expeditions helping to guide backpacking trips in Yellowstone National Park, sea kayaking expeditions in Alaska, river trips on the Missouri, and various other locations. She also runs yoga & backpacking trips at Kaf Adventures. In the winter she works as a Cat skiing guide for Selkirk Powder Guides.

Her passion and love for the outdoors allows her to continuously play outside for a living and to keep providing people with the opportunities to get into nature and explore. Outside of guiding Ellie resides in her hometown, where she enjoys spending time with her pup, mountain biking, hiking, backcountry snowboarding, and dabbling in herbal medicine.

Ellie is a certified Wilderness First Responder, IOLGB Level 1 Ski Guide, AAIRE level 1 and 2, and swift water rescue.

Wilfred Moshi

He/Him

Africa Guide

Wilfred was born at the base of Mt. Kilimanjaro in the town of Moshi, Tanzania. The challenges of summiting Mt. Kilimanjaro have inspired him his whole life. He has guided many groups to the top of Mt. Kilimanjaro, but his life dream had been to climb Mt. Everest, considered by many to be the most difficult and harshest mountain in the world. He achieved this goal in 2012.

Wilfred received training from Kilimanjaro Tanzania National Park, (KINAPA), and is a certified KINAPA guide and Wilderness First Responder. As a highly committed, professional mountain trekker, in 2012 Wilfred was qualified to become part of a Mt. Everest expedition team. He was one of the few Africans at Everest basecamp and on May 19th he became the first Tanzanian to summit the world’s highest mountain, Mt. Everest (29,0028ft). On 26 August 2014, Wilfred continued his pursuit of climbing the worlds highest peaks and summited the highest mountain in Europe, Mt Elbrus. He plans to complete the 7 summits.

Wilfred and his family of two children are part of the Chagga tribe. They live in the town of Moshi where he grew up.

Administrative team

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Amber Barnes

She/Her

Amber is the grounding force for the Dreamer & the Do-er. She supports guests, students and the Kaf team alike to actualize their potential.

Despite being born a flatlander, Amber has managed to develop a deep passion for mountain adventure. She was introduced to the guide industry in her youth through trips to the Boundary Waters Canoe Area in northern Minnesota. Those formative experiences led her to pursue a degree in Outdoor Recreation, and begin what would become a nine year sea kayak guide career. Although she loves identifying echinoderms and eating seaweed, she left her work in the sea to pursue work in the mountains.

An avid backcountry adventurer, Amber can often be found pulling hard on granite, tip-toeing up a skin track, or meandering along alpine routes. She deeply appreciates every moment spent in the mountains, but is most at home giggling her way up multi-pitch and big wall climbs. Some of her favorites include, The Grand Wall in Squamish BC, and Triple Direct on El Cap.

Amber aims to fill her life with moments of awe, gratitude, and whimsy. When Amber isn’t chasing mountain goals, you can find her pursuing creative ones at home in Bellingham, WA where she routesets at the local boulder gym. Amber also has a knack for costuming and thrives at themed dance parties. Her other hobbies include biking, yoga, practicing sustainable living, thrifting, and finding the perfect oat milk latte wherever she goes. Her keen eye for detail and love of organization keep her calm in the field and dialed on the phones (pun intended). She’s stoked to help you actualize and achieve your goals for your next mountain adventure!

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Kelly Coons

She/Her

Kelly grew up on a farm in western Massachusetts and took an early interest in exploring the fields, forests, and river valley surrounding her home. She left the Berkshire Hills for college at the University of Vermont, studying Natural Resources and Recreation Management and scheduling her classes around powder days in the Green Mountains. Summers were spent traveling to festivals of the northeast in a big blue bus named Sueño, serving crepes full of locally grown goods to hungry music lovers. After 8 years in VT, the dream for bigger adventures called and she made the westward move to Washington in 2013.

Since then, her love of the PNW has only grown as adventures have taken her further into its depths and many of her happiest moments are found while climbing a long alpine rock route, floating down untracked powder in the backcountry, or having a summit dance party under the shining sun. Kelly's technical skills were honed in the Washington Alpine Club, where she serves as Volunteer Instructor, Education Committee Chair, and Board Member. Paired with her years of experience working in the outdoor industry, including ski areas and gear shops, she can most likely answer any question you may have. In addition, her extended travels in East Africa and South America make her a great resource for Kaf's International Trips.

Beyond the world of mountaineering, Kelly frequents shows and festivals and loves any excuse to wear sequins. She is a fan of dogs, biking, mushroom foraging, and has been learning bachata. She is also a Level 1 Sommelier and can help you select the perfect wine to pair with your backcountry charcuterie board.

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Kevin Stolbrock

He/Him

Instructor/Guide

Whether at an open bivy on an alpine ridgeline, a cozy tent in a glacier camp, or a circle of close friends and family around a campfire, outdoor places are where Kevin feels most at home.

Thanks to the love and support of his family, a pre-walking Kevin began his wilderness exploration from on top of Dad?s shoulders, and he quickly developed a nearly precocial ability to sleep on the ground. His self-powered downhill skiing career began at age three, and he had to learn quickly to keep up with his older brother. Grateful for a solid foundation of nature appreciation, Kevin went on to work with large mammals and earn a Wildlife Biology degree from Colorado State University.

Throughout this pursuit, Kevin also challenged himself with new technical outdoor skills in climbing, backcountry skiing, and mountaineering. He found his purpose encouraging nature preservation and facilitating interpersonal growth and discovery, and believes it best to actualize this by supporting peoples’ outdoor goals.

Beginning on the lakes, rivers, and trails of northern Wisconsin over a decade ago, Kevin leads all varieties of outdoor trips. Some of his latest experiences include working in wilderness therapy at New Vision Wilderness; climbing, mountaineering and skiing in the Cascades; ice climbing in Canmore, BC; backcountry skiing throughout the Selkirks; climbing in Peru and Mexico; and mountaineering in Ecuador.

Kevin now resides in Minneapolis, MN, and is excited to connect with a new outdoor community in the Twin Cities while maintaining his Kaf Adventures family travelling to work in the Cascades and abroad. He will be living in Tanzania in 2025, so feel free to pay him a visit!

Kevin is an AMGA Certified Rock Guide, AMGA Aspirant Mountain Guide (Rock, Alpine & Ski), AMGA Single Pitch Instructor, Wilderness First Responder, AIARE Course Leader, Outdoor Emergency Care Technician, and Leave No Trace Trainer.

Linda Jean Mills

She/Her

Kaf Momma

Lin was born in San Diego California. Her zest for the beach, warm sand, and toes led her to live most of her childhood there. Lin gave birth to Mick, her son, in Klamath Falls Oregon. She knew that Oregon would provide a better adventurous life for her son. Lin dedicated herself to her friends and son. She raised Mick as a single mother working for the Railroad. She loved getting outdoors for long hikes and even climbing Mt. Shasta. Her passion for the outdoors influenced Mick at a young age. Motorcycles, three-wheelers, snowmobiles, hunting, and camping were all a big part of their family’s lives.

At an older age, Lin loved to take photos of flowers and landscapes. She also jumped into supporting Kaf Adventures as the bookkeeper and registrant in the early years. She spent over 8 years supporting Mick and his dream of running a small business dedicated to personal growth and wilderness travel. Lin passed away in November of 2022, but her spirit lives on. She will be known for her kindness, generosity, love of the outdoors, and ability to befriend anyone anywhere.

Thank you Lin for believing in all of us at Kaf Adventures! Forever in our hearts.