Kling Mountain Guides

Guides and Staff!

Josh Kling:

Josh is the Owner and Lead Guide for Kling Mountain Guides He is a Mountain Guide and Outdoor Educator based in Durango, Colorado. Josh guides all types of rock and alpine climbing as well as trekking. He also guides backcountry skiing, ski mountaineering, and instructs AIARE avalanche courses. His climbing and trekking have taken him around the globe. He is an adjunct faculty member with San Juan College where he instructs numerous courses for their Outdoor Leadership degree track as well as instructs courses at Fort Lewis College for the Outdoor Pursuits program. Josh has taught for numerous other nationally recognized organizations as well worked as a guide on Denali. He has completed rock, alpine and ski guide training from the American Mountain Guides Association. Josh is; an AMGA Certified Rock Guide, an AMGA Certified Single Pitch Instructor, AMGA SPI Program Provider, Wilderness First Responder, Professional Member of the American Avalanche Association, American Institute for Avalanche Research and Education (AIARE) Level 1 and 2 Course Leader, Leave-No-Trace Master Educator, a professional member of the Association of Outdoor Education and Recreation, and a graduate of Fort Lewis College. He helps coordinate the Flight For Life Avalanche Deployment team in the San Juans, and is a Technical Team Member, Training Instructor, and Winter Response Team Coordinator with La Plata County Search and Rescue in Colorado.

Contact Josh at josh@klingmountainguides.com

Bonnie Kling:

Bon brings a vast amount to the KMG table. She has worked in the ski industry at a major resort for long enough she is nearing her lifttime pass! Her time there has been in the human resources department as well as payroll. This combination makes her a tremendous asset to the KMG office. In addition to her lethal office skills, Bon is equally comfortable on her tele skis or one of her snowboards. She also enjoys backpacking, kickball and playing with Stella at the river. Make sure you say hello to Bon when you come by the KMG office!

Amy Knight

NR-EMT-P RN | Level 2 Avalanche |

Born in Aspen, Amy has been skiing since she was knee high to a mogul. A former ski racer, instructor and current patroller at Durango Mountain Resort, and trauma nurse, Amy is the type of woman that will kick your butt on the mountain and then package you up and haul you off in a sled!

Ben Gardner:

Ben is a climbing guide and avalanche instructor. He is most at home climbing frozen waterfalls, running laps on a desert crack, or skinning up a peak on the way to untracked powder. Ben started his climbing career right here in Durango while attending Fort Lewis College. After over a decade of chasing the vertical, the only thing Ben likes better then climbing or skiing, is teaching others. He was the Chief Climbing Instructor for the North Carolina Outward Bound School, where he spent three years training Outward Bound staff and students in all things climbing. Before that Ben spent four years working as a full-time Outward Bound Instructor. He has instructed courses ranging from 2-72 days long, in such diverse areas Western North Carolina, the Florida Everglades, Northern Patagonia. He is an adjunct faculty member at San Juan College where he instructs for their Outdoor Leadership degree. Ben is a professional member of the American Mountain Guides Association and has completed the Rock Instructor Course and Rock Guide Course in pursuit of full AMGA certification. When he isn’t climbing or skiing Ben is also an avid white-water paddler.

Brad Sablosky:

Professional Certifications: NR-EMT-I | Lead Instructor with Wilderness Medical Associates

Brad became interested in wilderness medicine during his 13 year career as a river guide in Northern Canada. After hanging up his guide paddle he served for 5 years as the Director of Langskib Wilderness Program in Northern Ontario. He has worked as a senior field instructor for Aspen Achievement Academy and sits on several charitable boards for outdoor education organizations. Durango, Colorado has been his winter home since 1996 where he serves as a WEMT-I with Durango Fire and Rescue. He is the Vice President and Training Coordinator for La Plata County Search and Rescue. In the winter he serves as a professional patroller and the training supervisor for the Purgatory Mountain Ski Patrol. Brad is a private pilot and owner of a Murphy Rebel bush plane. When not on the slopes he can be found exploring the dirt strips of the desert southwest. Check out his website here.

Contact Brad at brad@wildernessmedic.com

Everett Chamberlain:

Everett grew up in the Denver area. He has been an outdoor enthusiast his whole life thanks to his wonderful parents and the inspiring landscapes of Colorado. He moved to Durango in 2003 to attend Fort Lewis College. EV graduated with a degree in Adventure Education and a minor in Philosophy. During his Fort Lewis carrier Everett was a Teaching Assistant for multiple Adventure Education courses as well as working for the famous Outdoor Pursuits program as Climbing Wall Manager. EV has had the privilege to lead trips throughout the desert southwest as well as Mexico. He spent his college summers guiding raft trips on the Snake River and through the Grand Canyon. Everett has worked in Durango at the Colorado Timberline Academy helping students reach their academic and social goals. His position at CTA had him teaching climbing courses as well as leading week long expeditions. Everett is an adjunct faculty member at San Juan College where he instructs for their Outdoor Leadership degree. He is a nationally registered wilderness emergency medical technician and professional member of the American Mountain Guides Associatio. He has completed the Rock Instructor Course, Rock Guide Course, and Alpine Guide Course in pursuit of full AMGA/IFMGA certification.

John Minier:

Professional Certifications: AIARE Level 1 Course Leader | AIARE Level 2 Instructor | AMGA Ski Guides Course | Wilderness First Responder

John grew up hunting and fishing with his parents and grandparents in Alaska. His passion for the outdoors naturally led him into the hills, where he learned to climb. After double majoring in Geology and skiing at the University of Colorado, John began quitting perfectly good jobs in search of fulfilling experiences and a career in the mountains. His travels have led him into guiding and outdoor instruction. He has climbing and skiing have taken him across the Western US, Canada, and Alaska. John have found that he is most satisfied when sharing the places he loves with others. Along with guiding for KMG, John leads AIARE avalanche courses and is currently pursuing his AMGA certifications in the Ski and Alpine disciplines. He lives part time in Colorado and Washington. He spends his free time disappearing into the San Juan Mountains. He is an adjunct faculty member at San Juan College where he instructs for their Outdoor Leadership degree.

Katherine Hollis:

Wilderness First Responder | Eight Years with Outward Bound

Katherine comes to KMG after eight years of working for Outward Bound in New England, North Carolina and Patagonia. She started climbing in the late 90s while a college student in Middlebury, VT, exploring the Adirondacks of New York and White Mountains of New Hampshire on both rock and ice. Her love of mountains has led her backpacking, climbing, skiing and mountaineering throughout the US, as well as in Mexico, Europe, Kyrgyzstan, Ecuador, Chile and Argentina. Katherine has also pursued her love of mountains through another means, doing thesis work for her M.A. in Sustainable International Development in the small, mountainous country of Kyrgyzstan in Central Asia. Katherine is thrilled to be able to take folks out into the mountains here in the Southwest with KMG!

KC Baum:

Professional Certifications: AMGA Certified Rock Guide | Wilderness First Responder

This guy has been around the block! KC began climbing in 1976 and has been a profesional guide since 1985. He attained AMGA Rock Guide Certification in 1990 with the first AMGA Rock Guides class! KC has been a member of the AMGA Technical Committee and Instructor/ examiner pool sinced 1992 and was Discipline Coordinator for the Rock Programs from April 1998 to October 2005. In addition, KC also served on the AMGA Board of Directors from October 1991 to October 1998 and was Vice President from 1995 to 1998. In October 1993, he was also appointed the Acting Accreditation Director and ran this program until January 1997. This guy konws rock! Let KC show you around the verticle world. Whether the Utah desert or the Black Canyon of the Gunnison, KC can show you the ropes!

Marcel Bieg:

Professional Certifications: M.S. ExEd | AMGA Certified Single Pitch Instructor | AIARE Level 1 Instructor | Wilderness First Responder | Leave-No-Trace Master Educator

Marcel has been a professional instructor and guide in nearly every outdoor adventure discipline over the last 15 years. He holds a Bachelors degree from Alaska Pacific University in Outdoor Studies and a Masters of Science in Experiential Education from Minnesota State University, Mankato. Marcel is a Certified Single Pitch INstructor with the AMGA as well as a Certified Level 1 Avalanche Instructor with the American Institute for Avalanche Research and Education (AIARE). He is also certified instructor through the ACA, ACCT, and PSIA and is a current Wilderness First Responder and Leave-No-Trace Master Educator. Marcel has lived and working all over the country from Alaska to the Florida Keys. He currently lives in Farmington New Mexico with his wife and Daughter and is the Director of the Outdoor Leadership Program at San Juan College. Marcel typically teaches Single Pitch and Avalanche Classes for Kling Mountain Guides.

Contact Marcel at biegm@sanjuancollege.edu.

Thad Ferrell:

Professional Certifications: Wilderness First Responder |

Thad also known as Memphis grew up in, well, Memphis TN. He moved out west to Telluride in 2004 to pursue his passion of skiing and climbing. He is a Wilderness First Responder. Thad now lives in Durango and continues to ski and climb as much as possible. When Memphis is not working with teaching budding climbers essential skills, he swings gear at Durango's Backcountry Experience. He continues to take professional development courses with the AMGA and other nationally recognized organizations.

Alec Johnson:

Professional Certifications: Wilderness First Responder

Alec is the KMG inan Army brat who was born in Germany and grew up in the Washington D.C. suburbs, San Antonio Texas, and central PA. He always enjoyed sports and the outdoors with his mother and grandfather, but after having an Outward Bound experience in Minnesota he longed for grander things. So he moved out west to Arizona to pursue his interests at Prescott Collage. Alec will graduate from Prescott in May 2012 with a degree in Wilderness Leadership and a Minor in Cultural studies. He Learned to climb and ski at Prescott College and focused his time on cultivating these passions.