Guides

Originally from Denver, Colorado, Stephanie now calls the foothills home, where the mountains are both her backyard and her inspiration.. With more than a decade of experience in the outdoor industry spanning ski instruction, ski school management, product marketing, and customer success, she has built a career at the intersection of adventure and strategy. She is also pursuing her Outdoor Industry MBA at Western Colorado University, combining her professional expertise with advanced studies in sustainable business and product management.

In her role with Climbing the Seven Summits, Stephanie is focused on creating a thoughtful and seamless guest experience. She’s often the first point of contact, offering guidance, answering questions, and ensuring climbers feel supported from the moment they begin planning their expedition. Her approach blends professionalism with genuine care, helping guests focus on the climb while knowing every detail has been carefully handled.

As an outdoor enthusiast herself, Stephanie understands the challenges and rewards of time in the mountains. Whether skiing fresh lines in the backcountry, climbing at her local crag, or exploring trails on her mountain bike, she brings firsthand knowledge of the adventure lifestyle to her work. Her goal is to help every guest feel prepared, confident, and inspired as they take on journeys of a lifetime.

Ty is originally from Kemmerer, Wyoming, where he grew up climbing in the Wind River Range and other rugged corners of his home state. Ty’s interests span from alpine objectives to sport climbing and the various disciplines that connect them all. Currently, he is working toward his IFMGA certification through the AMGA. In conjunction with his AMGA training and coursework, Ty is continuing his education in Organizational Leadership with plans to pursue a master’s degree. He already holds a degree in Outdoor Education and Leadership from Central Wyoming College.

In his community, Ty serves as a high-angle rescue team lead for the Lander Search and Rescue (Wyoming).

In both academic and professional work, Ty centers his endeavors around Habit-Based Resilience—a framework he developed to bridge the gap between leadership theory and the realities of high-consequence environments. His approach to guiding is built around systems that hold under pressure, emphasizing clarity, adaptability, and disciplined decision-making in the mountains.

Tate grew up in a small town in Western Wyoming, exploring the nearby mountain ranges. While working on a Forest Service trail crew in high school, a coworker showed Tate “the ropes” of rock climbing, and his love for climbing technical mountains began. Since then, Tate has worked with Climbing Ranger teams in Grand Teton (US), Denali (US), and Aoraki/Mount Cook (NZ) National Parks, as well as guided in Denali National Park for multiple seasons. Before that, he attended Utah State University, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in Journalism with a minor in Outdoor Adventure Leadership. In the winter months, Tate resides in Bozeman, MT, ski patrolling at Big Sky Resort. In his free time, Tate is often found in the mountains, but he also enjoys good food and live music.

Raised on the Mornington Peninsula in southeast Australia, Tom didn’t grow up near the mountains—but his passion for pushing physical limits in harsh, unpredictable environments inevitably led him to them. What began as a personal pursuit quickly turned into a deep love for high-altitude adventure, sparked by successful expeditions on Aconcagua, Mount Elbrus, and Mount Kilimanjaro.

Tom plays a key role on our Kosciuszko Winter Ascent and Australian Alpine Academy programs, assisting with guiding and sharing his wealth of experience. With multiple seasons in Australia’s alpine backcountry under his belt, Tom takes pride in helping beginner clients build confidence and develop the essential skills needed to take on bigger, more demanding mountains.

When he’s not in crampons, Tom trades them for trail shoes—competing in some of the toughest ultramarathons in Australia and around the world, including Everest 135, Down Under 135, and the Unreasonable EAST 200-miler. He has also represented Australia at the World Mountain & Trail Running Championships multiple times.

Originally from Australia, Brett is a chartered accountant who now calls Jackson Hole home, where he lives with his family and enjoys his deep love for the mountains. Prior to joining CTSS, Brett spent over 13 years as the CFO and COO of Teton Gravity Research, helping to build one of the most iconic brands in outdoor media.

At CTSS, Brett brings a wealth of backend expertise in finance, operations, and strategic planning, ensuring every detail of your expedition runs smoothly from start to summit. Whether it’s optimizing logistics or navigating international complexities, Brett’s focus is on creating seamless experiences behind the scenes so guests and guides can focus on the adventure ahead.

Benny is a dedicated alpine climber, expedition leader, and mountain guide living in Alaska. In 2016, he transitioned to full-time climbing & guiding after radically redesigning his life, leaving a Product Design background for the mountains. Since then, he has led more than 40 expeditions to summits on six continents. With a focus on high-altitude guiding, Benny has worked on 8 expeditions to 8,000m peaks with 6 summits.

Benny’s personal alpine climbing has taken him to peaks in Alaska, Nepal, India, Peru & New Zealand. During the Alaskan winters, Benny passionately pursues ephemeral frozen waterfalls & develops mixed routes. With design in his pocket, he works with brands in the outdoor industry on product development through rigorous field testing efforts. Benny’s relentless fire for big, wild places continues to drive him to many of the world’s great peaks, both known & unknown.

Balancing the desire to challenge both my mind and body has led me to a unique place in life, where I split my time between conducting exercise physiology research at the University of Montana and climbing and guiding around the world. My research specifically explores how athletes adapt to extreme environments—whether it’s intense heat, cold, or high altitude—many of these questions are inspired by my personal experiences climbing and guiding in the mountains. Additionally, I actively apply the science behind my research to help climbers prepare for and navigate their climbing journeys, both in training and on expeditions.

Reviews from CTSS Clients:

“Pega is a LEGEND,” – Seven Summits Finisher

“Pega’s attention to detail and clear and concise communication ensured we were an effective team. Continually alert to safety considerations, he did not ‘follow the herd’ but considered optimal routes for my capabilities. I am now a much better climber, thanks to Pega’s patient coaching. Pega’s competence in handling my evacuation due to unanticipated health issues was exemplary. If you climb with Pega, you will be in safe hands with world-class expertise. He can also teach you a few magic tricks and plays a mean game of ping-pong.” – 2024 Everest Summiteer 

One of the world’s best Himalayan guides, Pega Sherpa, is known for his technical skills, patience, and thoughtfulness while guiding. Because of this, Pega is also one of our most sought-after private guides on Everest.

Pega brings a remarkable resume, including 13x summits on 8,000-meter peaks, experience as a mountain and trekking guide across the Himalayas, and, most recently, one of our Star Guides on Kilimanjaro, and a Bachelor’s degree in Social Work. In his free time, Pega is also a climbing instructor at the Khumbu Climbing Centre (KCC). He has completed both basic and advanced climbing courses with KCC and the Nepal Mountaineering Association (NMA). He has also completed his Rigging for Rescue and Wilderness First Responder courses in the USA.

Victoria has been climbing mountains for as long as she can remember.

She spent her winters as a child exploring the Austrian Alps, where she became passionate about spending time in the mountains and off-piste skiing. Victoria’s mountain endeavors have taken her all over the US, South America, and Europe. She has a background as a Registered Nurse and Ski Patroller, equipped to help keep everyone safe in the outdoors.

Victoria guides and instructs mountaineering and ski mountaineering in the summer, and backcountry skiing in the winter. She is especially passionate about creating access for all in outdoor spaces and helping aspiring mountain athletes learn new skills and achieve their goals.

Don hails from Port Ludlow in Washington, USA and is one of the most sought after senior guides in the world with over 23 years of climbing experience leading over 1,650 commercial trips across the globe.

His calm, cool, even keeled demeanour paired with an extraordinary work ethic, patience and kindness has seen him excel in the high mountains and become a client favorite. Always willing to go the extra mile to help those around him be safe and successful, Don has a natural ability at extreme altitude, a deep commitment to client care and a passion for the high Himalaya. In a previous career Don was a whitewater guide and a teacher and holds a Masters Degree.