Amos Whiting
Having grown up on an island off the coast of Massachusetts and now living in Aspen, CO not far from where he was born. Amos has a unique connection to both the sea and the mountains. As a teen his first jobs were teaching sailing and working as a life -guard. In 2004 Amos became the 20th American to receive IFMGA/UIAGM certification in Rock climbing, Alpine Mountaineering, and Ski Mountaineering Guiding. Today he is one of 60 American’s to have this certification. Amos works year round as a full mountain guide with each season bringing a different discipline: winter= back country ski and ski mountaineering guiding, avalanche education and ice climbing, Spring = Ski mountaineering, and rock climbing. Summer = Mallorca climbing camps, rock and Alpine guiding, Fall= Rock climbing and expeditions. Amos has also been chosen to be one of the few guides to work for the American Mountain Guides Association (AMGA) teaching and Examining new aspiring guides.
Amos has been rock climbing since 1992. He got his start in on the small cliffs of New England and has since taken his passion for climbing all over the world. Such as Peru, Ecuador, Thailand, Spain, Italy, France, Switzerland, Mexico, Canada and Nepal. Amos has climbed extensively through out the US and has been to many of the world-class venues through out the country and Europe. Amos’ has been a professional mountain guide since 1995 and has maintained strong diversity in his climbing. Some of his career highlights are the second and mostly free accent of Lobo Este pario on the Spinks in Peru Grade VI 5.12- A3, Astro Dog in the Black canyon of the Gunnison V 5.12-, Amos climbs 5.12+ sport, trad and DWS, boulders V7/V8, Water ice 6 and M7. His love for the visual as well as the movement is shown through his many years of searching out and climbing the amazingly ascetic splitter cracks of Indian Creek Utah. Amos’ most recent passion for climbing is Deep Water Soling (DWS) and bouldering.
He first experienced it in 1999 while in Thailand. DWS was not really a popular thing at the time and he focused instead on sport climbing. In recent years he found a few small cliffs over deep water holes with cold rocky mountain snow melt running below, out side of his home town of Aspen CO. Inspired by these small cliffs and the new fad in DWS in the Mediterranean sea (especially Mallorca) He made his first visit there in September 2008 and fell in love with the excitement and ultimate freedom of movement with a blend of sea and rock.
One of the things that set Amos Apart from other guides is that Amos holds a BA in Adventure Education and Psychology from Prescott College. This training and his years working for many out door education companies such as Outward Bound, the Boojum Institute, a number of adjudicated youth programs and working as a Adjunct professor at Prescott College has given him a excellent ability to teach and work with people of all ages and socioeconomic backgrounds. His deep commitment to sharing his passion for adventures in the natural world and facilitating transference from ones experience at camp to their daily lives. Amos combines listening and education skills with world class Guide certification to provide an amazing experience. Amos is a trained Life- Guard; a Certified Wilderness First Responder speaks English, Spanish and some French. In his free time he enjoys travel, good food and wine, music and dancing.