Mount Vinson Guides

Dan Corn is an IFMGA/UIAGM certified guide with experience around the world. Dan’s began his career in New England, working for the Forest Service as a backcountry ranger and guiding for the International Mountain Climbing School. In 2007 he moved west to guide on Denali for the Alaska Mountaineering School(AMS) and to work for Exum Mountain Guides in the Tetons. Currently a lead guide at Alpine Ascents International, he also continues to lead trips for AMS as well as spending time heli-ski guiding for Valdez Heli-Ski Guides, Tordrillo North, Powder South, and the Eleven Experience.  During the winter he works as a ski guide for Jackson Hole Mountain Resort and as an instructor for the American Avalanche Institute.  From 2015-2017 Dan was a climbing ranger on Denali for the National Park Service patrolling the highest peak in North America in addition to high altitude rescue work. Some of Dan’s proudest...

Born and raised in Scranton, Pennsylvania Matt began a lifetime of mountain recreation by skiing in the Poconos as a child. He took interest in rock climbing while in college and started traveling throughout the American east in pursuit of adventures involving rock and snow. The chase for bigger objectives landed him in Salt Lake City, Utah after finishing school. Matt worked as a ski patroller in the Wasatch Range while using SLC as home base to explore the classic climbs and ski descents of the American west. After sampling several mountain states, the glaciated volcanoes of Washington felt like home. Matt is now loosely based out of Bellingham, Washington and balances mountain guiding with personal adventures year round. He spends the majority of the year working in Washington and Alaska, and has been a core member of our Denali guide teams since 2022. When not guiding with Alpine Ascents,...

Bryce was born and raised in Cle Elum, Washington in the heart of the Central Cascades. It was there he discovered his passion for the outdoors. His personal adventures as a climber and skier have taken him to places all over the Western United States,  Alaska, British Columbia, and South America. In addition to guiding, Bryce serves as Alpine Ascents’ field manager. You’re equally likely to find him establishing a route up the Disappointment Cleaver on Rainier, or designing our annual guide trainings. Every fall Bryce can be found back in Cle Elum, where he coaches the local High School XC team. When not working or climbing, Bryce enjoys traveling, trail running, spending time with his family, or trying to work on his golf game.

Ben is one of the premier high altitude guides in the world, with over 20 years of experience leading expeditions and courses across the globe. Ben’s guiding resume includes 10 expeditions to Everest, 4 expeditions to Cho Oyu, and numerous ascents of other 8000m peaks. Ben is an expedition leader on the seven summits, and has first ascents in remote areas around the world. Ben guides full time, leading expeditions to Everest, Denali, Cho Oyu, Kilimanjaro, and Vinson to round out his season as one of the most active guides in the industry. When not on an expedition, he instructs courses in mountaineering, backcountry skiing, snowboarding, and horse packing. While teaching mountaineering at National Outdoor Leadership School, Ben extensively explored the glaciers of the Chugach Mountains, Wrangells, eastern Alaska Range, and remote mountains in British Columbia, as well as in Wyoming and Idaho. In the off season while residing in...

With over two decades of experience guiding in the planet’s most demanding environments, Jangbu Sherpa is an internationally respected IFMGA-certified mountain guide whose career has taken him from the Himalayas to the Andes, Alaska to Antarctica, and deep into the rugged peaks of the Pacific Northwest. His expedition resume is as deep as it is diverse. Jangbu Sherpa has guided clients to the summit of Mount Everest seven times and also the summit of K2, Makalu, Lhotse, and Dhaulagiri, alongside AMA Dablam, Cholatse, Kyajo Ri Lobuche East, Island Peak, and numerous other 6,000-meter summits throughout Nepal. In the Americas, he has led successful expeditions on the Seven Summits, including Denali, Aconcagua, Vinson Massif, Kilimanjaro and Carstensz Pyramid. Closer to home, he guides year-round on Mount Rainier, Mount Shuksan, Mount Baker, and other technical objectives throughout the North Cascades. In addition to climbing and guiding, Jangbu Sherpa is deeply respected for...

Arielle grew up in California, where regular family trips to Yosemite sparked a lifelong love of the outdoors. After earning a bachelor’s degree in Outdoor Recreation and Leadership, with summers spent working in Yosemite, the Rockies, and southern Alaska, along with a semester in New Zealand’s backcountry with NOLS, she turned her passion for adventure into a guiding career. Ari has been guiding since 2010, and joined Alpine Ascents in 2017. Ari spends her time outdoors year round, guiding different peaks across the globe each season. She spends her springs and summers on Washington’s glaciers, leading our mountaineering school in the Pacific Northwest and has lead Alpine Ascents Denali expeditions since 2019. In the fall season she travels to the Himalayas for ascents of Mera Peak, and spends the winter spearheading trips to the Volcanoes of Mexico. Known for her steady leadership, she thrives on helping climbers push beyond their...

Don began climbing on the East Coast more than two decades ago and has been guiding professionally for over 15 years. Since joining Alpine Ascents in 2017, he has led expeditions on Denali, Everest, Manaslu, and in Antarctica, bringing deep experience on snow, rock, and ice to every climb. His career highlights include first ascents on Newfoundland rock and the rare achievement of climbing a floating iceberg, alongside extensive guiding seasons across over 12 countries. Don is also known for his unique story of climbing Baruntse with an unlikely companion, making his 2018 expedition the first recorded dog ascent of a 7,000 m Himalayan peak. Holding a master’s degree in education, Don is as passionate about teaching the finer details as he is about expedition life. Whether instructing our winter avalanche courses in Washington State, or leading high-altitude expeditions across the globe, he is known for his steady leadership, thoughtful...