About Your Guides

Alpine Endeavors is proud to work with some of the most experienced and well rounded guides in the area. They are all alpinists at heart, enjoying and respecting the environment and climbing through all its seasons.

 

Marty Molitoris; Director
AMGA Certified Alpine Guide, AMGA Certified Rock Guide, New York State Licensed Guide, Wilderness Emergency Medical Technician, AIARE (avalanche training) Level I, II, and III, Leave No Trace Master Educator, General Class Amateur Radio Operator -KC2IZD, Eagle Scout

Marty began climbing in 1988, and guiding in 1991. His first visit to the Gunks was during Columbus Day weekend in 1990. After a good number of return visits, he began guiding here in the fall of 1995 commuting (from his hometown in PA) for work until moving here in 1997. During the season of 1997, he worked part time at Rock and Snow until becoming a Level One Certified Rock Guide in October. From then on, he has guided full-time and considers himself lucky to be able to make a career out of guiding. He has shared the experience of climbing with many guests at many different locations throughout the country - some guests have climbed with him regularly for over 14 years. Over that time they have swapped leads, shared experiences, grown friendships, and set future climbing goals. While he enjoys all types of climbing, he prefers the solitude, self-reliance, and commitment you gain from climbing traditional multi-pitch routes.

Marty strives to offer the most professional services possible, and continually works on improving his standards. He has been involved with the AMGA since 1993; participated in the Basic and Advanced Rock Guides courses, took two rock exams - Level One and Rock Guide, participated in both the Alpine and Advanced Alpine Guides courses, successfully completed the Alpine Exam, and continues to work toward his ski certification. He is a member of the AMGA Accreditation Committee, and an instructor for their Top Rope Site Management Course. He is currently the only exam-certified rock guide residing and operating in New York State.

 

Joe Vitti
AMGA Certified Rock Instructor, New York State Licensed Guide, New York State Emergency Medical Technician, Wilderness First Responder, Leave No Trace Master Educator
 
Joe has been climbing for over twenty years. He started on the crags near his folks' house in central Connecticut as a teenager. The physical and mental challenges and camaraderie of the sport provided a positive outlet for the abundant and often wild energy of his youth.

Joe has climbed all over the country. He has done routes in twenty states from Texas to Wyoming and California to Maine. He has climbed extensively in Colorado where he lived for ten years including routes on The Diamond on Longs Peak and climbs throughout Rocky Mountain National Park. He enjoys all aspects of climbing; bouldering, sport, trad, snow, ice and especially long alpine free climbs.  He is also an avid snowboarder, trail runner and  swimming hole aficionado.

Joe feels fortunate to have had strong mentors who stressed safety, friendship and respect for the environment.  He is happy to return that favor by working hard to provide a positive experience for all of his guests. 

 

Mike Rawdon
AMGA Certified Top Rope Site Manager, New York State Licensed Guide, Wilderness First Aid

Mike grew up in the heart of the Adirondack Mountains and began hiking with his father at an early age. As he grew up, he enjoyed the peace that the woods offered and often found relief from life's challenges there. By age 18, he climbed the 46 highest peaks in the Adirondacks. While in college, rock climbing supplemented backpacking as his favorite pastime. After graduation he moved to the Hudson Valley (over 26 years ago) and the Gunks became his "home crag". A chemist by training, with both industrial and academic experience, he appreciates the problem-solving nature of the sport as well as the technical nature of the various gear systems employed. His motto is, "A lousy day ice or rock climbing beats a good day behind a desk."

Kevin Johnson
AMGA Certified Rock Instructor, Nationally Registered Emergency Medical Technician, Wilderness Emergency Medical Technician. New York State DEC Licensed Guide,

In 1995, Kevin was introduced to rock climbing, in the Adirondack State Park. Kevin’s love for the outdoors began long before he discovered his passion for climbing. Rock climbing added a new dimension to Kevin’s relationship with the natural world. In 2002, Kevin began instructing rock climbing courses for The University of New Hampshire’s Outdoor Education program where he received his B.S. in Outdoor Education. Kevin loves teaching others how to rock climb and designed the curriculum and currently teaches a top rope rock climbing course offered at SUNY Oneonta. Kevin spent three years as the Assistant Director of The Clark Sport Center Adventure Programs in Cooperstown, NY, where he developed as both a teacher and a climber. He spent the summer of 2007 as a Rock Climbing Specialist and Instructor for the North Carolina Outward Bound School. Although he enjoyed spending time in North Carolina, climbing on beautiful granite, he is excited to be back in a place that feels so familiar.

Kevin took his AMGA Rock Instructor exam in the fall of 2008, and plans to continue his education with the AMGA in the near future. He is excited to be guiding and instructing rock climbing courses in the Gunks.

“When we tug at a single thing in nature; we find it attached to the rest of the world.” John Muir (edited)

 

Taino Grosjean
AMGA Certified Top Rope Site Manager, New York State Licensed Guide, Wilderness First Aid

Taino (or Tai, as he prefers) began climbing December 26, 2002 after promising an injured friend and longtime climber to partner up when he was back in shape; he had no idea that making the promise would change his life in such a dramatic fashion.  He was enthralled with the puzzle-like feeling of climbing. Figuring out how to get up the rock under his own power was (and still is) one of the greatest feelings ever, and he decided to learn as much as he could about climbing.  In the process, Tai has earned AMGA Top Rope Site Manager certification, a New York State Rock Guide license, and holds Red Cross certification in First Aid.

Tai grew up in the country and spends the majority of his free time outdoors, usually climbing.  A natural teacher, few things are more satisfying to him than introducing someone to something he loves so much, and watching them share the joy. Tai has climbed in six states, on three continents, and in four countries, but views the Gunks as his "home crag."

 

Bob Elsinger
AMGA Certified Top Rope Site Manager, New York State Licensed Guide, New York State Emergency Medical Technician

Bob started in the early 60’s backpacking and climbing all of the Northeast’s highest summits. These activities naturally led to him discover rock climbing in the Tetons and Gunks in the summer of 1969. Since then, he has enjoyed rock, ice, and alpine climbing in over 20 states and Canada.

Bob is a retired physical education teacher and coach from Long Island were he worked for 32 years. Since his retirement, he has been fortunate enough to move to the New Paltz area and work as a seasonal ranger at the Mohonk Preserve, guide for Alpine Endeavors, and volunteer as an EMT for the New Paltz Rescue Squad.

While guiding, Bob loves to share his experience, in-depth knowledge of the history of the area, and enthusiasm for rock and ice climbing with his guests.

 

Russ Clune
AMGA Certified Top Rope Site Manager, New York State Licensed Guide, First Aid

Russ started climbing in 1977 while attending the University of Vermont, and has been a leading figure in Gunks climbing over the years. He’s done dozens of first ascents on the cliffs here, including many at Sky Top. He enjoys all aspects of rock climbing, from bouldering to big walls, and has climbed at a world-class level. Russ was the first American climber to participate in an international competition at Bardonecchia, Italy in 1985. He also competed in the former Soviet Union in 1986 in their speed climbing competition.

Russ is one of the most well-traveled rock climbers around, having climbed virtually everywhere throughout the States, as well as having done thousands of routes at hundreds of crags in over 35 countries on every continent except Antarctica.

After getting his Masters degree from Columbia University, Russ moved to California to work for Chouinard Equipment, and was a member of the buyout team that created Black Diamond Equipment. He moved back to this area in 1991, and he continues to work for Black Diamond as a sales representative.

 

Myriam Bouchard
AMGA Certified Single Pitch Instructor, New York State Licensed Guide, Wilderness First Aid

A Montreal native, Myriam has been an outdoors enthusiast, hiking and backpacking mostly solo, for over 20 years. Some time after she moved to the Gunks, an area she immediately called home, she could see the cliffs from her living room window and wondered, despite her fear of heights, if she should try rock climbing, “just to see if she would like it”. That was in 1996 and she has been an avid climber since then, enjoying the physical challenge it entails, the emotional connection it brings with others and nature, and the mental peace she finds akin to Zen.

She has hiked, backpacked, and climbed in a dozen other areas in the east and west coasts of the US and Canada, including Nepal and Tibet, enjoying the beauty and the diversity of the landscape in each location.

The outdoors nurtures the physical and mental rejuvenation necessary to keep up with the pace of raising her two teens (both climbers), while also working as a business adviser and as a travel consultant. Consequently, she feels enthused in sharing this experience with others, who may, like her, make it a lifelong and enduring passion.

Myriam parle parfaitement le français.

 

Jon Crefeld
AMGA Certified Single Pitch Instructor, New York State Licensed Guide, First Aid

Info coming soon.....

 

"Marty, Just a belated Thank you to Joe for the climbing day on Sky top some 3 weeks ago or so. The climbs were very nice (sound & fury, mellow yellow to be done again!) and Joe came out despite the so so weather. I appreciate that - I was looking forward to the climbs for a while! That was a real treat and really nice climbing. I also appreciate him sharing the "tips" like the differences in backup knots, the redirect with the guide ATC for lowering, etc. I hope I remember them all. I also want to thank Endeavor for "opening" the cliff again. "

 

For overnight reservations at Mohonk Mountain House , please call 1-800-772-6646 and specify your interest in rock climbing.