Seneca Rocks Climbing School

Our staff are certified outdoor guides and have received extensive training from the American Mountain Guides Association (AMGA), organizations like WMA who provide the Wilderness First Responder certification (WFR), and Leave No Trace (LNT).

The American Mountain Guides Association (AMGA) certifies guides and climbing instructors to the highly respected standards of their organization. The AMGA is the only internationally recognized professional association of trained and certified Guides and Climbing Instructors in the United States. The Wilderness First Responder (WFR) is a nationally recognized certification that trains participants to respond to emergencies. Our society expects professionals such as doctors and pilots to seek training in order to be trusted with our safety, your climbing guide should be held to the same standard.

Arthur Kearns Owner	Arthur Kearns, also known as ACK, has been climbing for over 30 years. Rock climbing has always been his No 1 sport, although telemark skiing wins during the winter months. In addition to guiding he spends much of his time in the role of Mr. Retail, managing the Gendarme and Mountain Trails in Winchester, Va. ACK has climbed in Yosemite, extensively in North Carolina, Greenland, Bolivia and elsewhere in the US. He has completed the AMGA Rock Instructor course and holds a WFR.
Diane Kearns Owner	Diane Kearns knew she found herself in 1989 on her first climb, Mt. Rainier. Diane trys to fit enough climbing, skiing and running in between pushing a pencil (accounting type stuff) at The Gendarme, Mountain Trails and Fruit Hill Orchard, her family's apple orchard operation. Diane has climbed in Greenland, Nepal, Bolivia, Europe, Alaska and elsewhere in the US. She is an AMGA certified Single Pitch Instructor, has completed the AMGA Rock Instructror course and holds a WFR.
Massey Teel Head Guide	Massey Teel knew early on that outdoor education was the way he wanted to go. His clear, progressive manner of teaching and distinctive laugh makes for a fun and informative course. During the winter months Massey is the program director for Wintergreen Adaptive Sports, a non-profit that teaches those with disabilities to ski and snowboard. Massey is the only AMGA certified Rock Instructor based in Seneca Rocks, and is the only guide in the mid-Atlantic region who has completed the AMGA Rock Guide Course. Massey also holds a WFR and a B.S. of Parks and Recreation from Virginia Commonwealth University. He has climbed extensively on the East coast and in the Southwest.
Alan Goldbetter Guide	Alan Goldbetter at 21 years old Alan is the youngest member of the team but has one of the most impressive resumes. He has 5 years of guiding experinece at Seneca Rocks and a climbing resume that would make climbers twice his age jealous, having travled throughout the U.S., Mexico and Europe to climb. Alan is a certified Single Pitch Instructor and holds a Wilderness First Responder certification.
Daniel Brothers Guide	Daniel Brothers learned to climb in the Southeast over 15 years ago. In that time he has climbed across the U.S. (Moab, Red Rocks, Smith Rocks, Looking Glass, Stone Mtn, Granite Mtn, T-Wall and Sandrock to name a few). He truly enjoys sharing his knowledge and passion for climbing with others. He has been a certified Single Pitch Instructor since 2009 and holds a Wilderness First Responder certification. Daniel successfully completed the AMGA Rock Instructor Course in the fall of 2011.
Seth Pettit Guide	Seth Pettit comes to Seneca Rocks Climbing School with a strong background in outdoor education and rock climbing. Over the past eight years he has climbed extensively in the United States including ascents in Joshua Tree, Yosemite, and Zion National Parks, Red Rocks National Recreation Area, the granite domes of North Carolina, and Seneca Rocks to name a few. He received a Bachelors of Science from Indiana University in 2010 with a focus in outdoor recreation and natural resource management, and holds AMGA Single Pitch Instructor and SOLO Wilderness First Responder certifications. Seth successfully completed the AMGA Rock Instructor Course in the fall of 2011.
Robert Rives Guide	Rob Rives comes from the granite and quartzite playgrounds of western North Carolina, where he began climbing at the age of 12. In the decade since, his passion for outdoor experiences has produced a great enthusiasm for instruction and guiding both on the rock and as an environmental educator. He currently holds AMGA Single Pitch Instructor and SOLO Wilderness First Responder certifications.
Sean Tracy Guide	Sean Tracy, comes to us from Shenandoah Virginia tucked between Old Rag mountain and George Washington National Forest. He has been climbing for two decades, beginning his climbing career at Great Falls Virginia at 13. Sean is a professional firefighter in our nation's capital and a Nationally Registered EMT-I. Currently holding an AMGA Single Pitch Instructor certification and is also an LNT Trainer, Sean successfully completed the AMGA Rock Instructor Course in the fall of 2011.
Patrick Weaver Guest Guide	Patrick Weaver, brings a unique set of skills to the guiding community. He loves sharing outdoor adventure with others as a climbing guide for both rock climbing and ice climbing, and is an excellent teacher. His understanding of different learning styles and variety of teaching techniques is a huge asset to your experience. Patrick began climbing in the Midwest 20 years ago at a small crag in central Michigan. From there he has traveled to over 23 destinations throughout North America. Besides locally climbing North Carolina. Patrick is the owner and head guide of Appalachian Mountain Institute, based in Brevard, NC. We strongly suggest that you contact Patrick if you are interested in climbing in NC.
Elainia Smith Guest Guide	Elaina Arenz-Smith is the owner of New River Mountain Guides and has pursued climbing as a career for 17 years. She's traveled all over the North America and Europe, and was instrumental in establishing El Potrero Chico, Mexico as a premiere climbing destination. She's competed in national climbing competitions, established numerous first female ascents across the US and Mexico, and is sponsored by Evolv Climbing Shoes and Sterling Rope. Elaina is a certified Rock Instructor and holds a WFR. We strongly encourage those interested in climbing at the New River Gorge to contact Elainia.