experts creating Unforgettable adventures.

Smiles guides are specialists in technical climbing and expedition leadership. Each guide brings deep experience to our climbing venues domestic and abroad, along with a proven record of critical decision making and guest support. Browse their backgrounds and meet the Smile Mountain Guides guide.

| SMILE MOUNTAIN GUIDES TEAM |

Exceptional Adventures demand guides this good.

What sets the team apart is how they combine technical expertise with a deep commitment to safety, guest care, and turning a trip into an unforgettable experience. All our climbing school groups are kept small with a maximum guest-to-guide ratio of 4:1, exceeding industry standards. Beyond managing logistics and hazards, these guides educate, guide with heart, and inspire. They help you connect with wild landscapes, wildlife, and personal breakthroughs. In short— they show you a version of adventure you’ll remember forever.

Meet your Guides.

A man smiling at the camera, wearing a red jacket, a blue cap, and sunglasses on his cap, with a rocky outdoor background in black and white.

Jeffrey Mascaro

Smile Founder | Co-Owner | Lead Guide

A woman outdoors in a mountain setting, smiling with a slightly muddy face, wearing a navy blue mountain guide jacket.

Meg Nickman

Smile Co-Owner | Senior Guide

A man smiling wearing an orange Arc'teryx jacket with mountain guiding logos and a black cap with a green brim, standing against a rocky background.

Michael O’Connor

Senior Guide | Bishop, California

Brent Smith

Senior Guide | Boulder, Colorado

A woman smiling and making a peace sign with both hands outdoors in a forested area, wearing a blue long-sleeve shirt, a black cap with pink sunglasses on top, and a mountain guide shirt.

Heidi Wirtz

Senior Guide | Strawberry, California

Woman with long curly hair, wearing sunglasses, a baseball cap, and a floral shirt, smiling while hiking in a forest, carrying a large blue backpack.

Jess worley

Guide | Boulder, Colorado

Becca Droz

Guide | Boulder, Colorado

Spencer Purvis

Guide | Ouray, Colorado

suzanna lourie

Guide | Ouray, Colorado

Alex Keimel

Guide | Ouray, Colorado

A person wearing a blue Arc'teryx jacket, orange hood, and pink sunglasses, with a snack in mouth, outdoors with a mountainous background.

JESS SELWYN

Guide | Grand Junction, Colorado

Rostyn Hamilton

Guide | Ouray, Colorado

Woman smiling outdoors, wearing a black cap with 'Smile Mountain Guides' written on it, a black sleeveless athletic top, and green shorts, standing against red rock formations.

JESsie pouchet

Guide | Boulder, Colorado

| A GLIMPSE OF OUR HISTORY |

Climbing Tocllaraju Cordillera Blanca, Peru

CERTIFICATION AND TRAINING

All of our guides undergo training through the AMGA and receive annual CPD. A majority of our guides hold AMGA Guide Certifications, which indicates they have the highest level of training within that discipline. This commitment to their own high-level technical abilities and professionalism through certifications ensures that you work with the best in the industry, regarding security, industry best practices, and movement ability. We know that’s not everything to look for in a guide, but it is a really great start…

SUPPORT

Smile pays 50% of the tuition costs for AMGA mountain guide programs and A3 Professional Snow Science programs to our full-time team members. Since 2023, a donor has matched our tuition, meaning our full-time team receives free continuing education for their careers, taking one of the industry's most significant burdens off their minds. So far we’ve supported and paid these full programs for our guides:

  • x3 Rock Guide Exams

  • x3 SPI Instructor Provider Trainings

  • x2 Alpine Guide Courses

  • x2 Ice Instructor Courses

  • x1 Pro1 Avalanche Program

| Guide Training and Support |

the smile mountain guides difference.

BELOW RANRAPALCA, CORDILLERA BLANCA

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