Our Rock Climbing Guides (Previous)
Erik Moore
NASTC Trainer
Erik is a Truckee, California, native and has been climbing since 1993. Some of his favorite places to climb are Yosemite National Park, the Eastern Sierra, Red Rock Canyon, and Southern Utah. In 2013, he began guiding and teaching rock climbing. Erik currently holds a SPI (single pitch instructor) certification, has an Assistant Rock Guide status with the American Mountain Guides Association, and has a Wilderness first responder certification. He truly enjoyed teaching climbing and sharing his passion for it with others. And, yes, he has seen the movie Free Solo.
Steve Schworz
NASTC Rock Climbing Guide
Steve started climbing over 20 years ago in the Shawangunks in New York. A traveler and generalist at heart, he has climbed a little bit of everything in a lot of places — boulders and clip-ups, desert towers and big walls, waterfall ice, alpine ridges and big peaks. Since moving to California in 2008, he has climbed many of the classics in Tahoe, Yosemite, Bishop, and throughout the Sierra.
Steve is certified as an AMGA SPI and CWI and is a Provider for the AMGA CWI Program as well as the AAC Universal Belay Program. In addition, he is a certified WFR and holds the CWA Work-at-Height certification for Qualified Climbing Wall Workers. He also guides at Lover’s Leap, Phantom Spires, and Sugarloaf for Lover’s Leap Guides, works with several climbing gyms in Northern California, and teaches Anthropology at both Sierra College and Sacramento City College.
Colby Wangler
NASTC Rock Climbing Guide
Colby was raised in the Sierra Valley and was taught to climb with ethics and safety first. As an avid route developer, his favorite places to climb are Donner, Squamish, and off the map areas. Colby loves working for NASTC because he gets to share skills that he has learnt that are specific to the experience and offer a unique perspective to his clients. His favorite gear shop in Truckee is Tahoe Sports Hub and in Reno, NV, is Adventure Rentals.
Emma Beardsley
NASTC Rock Climbing Guide, 2014-2019
Emma started as a 14 year old junior guide helping with kids camps. In January 2020, she graduated from Western Washington University. She enjoys sharing her skills and climbing knowledge so if you are a kid, you’re super lucky you get to climb with awesome Emma! A native Truckee-ite, Emma is a serious rock climber who has already logged more days in Yosemite, Tuoloumne, and on Donner Summit than many die-hard adult climbers! She’s a great climber, and a fantastic person.
Evan Haines
NASTC Rock Climbing Guide
Evan is originally from Truckee and started climbing on Donner Summit in high school. Since then, he has climbed throughout the United States, Argentina, and Chile. He loves how climbing has been able to bring them to so many unique places and has introduced them to so many great people. Evan looks forward to sharing some time with you on the rock.
Michael Shine
NASTC Rock Climbing Guide
Mike started his guiding career in the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina while attending Appalachian State University. After he graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Tourism Management, he completed an internship with Atlantic Climbing School and was certified in Acadia National Park.
Mike is a ski instructor, WEMT, yogi, and many time NOLS grad. He enjoys sport climbing in the Red River Gorge, long traditional multi-pitch climbs, and has been on eight expeditions with organizations such as Outward Bound and American Alpine Institute. He’s traversed the Southern Ice field in Patagonia, crack climbed in Squamish, and lead routes up sea cliffs in Maine. Mike is a mountaineer, ice climber, rock climber, and skier who loves to have fun in the mountains and looks forward to making your course the best it can possibly be.
Derek Larson
NASTC Rock Climbing Guide
Derek has been a climber since high school in the early 1980s. He served on the Yosemite Search and Rescue Team for 6 years and has been trained as a rock instructor by the American Mountain Guides Association. When he isn’t climbing, he works as a professor of environmental science at Sierra College in Truckee and also gives guide trips in Nepal and Vietnam. Derek is excited to help you develop your own passion for climbing!
Chris Fellows
NASTC Co-Director/Founder
Chris is a professional member of the AMGA, a rock climbing guide since 1985, a former owner of Sierra Mountain Guides, and the co-founder/owner of NASTC. He has guided rock climbing all over the world including Tahoe, the Sierra Eastside, British Columbia, Nepal, France, and Chile. Chris enjoys introducing beginners to rock climbing as well as taking seasoned climbers up longer routes.