John Willard's Ice, Rock, Alpine Gear & Expert Recommendations

Founder & Lead Guide @ Willard Mountain Guides

Personal Motto - Wake up and smell the Coffee

John was born in Singapore but moved to the state of Massachusetts in 2000 at the age of 5 and is the youngest of 6 boys. Moving to the United States is where his love of sports and athletic activities began. Playing football for 10+ years, he got the chance to understand what being a part of a team meant and learned many life lessons through the sport. Hard work and determination are ingrained into his DNA. Coming from a low-income family, outdoor activities such as climbing, hiking, snowboarding, mountaineering, etc. were out of the question as a youth. It wasn’t until the age of 13 where John fell in love with the outdoors when he got his first snowboard. This began his journey of understanding there’s more to life and that being outdoors was the answer. Climbing didn’t come into the picture until an intro to climbing course in college by his college professor, Dr. Benjamin Mirkin. As John was signing up for classes, Ben said “you look like a climber, you should sign up” and John went with it and got instantly hooked. The physical and mental aspects of climbing is what John loves the most about climbing. Being able to understand the risks and ways to mitigate them is what makes climbing such an amazing sport, activity, or hobby. It helps you to tap into your brain and understand that your brain can be your worst enemy. Telling yourself you can’t do something puts a limit on what can be done! Ice climbing and rock climbing are the two areas of climbing that John enjoys the most. Being able to share a rope with a first-timer and see them overcome fear and anxiety is such an amazing experience to share with someone. John has climbed, hiked, and backpacked in numerous states across the United States and has worked in the Cascades guiding on bigger mountains and objectives. Mount Baker, Mount Shuksan, Mt. Olympus, Silver Star Mountain, Ingalls Peak, The Tooth, Forbidden Peak, and various routes on the Liberty Bell group in Washington Pass, just to name a few! The east will always be home for John and guiding rock, ice, mountaineering, hiking, and backpacking. Cathedral Ledge, Whitehorse Ledge, and Mount Washington Valley is where John loves to climb and guide. John is a big advocate for continuing education and will continue to gain certifications through the American Mountain Guides Association (AMGA).

Discipline: Ice, Rock, Alpine

Specialty: Ice, Rock, Mountaineering

Extensive Professional Certifications: AMGA Certified Rock Guide, AMGA Certified Ice Instructor, AMGA Certified Single Pitch Instructor (SPI), AMGA Apprentice Alpine Guide, AIARE Level 1 & Rescue, AIARE Level 2 Avalanche certifications; SOLO Wilderness First Responder, CPR Certified, Leave No Trace Master Educator Academic and Educational Background: B.S. in Outdoor Education, Leadership, and Tourism from Vermont State University- Lyndon, Minor in Photography, Associate's Degree in Business Administration Significant Technical Ascents: Completed dozens of advanced climbs across North America, including WI5+ ice routes at Lake Willoughby (VT), mixed routes on Cathedral and Cannon Cliffs (NH), alpine summits in the North Cascades and Olympic ranges (WA), and desert classics in Utah, Wyoming, Idaho, and Nevada up to 5.12a and Grade IV difficulty.