Ben grew up in Olympia, Washington, where he had a view of the mountain throughout his life. He grew up hiking throughout the Northwest and fell in love with climbing in college. In the winter Ben spends his time between personal climbing trips and guiding. He has lived and studied in four different countries and finished school with Psychology and Spanish degrees. He has also spent time ski patrolling in Utah and currently spends his winters at Big Sky Ski Resort in Montana. In the spring of 2008, Ben began guiding heli-skiing for Points North in Cordova, Alaska. When not climbing, Ben enjoys traveling, biking, skiing and surfing. He is currently pursuing his AMGA certification.