Fitz Elder
Fitz hails from Virginia where he grew up going on family hikes and camping trips in Shenandoah National Park and throughout central Virginia. As he grew older, hiking turned into a means of transportation to fish for brook trout in the many mountain streams of the region. In college in Tennessee, Fitz discovered rock climbing and spent many weekends in western North Carolina and eastern Tennessee. While in college he worked for his university’s outdoors program leading trips and working in the office. After college Fitz spent a few summers guiding overnight mountaineering and backpacking trips in Haines, Alaska and working winters in Colorado’s Front Range and in Central Idaho. Fitz now lives in the Hood River area with his partner and dog, spending his winters as a pro ski patroller on Mt. Hood and guiding on Mt. Rainier in the summer.
Climbing Resumé
- Mt. Hood, Oregon (11,249') | multiple ascents and ski descent
- Mt. Fairweather, Alaska (15,325') | one expedition
- Galena Peak, California (11,167') | ski descent
- Winter ascents of multiple Colorado 14ers
- Climbing trips in the Bugaboos, Spain, Alaska, and the Tatshenshini Alsek Range
- Ski touring in central Idaho and the Cascades
- Various other rock climbs throughout North Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia, and Arkansas
Certifications
- Emergency Medical Technician
- Wilderness First Responder
- AAA Rec 1 Avalanche
- Leave No Trace Level 2 Instructor
