Senior Guide
With RMI
Edmond, Oklahoma//Ridgway, Colorado
Mt. Baker with my mom!
Outside of guiding, I’m inspired by movement, storytelling, and meaningful connection. I love trail running, ice climbing and training for big objectives, as well as reading, writing, traveling, antiquing, and hosting long, lingering dinners with friends and family.
Jess grew up in Oklahoma with adventurous parents who instilled in her a love for being outside. She didn’t learn to truly love the high alpine until her late teens when she joined her mom on a trip to Mt. Baker. Since then, she’s been actively trying to make up for lost time by traveling through the United States and around the world developing her rock and alpine skills.
Jess finds the most joy in human-powered exploration ranging from trail running to mountaineering to rock and ice climbing. With a background in social work, she enjoys sharing this experience with others especially knowing what being in the mountains has done for her. It is her passion to be able to guide and work with people in the outdoors. When she’s not on Rainier, she resides in Ridgway, Colorado where she spends her time ice climbing, trail running and enjoying the best winters ever.
I am drawn to the quiet shifts that happen in the mountains, when distractions fall away and people reconnect with themselves and each other. For me, guiding is about more than moving through wild places; it’s about creating space for growth, trust, and meaningful connection.
In the off season, I live in Ridgway, Colorado, where I play outside as much as possible - skate skiing, ice climbing, trail running, Pilates, desert canyons, and the occasional pickleball match.
I hope clients leave with a renewed sense of confidence and connection — to themselves, to others and to what they’re capable of. My goal is that the experience feels meaningful, supportive, and something they carry with them long after the climb is over.
20+ | Mt. Rainier, Washington, USA | 14,411' (Kautz, Disappointment Cleaver & Emmons routes)
2 | Mt. Everest, Nepal | 29,032' (expeditions)
2 | Manaslu, Nepal | 26,781' (expeditions)
1 | Ama Dablam, Nepal | 22,349'
3 | Lobuche East, Nepal | 20,075' (expeditions)
3 | Aconcagua, Argentina | 22,841' (expeditions)
Multiple | Ecuador Volcanoes (Cotopaxi, Cayambe, Chimborazo), Ecuador | 18,491'–20,697'
Multiple | Bolivian Peaks (Pequeño Alpamayo, Pico Tarija, Cabeza de Cóndor, Huayna Potosí), Bolivia | 17,533'–19,974'
1 | Pico de Orizaba, Mexico | 18,491'
1 | Mt. Shuksan, Washington, USA | 9,131' (Fisher Chimneys)
Multiple | Eldorado Peak & Dorado Needle, Washington, USA | North Cascades
Multiple | Mt. Baker, Washington, USA | 10,781' (North Ridge, Coleman-Deming & Easton Glacier)
1 | Glacier Peak, Washington, USA | 10,541'
1 | Mt. Whitney, California, USA | 14,505' (Mountaineer’s Route)
1 | Mt. Hood, Oregon, USA | 11,250' (Hogsback)
1 | Mt. Adams, Washington, USA | 12,280'
1 | Gokyo Trek, Nepal
1 | Everest Base Camp Trek, Nepal
1 | Machu Picchu Trek, Peru
1 | Patagonia Trek, Argentina
12 | Fastest Known Times (mountain routes, US & international)
Multiple | Rock & Ice Climbing (Colorado, Mountain West, Northeast), USA
RMI Expeditions Guides are required to hold a number of certifications, but many go above and beyond with their technical and outdoor training. We actively encourage (and provide funding for) our guides' continuing education.
November 2, 2025
Program Name
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- Name
Mountaineering
Aconcagua pierces the sky above the rest of the Andes at 22,841 feet, the highest point in both the Western and Southern Hemispheres and one of the Seven Summits. It is a mountain that earns every foot of its elevation: the altitude is relentless, the weather is unpredictable, and the approach is a three-day trek through the winding Vacas Valley that gradually introduces climbers to the scale of what lies ahead. By the time Base Camp comes into view, the mountain has already made an impression.
RMI climbs the Guanacos Variation on Aconcagua's eastern side, a quieter and more aesthetic route that sees far fewer climbers than the standard approach. Three successive camps are established above Base Camp, navigating the mountain's sprawling rock moraines and towering snow penitentes on the way to high camp at 19,600 feet. The itinerary is built with acclimatization days and contingency time at each stage, because on a mountain of this altitude, patience and preparation determine outcomes more than anything else.
What separates this expedition from a standard high-altitude trek is the level of support RMI and Grajales Expeditions bring to the mountain. Fresh food and dining tents are maintained at Base Camp, medical staff are stationed on the mountain, and every logistical detail from airport transfers in Mendoza to equipment carried from the US is handled before climbers ever set foot on the glacier. The summit of Aconcagua is a serious objective. The experience of getting there should not feel like one.
November 2, 2025
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-Name
Leadership
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