Description

Did you know you can scale frozen waterfalls mere hours from New York City? Ice climbing is the winter sport of choice for many summer rock climbers looking to continue exploring vertically throughout the colder season. At this Mappy Hour, climbing guide and business owner Doug Ferguson will be talking about how to get into ice climbing and specific opportunities in the Catskills, Adirondacks and other East Coast locales.

We'll be at The North Face on the Upper West Side with brews by Sierra Nevada!

About Doug

Michigan native, Doug’s fascination with the mountains and the outdoors began with a competitive skiing career in high school. Doug discovered climbing in 1997 while living in Boulder, Colorado and has owned and operated Mountain Skills Climbing Guides since 2008. In 2002, he began guiding and climbing full time at the New River Gorge in West Virginia. Doug has climbed extensively throughout the United States, he primarily spends the warmer months guiding rock in the Gunks, early Spring and late Fall in Red Rock, NV and the winter months guiding ice in the Northeast.

His climbing and mountaineering educational background consists of: Certified AMGA Rock Instructor, AMGA Certified Ice Instructor, AMGA Alpine Guides Course, AMGA Advanced Rock Guides Course, AMGA Single Pitch Instructor, AMGA Top Rope Site Manager, AMGA Climbing Wall Instructor Provider, AMGA SPI Provider , Wilderness First Responder training, Leave No Trace Master Trainer, AIARE Level 2 Avalanche, National Ski Patrol Level 1& 2 Avalanche Safety, New York State Licensed Rock, Ice, Hiking, and Camping Guide.

Doug has volunteered with the NYC Adaptive Climbing Clinic helping to teach rock climbing to people with physical disabilities at Brooklyn Boulders. Doug was formerly on the Board of Directors for the Gunks Climbers Coalition, an advocacy group dedicated to creating and maintaining sustainable opportunities for responsible climbing along the Shawangunk Ridge and surrounding areas. He also recently worked with Exum Mountain Guides in the Tetons, WY during the summer months.

With a background in fine art from Kendall College of Art and Design, Doug paints landscapes in large format of the locations he guides with oil color on canvas. You can view Doug’s paintings at www.dougfergusonpainting.com