Koby Yudkin

Koby’s love for the mountains began in high school when an outdoor program first introduced him to climbing and mountaineering. From rime ice covered days on Mt. Hood to aching fingers after a weekend of climbing the volcanic tuff at Smith Rock, he quickly realized that challenge and joy often come hand in hand in the outdoors.

His pursuit of adventure carried him across the country to Bates College in Maine, where he earned a degree in Environmental Studies in 2017. Immersed in the rugged traditional climbing ethic of Northeast climbing, he cut his teeth on the granite walls and alpine terrain of the Mt. Washington Valley—a place that not only honed his skills but also launched his guiding career.

Now based in Portland, Oregon, Koby guides rock climbing, alpine climbing, and backcountry skiing adventures throughout the Cascades and beyond. Whether it’s long summer days climbing in the alpine or early morning missions to ski first tracks, he’s passionate about helping others experience the same sense of adventure, connection, and discovery that first drew him to the mountains.

Credentials and Experience

  • AMGA Assistant Rock Guide

  • AMGA Assistant Alpine Guide

  • AMGA Apprentice Ski Guide

  • Professional Level 1 Avalanche Certification

  • AIARE Instructor

  • Wilderness First Responder

  • 2024 NWAC Intern Observer

Ben Lim

Ben grew up in Southern California where he started rock climbing in 2012. He’s dedicated nearly half of his life to mountain craft, ​helping others achieve their goals in the mountains. He has worked in the mountains of ​California, Alaska, New Hampshire, Maine, Washington, and now calls Oregon home.

Ben is an AMGA Certified Rock Guide, Assistant Ski Guide and Apprentice Alpine Guide, and is ​proud to be working toward the International Federation of Mountain Guides Association certification. He has ​completed his Pro 2 Avalanche training and is a wilderness first responder.

Additionally, he earned a BS in Civil Engineering from UCLA and an MS in Civil Engineering from ​Stanford University. He is a licensed professional engineer in the states of Oregon and ​Massachusetts and worked in the heavy civil construction industry for before ​pursuing a career as a guide.

Credentials

  • AMGA Certified Rock Guide

  • AMGA Assistant Ski Guide

  • AMGA Apprentice Alpine Guide

  • Professional Level 2 Avalanche Certification

  • AIARE Instructor

  • Wilderness First Responder

Highlighted Climbs and Descents

  • Sport climbs up to 5.12+, including:

    • Top Feeder, 5.12c; Butterfly Effect, 5.12c, Right El Sapper, 5.12b; Keep Your Powder Dry, 5.12b.

    • Several 5.12/5.11 climbs at Rifle, Red Rock, Ten Sleep, Smith Rock, Rumney, Lander, Indian Creek, RMNP, Yosemite, the Sierra, Red River Gorge, New River Gorge, and beyond.

  • Traditional climbs to 5.11, including:

    • Winter Heat, 5.11b; Yin and Yang, 5.11a; Cloud Tower, 5.11d, C1; Mountain Beast, 5.11-; Only the Good Die Young, 5.11; Inti Watana to Resolution Arete, 5.10 Grade V; Gift of the Wind Gods, 5.10 Grade IV; Epinephrine, 5.9 Grade IV; Norepinephrine, 5.10 Grade IV - Red Rock, NV and many more!

    • The Grand Wall, 5.11a; Werewolves of London, 5.11a; Sole Proprietorship, 5.11b; and much more - Squamish, BC

  • Mountain Climbs to Grade VI, including:

    • More than 15 ascents on Mt. Hood, having brought over 30 guests to the summit

    • Eight ascents of Mount Shasta, having brought over 20 guests to the summit

    • Beckey-Chouinard on South Howser Tower, 5.10 - Grade VI; Cirque of the Towers Traverse, 5.9 - Grade VI; Liberty Bell Group Traverse, 5.9 - Grade V; Touchstone Wall, 5.10 - Grade V

    • Mount Jefferson via the Jefferson Park Glacier (5.3, AI2) and the West Rib (5.4, Steep Snow)

  • Ski Descents, including:

    • Odyssey, Girls, Ooh Lah Lah, Stairway, Karat Chutes, Key to Lisa in Valdez, AK.

    • Suicide Chute and South Face, Mount Superior; God’s Lawnmower, Kessler Peak; Whipple Couloir, Wasatch.

    • North and Zebra Couloir, Mount Emerson; S. Face, Dunderberg Peak; Heart Chute, Donner Peak; The Cross, Mt. Tallac; The Skillet, Mount Moran; Mount Yotei, Hokkaido; and countless more ski days in the mountains.