Andrew Councell

Certified Rock Guide

Andrew learned to climb in the no-bolt state of North Carolina where the trad-only ethics provided him with the training ground and preparation for hard, scary lines in Colorado. An outdoorsman from a very early age, Andrew has always sought the next new adventure on rope, snowboard or crampons.

Although he is deeply passionate about climbing, Andrew’s first love is for the pro-gravity sport of snowboarding which served as the catalyst for his climbing (he had to climb up to find ever harder ski descents). He competed in snowboarding while living in Breckenridge and enjoys backcountry adventures in RMNP during the climbing off-season.

He has climbed extensively in the Southeast: Looking Glass, Whitesides and Stone Mountain in North Carolina, Obed River Valley in Tennessee and Red River Gorge in Kentucky to name a few. He has also climbed all over Colorado and the Squamish/Whistler area as well as in Wyoming, Utah and Norway. In 2005, Andrew summited Denali via the West Buttress. What next? Limestone crags in Thailand and the Needles in California.

He has completed the AMGA’s Top Rope Site Manager, Rock Instructor and Alpine Guide courses as well as the Wilderness First Responder certification. He also holds various avalanche credentials and graduated from Capilano College’s Wilderness Leadership Program.

Andrew is the manager of our Estes Park Climber’s Lodge and in his spare time he enjoys trail running, ultimate Frisbee, soccer and playing guitar. That is, of course, when he’s not chasing the birds at Lumpy or searching the backcountry for the perfect couloir.