Michael Abbey — Curriculum Vitae
Titles, Training, and Certifications
AMGA National Instructor Team (2018 to present)
IFMGA/AMGA Certified American Mountain Guide (2016 to present)
Instructor for the most elite units of every branch of the U.S. Military and other government agencies including the F.B.I. Hostage Recovery Team (tactical/military resume by request)
Lead Guide for Winter Mobility Courses and Denali Expedition for US Navy SpecWar
AMGA Certified Ski Guide (2016)
AMGA Certified Alpine Guide (2014)
AMGA Certified Ice Instructor (2014)
AMGA Certified Rock Guide (2012)
AMGA Certified Rock Instructor (2006)
Level 3 Avalanche Certification
Lead Guide, Exum Mountain Guides
Lead Guide, Alpine Ascents International
Guide/Instructor, PEAK Rescue Mountain Guides
Rescue Technician, Vertical Systems International
Instructor for American Avalanche Institute
Level I PSIA Certification (Professional Ski Instructors of America)
Ski Instructor for Jackson Hole Mountain Resort
Various military training including Basic Reconnaissance Course, Marine Combatant Diver Course, Army Airborne Course, USMC Mountain Warfare Training.
Certified Wilderness First Responder; EMT and USMC Battlefield Trauma Course
Professional Highlights (guided or led in entirety)
Climbs up to Grade VI, 5.12, and WI6
Iconic mountains:
Denali (x5)
Grand Teton (100+)
Mt. Rainier (x6)
Mont Blanc
Matterhorn
Mt. Moran
Mt Whitney
Granite Peak
Bugaboo Spire
Beartooth Spire
Grand Charmoz
Grand Paradiso
Classic rock climbs:
1-day Cirque of the Towers (V 5.8) Wind River Range WY
Direct South Buttress, Mt. Moran (V 5.8 A2) Tetons WY
1-day Cathedral Traverse (V 5.8) Tetons WY
East Buttress of El Capitan (IV 5.10c) Yosemite CA
Cloud Tower (III 5.12a) Red Rocks NV
McCarthy North Face (III 5.11a) Devils Tower WY
East Ridge, Wolf's Head (III 5.6) Wind River Range WY
NE Face, Pingora (III 5.7) Wind River Range WY
The Vampire (III 5.11a) Tahquitz CA
Palisade Traverse (V 5.9) Sierra CA
The Grand Wall (IV 5.11a) Squamish Canada
The Hitchhiker (IV5.11) Cascades WA
Alpine and ice climbs:
1-day Direct North Face, Grand Teton (IV 5.8) Tetons WY
Polar Circus (V WI5) Rockies Canada
Weeping Wall (IV WI4) Rockies Canada
Bridalveil Falls (III WI5) Rockies CO
Mixed Master (IV WI4+ M5) Rockies Canada
Golden Tears (IV WI4+) Wind River Range WY
Mean Green (IV WI 4+) Absoroka-Beartooth Range WY
Chere Couloir (III AI4 M3) Mont Blanc du Tacul France
North Face, Mt Shuksan (IV AI3) Cascades WA
North Ridge, Mt Baker (IV AI3) Cascades WA
Ski descents and tours:
1-day Ford Couloir, Grand Teton WY
Haute Route (Chamonix to Zermatt, Grand Lui variation) France-Switzerland
Teton ski guiding (100+ ski descents) Tetons WY
Mt. Baker, Cascades WA
Wapta ice field traverse B.C. Canada
Sella Ronda traverse, Dolomites Italy
Personal Highlights
Climbs up to 5.13, V9, Grade VI, AK Grade 5, M9, and WI 7
First Ascents:
Ice Dragons (V 5.10, M5, WI4) Beartooth Range MT
California Dreamin' (IV M6+, WI5) Beartooth Range MT
Montana Hardman (V, 5.12b) Beartooth Range MT
Kim Schmitz Memorial Route (IV 5.11d R) Tetons WY
Smoke Screen (IV 5.11c R) Red Rocks NV
Gold Eagle Feather (IV 5.12c) Wind River Range WY
Abbey-Schock Route, The Doublet (IV 5.11a) Beartooth Range MT
Arch Creek Arete (IV 5.10) Beartooth Range MT
Gothic Serpent (II 5.12d) Tetons WY
Classic Rock Climbs:
Via Attraverso il Pesce “The Fish,” Marmolada (V 5.12 A2) Dolomites Italy
Don Quixote, Marmolada (V 5.11) Dolomites Italy
Rainbow Wall (V 5.12b on-sight) Red Rocks NV
Velvet Tongue (III 5.12d) Red Rocks NV
Beckey-Chouinard Route (V 5.10a) Bugaboos Canada
Liberty Crack (V 5.11a C2) Cascades WA
Voie Perre, Les Dru (V 5.11) Chamonix France
Drifting (IV 5.11c) Red Rocks NV
Bean's Wall of Shining Storms, Grand Teton (IV 5.12b on-sight) Tetons WY
Tri Tip (IV 5.11d R) Red Rocks NV
Dogma (V 5.11c) Red Rocks NV
Valhalla (II 5.11a) Tahquitz CA
American Direct, Les Dru (V 5.11 90m dihedral) Chamonix France
Bonatti Route, Grand Capucin (V 5.12b C2) Chamonix France
Black Elk Speaks (IV 5.11+ C2) Wind River Range WY
Excalibur (IV 5.11c R) Wendenstocke Switzerland
The Obelisk (IV 5.10d) Castle Crags OR
Keeler Needle (V 5.10c) Sierra CA
Atlantis (III 5.11c) Needles CA
Primrose Dihedrals, Moses Tower (IV 5.12a) Canyonlands UT
Levitation 29 (IV 5.11c) Red Rocks NV
Dark Star (V 5.10c) Sierra CA
S. Face of Lone Pine Peak (V 5.7) Sierra CA
Tricks of the Trade (V 5.10d C2) Zion UT
Monkeyfinger (IV 5.12b) Zion UT
Pan Am Route, El Gran Trono Blanco (V 5.11+ C2) Baja MX
Astroman (IV 5.11c) Yosemite CA
Alpine and ice routes:
2-day ascent Harvard Route, Mt. Huntington (VI 5.9 WI3 M6 C1) Alaska Range AK
Winter ascent North Face, Les Droites (ED2 V WI5) Chamonix France
Winter ascent Direct Supercouloir, Mont Blanc du Tacul (ED2) Chamonix France
Bettembourg-Thivierge, Auguille Verte (V AI3/4) Chamonix France
Black Ice Couloir, Grand Teton (IV AI 3+) Tetons WY
Winterdance (IV WI7 M8) Hyalite MT
Whiteman's Falls (III WI6) Rockies Canada
Ames Ice Hose (III WI5 M6 R) Rockies CO
California Ice (IV WI4+) Beartooth Range MT
Solo ice routes:
Mendel Couloir (III AI3) Sierra CA
North Face, Tour Ronde (III AI3) Chamonix France
Contamine-Mazued, Mont Blanc du Tacul (III AI3 M1) Chamonix France
Professor Falls (IV WI4) Rockies Canada
The Dribbles (IV WI4) Hyalite MT
Silver Cord (rope-solo) (V WI4+) Yellowstone NP MT
Hotlam Headwall, Mt Shasta (III AI3) CA
Link-ups and speed climbs:
“Moto-Cross Traverse” Aguja Guillaumet and Aguja Mermoz (VI 5.11) Patagonia Argentina
“Grand Traverse” (14:20 r/t) Tetons WY
“Temple Traverse” Haystack Pk, Steeple Pk, Lost Temple Spire, East Temple Pk (V 5.10b) River Range WY
Complete South Buttress of Mt Moran (V 5.8 C2 16:00 r/t) Tetons WY
Inti-Watana/Resolution Arete link up (V 5.10b 8:00 r/t) Red Rocks NV
1-day solo Sun Ribbon Arete (IV 5.10a) and Swiss Arete (III 5.7) Sierra CA
1-day solo Fairview Dome (III 5.9) Cathedral Peak, Matthes Crest (IV 5.7) Sierra CA
Time Wave Zero (V 5.12 8:00 r/t) El Potrero Chico MX
Sagittarius (III 5.10d 13 pitches 2:45) Grimselpass Switzerland
Ski descents and tours:
3 Summits of Mont Blanc traverse, Chamonix France
Cosmique Couloir, Chamonix France
Ronde Glacier, Chamonix France
Central Couloir, Cody Peak, Tetons WY