EP 35 – Kristin Arnold & Sheldon Kerr – Break Down Barriers – Female Guides Requested Podcast

Kristin’s & Sheldon’s Links:

• Moxie Website: https://www.moxiemountainguides.com/
• The indigenous organization Moxie supports in SW CO: https://store.southernute-nsn.gov/product-category/bgcsu/
• All In Ice Fest: https://allinicefest.com/
• DEI trainings Kristin and Sheldon have completed and activists from the community that have helped to support their learning: Check Your Privilege: https://www.checkyourprivilege.co/store & Habit Queer: https://www.habitqueer.com/about-me
• These Colorado Women Are Reframing What It Means to Be a Mountain Guide – 5280
• The Woman Who Is Pushing for Gender Equality in the Guiding World – Powder

Episode Intro:

Dear listeners of the Female Guides Requested Podcast. Happy Wednesday. This is your host Ting Ting from Las Vegas. Today we have two guests, Kristin Arnold and Sheldon Kerr, founders of Moxie Mountain Guides. I was super excited to finally pinned them down from their busy schedule to have this conversation. When I edited this episode, I paused multiple times to reflect and ask myself questions. What is a guide? What is a good guide? What are the so-called soft skills and how do they play a role in risk management? I learned so much from them and I’m so happy that they started Moxie.

Both Kristin and Sheldon are IFMGA mountain guides. IFMGA stands for International Federation of Mountain Guides Association, and their certification is the highest credential attainable by a professional mountain guide. As of spring 2024, they are 2 of 17 total women IFMGA in the US. Together they created Moxie Mountain Guides to align the profession of guiding with their values. Let me share a quote from their website “We guide for good. We believe representation matters. We want the mountain to be inclusive space for women, non-binary and trans-identifying backcountry athletes – no matter your body type, race, or gender.” Moxie strives to break down the social and financial barriers to accessing high-end technical instruction.

Kristin and Sheldon are also AMGA Instructor Team members. They teach AMGA mountain guide programs, including women’s Rock Guide course. I heard encouraging stories from their students and was curious to learn more about their philosophy and approach. In this episode we had a deep dive into what affinity space does, why inclusion is a fundamental component of risk management, how we should advocate equality and justice, and what professionalism means to guides. You will recognize their voices very quickly when you start listening, but to give you a head start. The first person talked was Kristin.

Without further ado, let’s go and enjoy the Moxie ride!